The name of this small Belgian town in West Flanders is quite consistent with its essence: in Bruges, there are 54 bridges for a hundred thousand and a half thousand inhabitants, of which a dozen are also divorced. This regular ceremony takes place to allow ships to pass through the city's canals. Despite the relative distance from the sea, large ships quietly ply in the city, which its inhabitants love to watch from the embankments of Bruges. No one is in a hurry or fussing here, and the rhythm of life is more reminiscent of a provincial and pastoral one, despite the fact that Bruges has long become a tourist center of world importance.
Flanders lace
One of the main economic articles of Bruges is the production of lace. Ancient traditions are carefully preserved by local craftswomen and passed down from generation to generation for several centuries. But the Belgian city is famous not only for these filigree patterns. The lace of canals and river channels became the reason for its unofficial name - Venice of the North. Dozens of small and cozy embankments in Bruges are an opportunity to wander through the narrow medieval streets and observe the life of its inhabitants:
- Many architectural landmarks of West Flanders are located on the Werth embankment, but the most famous building here is the House of Freedom. Early Baroque gables and a carved fireplace made by skilled craftsmen in the middle of the 16th century adorn the old residence of the city burgraff.
- On the Rosenkhudkai embankment, there is a small pier where tourist boats dock. Their route runs along all three main canals - Ostend, Ghent and Slais, along the cozy embankments of Bruges and under its ancient bridges.
After taking a walk on the water, you can go to a cafe and drink a cup of hot chocolate with Belgian waffles, which are especially delicious in Bruges, and then go on an excursion to the Museum of Diamonds, the ability to perfectly cut which Belgium is still so famous for.
From Bruges to Yoshkar-Ola
Surprisingly, there is now a piece of medieval Europe in the capital of the Republic of Mari El. The Bruges embankment in Yoshkar-Ola got its name from the Flemish-style houses built on the banks of Malaya Kokshaga.
Yoshkar-Olinskaya embankment invites its guests to relax on cozy benches, go for a jog or a bike ride and take pictures at the monument to Empress Yekaterina Petrovna, whose contribution to the development of education was honored in this way by the townspeople.
