Impressions of Bruges #4

If you have heard anything at all about Bruges, you will certainly think of canals - though to be honest I had not realised there were so many of them. It's not called 'The Venice of the North' for nothing. The city is circled by a ring of wide canals travelled by huge commercial barges, linking the ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge with the the rest of Europe's waterways network. In addition there are numerous smaller canals criss-crossing the centre of this compact city. Many of these date back to the golden age of the 12th -15th centuries, enabling merchants to deliver their goods right into the heart of the city when Bruges itself was a thriving and prosperous port. 

The canals really add to the pleasure for a photographer, with picturesque bridges and pretty vistas round every corner.