Building sights in Bruges
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Heilig-Bloedbasiliek
The Heilig-Bloedbasiliek takes its name from the relic of Christ's blood brought here after the Crusades, sometime between 1150 and 1200. The church has two distinct and highly contrasting sections: the sombre 12th-century lower chapel, built along pure Romanesque lines and almost devoid of decoration, and the much-renovated and lavishly embellished upper chapel, accessed by wide stairs near the lower chapel's entrance.
In the upper chapel is the silver tabernacle containing the phial that holds a few drops of the holy blood. This relic is still venerated in one-hour services at 10:00 and 15:00 every Friday. On Ascension Day it is paraded through the city in Bruges' bigge…
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Brugse Vrije
An immense 16th-century chimneypiece draws visitors to the Renaissancezaal (Renaissance Hall). This hall was the alderman's room of the palace of the Liberty of Bruges, a medieval administrative body. Completed in 1531, the chimney's upper section is a detailed oak carving depicting Emperor Charles V alongside an entourage of relatives; black marble and an alabaster frieze adorn the lower part. All in all it's pretty impressive, even without the men's overblown medieval codpieces.
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Jeruzalemkerk
The onion-domed Jeruzalemkerk is intriguing, built by the Adornes family in the 15th century as a replica of Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It's a macabre monument. The dark, split-level church is dominated by a gruesome altarpiece (note the skulls and ladders) and the black-marble tomb of Anselm Adornes, whose heart was buried here after he was murdered in Scotland in 1483. To top it all off there's a replica of Christ's tomb, complete with imitation corpse.
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D
Engels Klooster
The Engels Klooster was founded in 1629 by a community of canonesses (women who belong to a religious order but have not taken a vow) who fled England and, for many years, offered shelter to other Catholic exiles. One sister is on duty each day to give tours of the sumptuous baroque church. Just enter the courtyard, ring the bell and wait inside.
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St Salvatorskathedraal
The 13th-century St Salvatorskathedraal is Bruges' oldest parish church. After years covered in scaffolding, the church's unusual 99m-high tower - incorporating turrets and spires with neo-Romanesque flair - is once again distinctly visible. Inside, the treasury displays works by Dirk Bouts and Pourbus.
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Craenenburg Café
Notable at Markt 16 is Craenenburg Café. In this building the Hapsburg heir Maximilian of Austria was imprisoned by the leaders of the city in 1488 after attempting to restrict their privileges. When Maximilian later became emperor, he took revenge by directing trade to Antwerp.
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Apotheek
Next to the Museum St Janshospitaal is a restored 17th-century Apotheek, which originally belonged to the hospital. You're free to wander in after visiting the museum.
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Provinciaal Hof
The Markt's eastern side is dominated by the Provinciaal Hof, a neogothic building home to the post office and a handy ATM.
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St Annakerk
This 15th-century church lends its name to the St Anna quarter that fans out east of here.
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