Belgium and Luxembourg (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

BELGIUM AND LUXEMBOURG REGION BY REGION 105

Tour groups cruising down the scenic Dijver canal through historic Bruges

Owing to its location

at the crossroads of
northern Europe, and

to its boundary with
the North Sea, Western

Flanders has often been
thrust into the forefront of his-

torical events. Although a Flemish-
speaking land, it was ruled during

the Middle Ages by French kings (see
pp37–8) – a cause of much frustra-

tion and strife. Despite this, many of
the cities, notably Bruges, Ghent,

Ieper, Kortrijk and Veurne, were rich
from the cloth trade and industrious

with crafts meticulously regulated by
their proud guilds. The Golden

Age followed in the 15th century,
when the dukes of Burgundy took

possession and made Bruges the
glittering capital of their empire.

However, between 1500 and 1945,
Western Flanders was in the doldrums.

The economy became largely rural,
with small cottage industries such as

lace-making. The land became a pawn

in the big-game politics of

Europe, battered by religious

struggles in the 16th century

as the Spanish Netherlands

disintegrated, then fought

over by the Austrians, the

French and the English in

succeeding centuries. The

20th century brought World

War I, which scored a line through

Western Flanders, creating a wasteland

on either side and demolishing Ieper.

All this changed over the latter half

of the 20th century with the rise of

Flanders as one of Europe’s most

prosperous regions. The architectural

treasures of the old medieval towns,

sidelined and ignored for centuries,

but preserved untouched, were

restored, and the historic heritage of

Flanders has now become one of its

greatest assets. Furthermore, Western

Flanders has done much to encourage

visitors, be it in the great cities, the

countryside, on the coast, or on

the battlefields of the Western Front.

WESTERN FLANDERS

C

harming, fascinating and glorying in the treasures of its historic

heritage, Western Flanders is home to vibrant cities such as

Bruges and Ghent, and smaller towns such as Oudenaarde,

Kortrijk and Veurne. Around them lies a tranquil rural landscape of

flat or gently hilly farmland, threaded with rivers and canals. To the

north, sandy beaches face out on to the bracing North Sea.

The traditional Flemish way of shrimp fishing from horse-drawn carts, at the Oostduinkerke beach