FR25 HA City Tour Bruges

Bruges, often referred to as the "Venice of the North," is a city that's not just rich in history but overwhelmingly charming in its medieval beauty and romantic canals. The architecture in Bruges is mostly intact, making it one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. 
The "Historic Centre of Bruges" has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

At first, guided by a French history teacher, with a questionnaire, we discovered some of the most important places and monuments : the Beguinage (founded around 1244, there are no more Beguines living there and their job was to wash wool for the weavers, but since 1927 it has functioned as a convent for Benedictines), the Church of Our Lady (a Roman Catholic church, dating mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries) with its 115.6-metre-high tower (the tallest structure in the city and the third tallest brickwork tower in the world), students can see a

Craft (lace) that developed considerably in Bruges after the Middle Ages. Women had to be particularly skilled at handling spindles using linen threads, the town hall which was a basilica and its crypt, a part of the port of Bruges and its bourgeois lodge, « house of the Genoa", "house of

the Florentines" and, on the square : "Burse of Bruges », the egg market fountain and finally the Markt and its towering medieval belfry.

Our group was immediately enchanted by the medieval atmosphere that permeates the cobblestone streets of this city.

Then we had free time to go shopping and sit at one of the many café terraces and taste the local culinary delights : waffles, fries, Belgium chocolates, beers…Some of us took a boat tour along the canals and could admire different perspectives of the city, cruising under quaint bridges and past stunning views of historic buildings.

Students could see and visit the city of Bruges Listed As UNESCO world heritage. They have known the history of the city and its most important places.  Traditions and folklore permeated the presentation of the French students and teachers, thus making them rather catchy. 

The activity was held in English, so the others had the opportunity to develop their listening and speaking skills.
It was a delightful experience for everybody. Sharing moments together in such an enchanting city, full of history was really enriching and strengthened the bonds between the partners. They learnt a lot about the history of the city and the past it shares with the region around Dunkerque. An article about the visit was published on the project blog.