Travel

Bruges, Belgium, Museums and Gothic Churches

00:00 intro 00:43 Groeninge Museum 00:55 Van Eyck 02:38 Hof Arents park 03:03 Gruuthuse Museum 05:34 Church of Our Lady 08:42 Hospital of St. John 10:16 Folk Museum 12:38 Jerusalem Chapel 13:57 Sint-Salvatorskathedraal 18:48 Tourist Information travel videos & photos at: https://townsofeurope.com/ with text, maps & links. Official museum information: https://www.museabrugge.be/en/ Official Tourist Information: https://www.visitbruges.be/en The city of Bruges in Belgium has so many well-preserved medieval and neo-gothic buildings, that the entire town is like an outdoor museum. And you can go into several actual museums to enjoy fascinating art, sculpture and history. The Gothic churches also contain many great works of art enclosed in this spectacular old architecture, with a statue by Michelangelo, and a brightly colored stained-glass windows all around you. Later, we shall visit inside the magnificent cathedral, and step into a 19th century classroom. Some museums are located right along the canals. Our first visit brings us inside the Groeninge Museum, with its priceless collection of Flemish masters and other Belgian visual arts covering six centuries. The museum is located next to a charming little park that was once the private garden of a manor house, but now is open to the public. A great place to relax and take in the beautiful surroundings. It's a popular spot for picnics, also known for its picturesque humpback pedestrian St Boniface Bridge. The park is also next to the Gruuthuse Museum, which is housed in a lavish 15th century palace that looks something like a castle. The courtyard is open to the public for free and has some wonderful buildings around it in various styles, from the Middle Ages through the late period. It's so photogenic you will be compelled to take lots of pictures. Then on the right side, notice how close the Church of Our Lady is. It's right next door, which makes an excellent place to visit after leaving the museum. That belfry above the Church of Our Lady is the world's third tallest brick tower at 115 meters, looking up at the highest point of the city. The church dates back to the 13th century, built in the Gothic style with cross-rib vaulting on the ceiling and later Baroque decoration. The most important reason this church is so famous is the sculpture in the side chapel, because it was the only statue by Michelangelo that ever left Italy during his lifetime. It was originally intended for the Siena Cathedral, but Michelangelo was never paid for that Siena project, so he canceled that work and sold the statue to a couple of merchants from Bruges who then donated it to the church. Just across the street, we have the hospital of Saint John, which is one of the oldest hospital buildings in Europe, and contains some major artworks inside, especially famous for the works of Hans Memling. Just entering the building from the street is another adventure in itself and a reminder about the incredible medieval architecture of Bruges. It's like walking through a time tunnel, built in brick. We emerge into a lovely courtyard with those old buildings around it, like a plaza, almost like a public park in the middle of the city. And then the entrance to the museum is just on the right. Hans Memling was a 15th century master of hyper-realistic scenes who lived and worked in Bruges and created his most important masterpieces there. Another place you would enjoy visiting is the Folk Museum, where you learn all about the ordinary daily life in Bruges in the 19th and early 20th centuries. While in the neighborhood, there's another fascinating thing to see, an ancient church, one of the hidden treasures of Bruges. Consecrated in 1429, the chapel was inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem with an ancient architectal style predating Gothic and Romanesque. A dramatic altar features many skulls serving as memento mori, reminders of death. Originally constructed by the Adornes family, and now 600 years and 17 generations later, it's still owned by descendants of the same family, in a complex that includes several other buildings and a small museum. From here we are walking back into the center of Bruges to visit the cathedral,the Gothic masterpiece of Sint-Salvatorskathedral, in English, St Savior, whose tower reaches 99 meters high. Upon entering, you will be impressed by the enormous space of the interior 100 meters long, greatest width at 52 meters and ceiling, 28 meters high, with a forest of massive columns outlining the nave and aisles, creating intricate spaces that are delightful to wander through, as you look all around and above at the cross-rib vaulted ceiling. It's the oldest parish church in Bruges with a history that goes back to the mid-seventh century when it was a wooden structure, replaced by this Gothic marvel constructed between the 12th and early 16th centuries.