112 BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG REGION BY REGION

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp264–6 and pp288–91

R St-Salvatorkathedraal
St-Salvatorskerkhof 1. Tel (050)

336188. 
        

        daily. &

        
        

        Originally built as a parish
        church between the 12th
        and 15th centuries, this
        large, brick build ing became
        Bruges’s cathedral in 1834,
        following the destruc tion of
        the Cathedral of St Donation
        in the Burg (see p108), by
        the French army in 1799. The
        enormous but plain interior
        of the building is offset by
        the elaborate Baroque organ,
        adorned with angels, which
        was installed in 1682. The
        choir stalls are decorated with
        the coats of arms belonging
        to knights of the Order of the
        Golden Fleece, dating from a
        convention held in 1478. The
        order, founded by Philip the
        Good in Bruges in 1430, called
        together many of Europe’s
        rulers and powerbrokers to
        settle disputes and uphold
        the ideals of Christianity and
        chivalry. Above the choir
        stalls hang handsome Brussels
        tapestries that date back to
        the early 18th century and
        depict scenes from the Bible.

        
        

His father, William Curtis

Brangwyn, was an architect

and painter, and one of a

number of British residents

closely involved in the res-

toration of Bruges in the

19th century. Most of Frank

Brangwyn’s life was spent in

Britain, but he bequeathed

this collection to Bruges,

along with his carpets, draw-

ings and furniture. His dark

and powerful canvases

depict ing industrial scenes

are particularly striking, and

overall this is a surprising

and rewarding collection.

The stately, pale brick tower of
St-Salvatorkathedraal, Bruges

E Gruuthuse Museum

Dijver 17. Tel (050) 448762.

# 9:30am–5pm Tue–Sun (tickets

sold until 4:30pm). &

Occupying a large medieval

mansion close to the Dijver

Canal, the Gruuthuse Museum

holds a priceless collec tion of

fine and applied arts. These

date from Bruges’s heyday

as a wealthy trading city, and

the subsequent centuries.

In the 15th century, the

building was inhabited by

the merchant (or lord of the

Gruuthuse) who had the

exclusive right to levy a tax

on gruut – an imported mix-

ture of herbs added to bar ley

during the beer-brewing

process. The mansion’s laby-

rinthine rooms, with their

ancient chimney pieces and

wooden beams, have sur-

vived intact. Nowa days, they

house woodcarvings, musical

instruments, weapons, furni-

ture and tapestries. There

is even a medical section

devoted to cures of everyday

ailments such as haemorrhoids.

One of the museum’s most

treasured possessions is the

An elaborate tapestry depicting the “free arts”, Gruuthuse Museum

R Onthaalkerk

Onze-Lieve-Vrouw

Mariastraat. Tel (050) 345314.

# 9:30am–5pm Mon–Fri, 9:30am–

4:45pm Sat, 1:30–5pm Sun. ¢ for

tours during services. & choir only.

http://www.museabrugge.be

The construction of the

Onthaalkerk Onze-Lieve-

Vrouw (the Welcome Church

of Our Lady) began in 1220

and ended 200 years later. In

consequence, it incorporates

a variety of architectural

styles. Its 122-m (400-ft) tall

spire is one of the tallest in

Belgium. The interior, with its

incredibly lifelike wood and

terracotta bust of the Habsburg

king Charles V carved in

1520. This is attributed to the
      German sculptor Konrad Meit.
      There are also a number of
      artifacts recalling the exile
      of Charles II of England in
      Bruges. On the second floor
      is a wooden chapel built in
      1472 with a private window
      into the Onthaalkerk Onze-
      Lieve-Vrouw next door.

E Arentshuis
Dijver 16. Tel (050) 448763.

9:30am–5pm Tue–Sun. &

http://www.museabrugge.be
An 18th-century mansion
overlooking the Dijver Canal,
the Arentshuis is now an
annexe of the Groeninge
Museum (see pp114–15),
which stands nearby. The
ground floor is used to house
temporary exhibitions. On the
first floor are works by Frank
Brangwyn (1867–1956), a
painter and sculptor born
in Bruges of Welsh parents.

Oak-panelled interior of the

chapel at Gruuthuse Museum