Historic Centre of Brugge (UNESCO/NHK)

a reflection of a medieval town the historic center of Greece the Flanders region of Western Belgium is connected by canals to the North Sea the textile trade flourished here during the 13th and 14th centuries this was the beginning of the Golden Age of Bruges as a trading centre however in the late 15th century the canals became blocked with mud and the city inaccessible by ship trading declined Flanders used to produce high-class wool fabrics using wool imported from Britain merchant houses at the height of their prosperity were called guild houses there are signs above the doorways

this is a fish shop the signs were convenient for the many people at the time who couldn't dreamed under this barrel is the face of Bacchus these signs show the procedures for leather making here hammering an animal hide with a stone after washing and here tanning leather the building on the right used to be the house of a merchant called boss the world's first Stock Exchange was founded here this is boss in the local language Bruges became a thriving Center for finance and joined the Hanseatic League merchants pioneered the town's construction this belfry was built

as a watchtower and became a symbol of the town's independence in the top part of the belfry a set of bells called Parian tells the time the canals once the pride at the town silted up and the town declined during the industrial revolution time has stopped in this medieval town it's beautiful reflection unchanged for centuries