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March 1997 · Bruges
See also Brussels, Ghent, & Antwerp

We had the best weather of the trip the day we spent in Bruges, which was good luck. It is by far the prettiest of the four cities we were visited. Three views from the famous belfry (at left, borrowed photograph).

 

 
The Church of Our Lady, below, on the right, contains one of the rare Michelangelo sculpures outside of Italy.
 
Good food (pretty, too) all around.

  The Church of St. Ann, on the left, with two borrowed images of the interior below.
 

The interior pictures above and the text below were taken from the website of Visit Bruges.
[Start of quoted material]
It is slightly off the beaten track but the St Anne's Church is well worth a visit. This lovely little church is resplendent with art, beautiful woods & carvings, and all within a most attractive design.
The building of the church was begun at the end of the 15th century. After the victory of the Protestants during the Dutch Revolution, this Catholic church (like many others in Bruges) was abandoned and stayed in ruins until 1611, when it started its second life. During the next 13 years, it was rebuilt.
This is a real museum of Flemish art.
You can admire the marble rood screen, the oak panelling with built-in confessionals, and paintings by Jan Garemijn. On the outside you will notice a slim brick façade tower and traces of the late Gothic windows which adorned the original Gothic succursal.
It is stunning - with a vast amount of carved panelling (life sized figures adorn each confessional) through to an amazing marbled choir and sanctuary. The whole of the east wall above the entrance door is covered with one vast painting. Breath-taking!
[End of quoted material.]

April 30, 2018