Bruges

Belgium is a lovely place to be, but sometimes you really need to speak the language to feel at home. During my recent stay in Bruges, Belgium, I discovered that even though everyone spoke English (and French) the main language of service is Flemish. For those who don't know, the language of northern Belgium sounds like a fusion of German and English and is impossible to sound out. As an example, the Market Square is known as Markt and most every street's name ends in "straat."

Other than the language, I think that Belgians are happy people. They see a lot of tourists in Bruges even though the city is a fraction of Paris. It only takes 20 minutes to walk from one end of the city to the other if you're really looking to get a fast walk in. More than that, all the tourist places are pretty close together. It makes for an ideal vacation spot if ever you want to visit Belgium but Brussels is too big. Although, I hear the city of Ghent is wonderful for those looking to find young people, due to the abundance of universities.

Bruges was founded in the year 1277 with the arrival of the first traders from Genova. In 1309, the Stock Exchange opened - a very long time before modern capitalism and yet so similar to the way we do things now. Bruges itself was based on its trade routes via its canals. Even in the medieval era, the town was build on the banks of the water. You can see how integral the water was to the foundation of the city, though a lot of the former sites of canals are covered with streets.

The main attraction of the town is due to the film In Bruges, which stars Colin Farrell. I've never seen it, but apparently it's good! It won critical acclaim for its screenplay, so it must have some merit. Despite its bleak outlook on the city, the film attracts more tourists to the small town than perhaps it should. Personally, I think more people should visit it just for the fun of going to a small town that still acts like a small town despite the tourists. Even if you aren't in the market for a romantic canal ride or a pint of beer, Bruges is a lovely place to spend the weekend. I am so glad I did!