*BRÜGGE*: Country house of the Brügger Freiamt and town hall

Welcome to the Brugse Vrije, a building with a history dating back hundreds of years. If the interior reminds you of a courtroom, you are correct: you are, in fact, in the courtroom of Bruges’ old courthouse. From the late 18th century until 1984, the mansion served as the seat of the Bruges Court of Justice. Today, the building houses the Bruges City Archives. However, this tour is primarily intended to give you an understanding of the significance of the Brugse Vrije and its administration, which was located here from the fourteenth century until the end of the eighteenth century. On this tour, you will learn what responsibilities this administration had and exactly what the Brugse Vrije was.

Welcome to Bruges City Hall. You are standing in the hall of this magnificent and well-preserved medieval building, which, after all these centuries, still serves its original purpose. This place has been the heart of the city administration for more than six hundred years. This is where the City Council meets, where the mayor works, and where several municipal authorities are housed. Upstairs, in the impressive Gothic Hall, the citizens of Bruges get married and the mayor receives distinguished guests. On this tour, we will visit the magnificent Gothic Hall and the historic hall on the first floor.