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FOR ALMOST 400 YEARS, THIS 17TH CENTURY MANSION HAS MIRRORED ITS GRAND CLASSIC FRONTAGE TO THE...
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Brugge
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Description
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Bruges (Dutch: Brugge (a name probably signifying landing stage)) is the historic capital of West Flanders, Flanders being one of the three regions of Belgium.
Bruges is one of Belgium's chief tourist attractions, and was European Capital of Culture in 2002, together with Salamanca. In 1911 the Encyclopaedia Britannica observed that "its medieval appearance is better preserved, as a whole, than in the case of any other Belgian city."
The history of Bruges begins in a very modest way more than 2000 years ago as a Gallo-Roman settlement. The name Bruges comes from the Old Norse "Bryggja" which means 'landing stage'. The name Bruges appears on documents and coins in the middle of the ninth century. At that time, there was already a strong citadel in Bruges.
Like Ghent, but on a more concentrated scale, it has most of its medieval architecture intact.
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