A walk to the windmills of Bruges of Bruges - Belgium

Not only the Netherlands has its windmills. Since the end of the 13th-century windmills were built in Bruges along the original ramparts. Some windmills stand nearby the city center, and so we decide to take a walk along the canals to see them.

Along the Speelmansrei Und Augustijnenrei Canal which runs directly behind our accommodation, the hotel Bryghia, we stroll in eastern direction. The picturesque scenery offers marvelous photo motifs.

We cross the Langrei Canal and walk along the Carmersstraat. The scenery increasingly changes into a suburb. Here are strikingly many B&B accommodations.

Passing the English Convent, a large convent, we reach the St. Sebastiansgilde, Kon. Hoofgilde.

The Guild of Saint Sebastian is the only archers’ guild in the world that exists already more than 600 years. The guild has two famous female members, Queen Matilda of Belgium and the Queen of England.

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Just around the corner, we reach the first windmills on the hills of the ancient rampart. The place assured that the wind could blow straight onto the windmills. These were mounted centrally on large wooden beams, to orientate it to the wind.

The Sint-Janshuismolen, St. Janhuis Mill, built-in 1770, is the only windmill still standing in its original place today. The mill is still fully functional and now houses a museum. It can be visited daily, from April to September, except on Mondays.

Behind the ancient rampart runs a canal, where we see a modern barge passing by.

Further south, we reach Kruispoort Gate, an imposing city gate. Today’s city gate is the third version of the gate. The first gate was built here from 1297 to 1304 and replaced in 1366. After the capture of Bruges by the citizens of Ghent in 1382, Philipp van Artevelde destroyed the gate. One built the third version of Kruispoort in 1400.

In the distance, we can still see that one of the windmills is moving.

Via the Peperstraat we come back to the town center again.

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Soundtracks in video:

Sunny Days – GEMAfreie Musik von https://audiohub.de
Lizenz: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Careless (2015) – GEMAfreie Musik von https://audiohub.de
Lizenz: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)