We took a one day trip from Amsterdam to Bruges, Belgum. Bruges (/bruːʒ/; Dutch: Brugge [ˈbrʏɣə]; French: Bruges [bʁyːʒ]; German: Brügge) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country. Bruges was a location of coastal settlement during prehistory. This Bronze Age and Iron Age settlement is unrelated to medieval city development. In the Bruges area, the first fortifications were built after Julius Caesar‘s conquest of the Menapii in the first century BC, to protect the coastal area against pirates. The Franks took over the whole region from the Gallo-Romans around the 4th century and administered it as the Pagus Flandrensis. The Viking incursions of the ninth century prompted Count Baldwin I of Flanders to reinforce the Roman fortifications; trade soon resumed with England and Scandinavia. Early medieval habitation starts in the 9th and 10th century on the Burgh terrain, probably with a fortified settlement and church [13]
Must say. the Belgian waffles we had in Bruges were the best we ever had. We also had lunch with a delightful couple we met on the trip. The restaurant recommended by our tour guide was a little disappointing as it took over an hour to be served and that cut into our time to explore the city. However the new friends made the time spent waiting for lunch more enjoyable.
