Tucked into the heartland of Flanders, an easy hourlong ride from Brussels by car or train, this extraordinary living relic of the Middle Ages has been seducing visitors for centuries. Bruges (as we know it in English and French, though it´s Brugge in the local Flemish language) is a small city by any measure, home to roughly 120,000 people, yet its historic center—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—carries a weight of beauty and architectural integrity that humbles places many times its size. The old town unfolds as a dream of cobbled lanes, mirror-still canals, soaring Gothic spires and perfectly preserved guild houses in warm ochre and terracotta. The comparison to Venice is inevitable, although Bruges has a quieter, more intimate quality—less theatrical, perhaps, but no less magical. The magnificent Markt (Market Square, above), dominated by the ancient Belfort (Belfry Tower) whose carillon bells mark the hours across the rooftops, is one of the great public spaces of northern Europe. World-class museums, legendary Belgian chocolate, extraordinary local beer, and a cityscape that seems purpose-built for unhurried wandering complete a picture that is, frankly, very hard to resist.

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