
The Burg and the Stadhuis of Bruges
Not far from the Markt lies another beautiful square, the Burg, on the exact place where the original fortress stood, around which developed the first nucleus of Bruges. The fortress represented the political and religious centre of the city.
Inside the castle stand the Proostdij, the House of the political authority, a Baroque building built in 1662, and the Stadhuis, the ancient town hall, which is still today the council office, with numerous weddings being celebrated here every year.
Inside the building the 15th century Gothic Roomcan be admired, a room for assemblies which is characterised by a wooden carved ceiling, decorated with a series of 16 canopies, each holding statues representing the natural elements and seasons, and several paintings dating from the end of the XIX century, which narrate crucial episodes of the city history.
Not to miss a visit of the Renaissance Room, situated in the adjacent building, which keeps one of the finest works of the Flemish sculpture: a splendid fireplacein marble and alabaster by the artist Lanceloot Blondeel.