Bruges, Guido Gezelle, A Poet's Journey

The walk takes you from the statue of Guido Gezelle, in the heart of Bruges’ tourist district, to the beautiful gardens of the Guido Gezelle Museum. The 19th-century West Flemish poet Guido Gezelle guides you from the Church of Our Lady through the parish of Saint-Walburga, with its English influences, to the charming Saint-Anne district. You stroll along lovely canals and picturesque streets to the mills in the green outskirts of Bruges.

Guido Gezelle was a 19th-century poet-priest who is very well known in Flanders. Streets in many towns are named after the poet. He wrote in the Flemish language, often using dialect.

The life and work of Gezelle connect you to 19th-century Bruges: its buildings, school life, political struggles between liberals and Catholics, pastoral work, and the cult of the Holy Blood. Gezelle also had a special relationship with the English immigrants in Bruges and English institutions such as the English convent, the English seminary, and the college. He was a true lover of England and spoke the language fluently. He dreamed of going to England as a missionary, but his superiors kept him in Belgium because of his exceptional literary talent.

Unique documents and manuscripts from the Gezelle archives, sound and poetry fragments, old film footage from the national television archives, and 19th-century photographs from the city archives enrich the tour.

The tour was organized by the Guido Gezelle Archives, housed at the Bruges Public Library.
Enjoy the walk…

Arrangement: E. Depuydt; Language advice and translation of the poem "Bruggewaards": M. Cumberlege;
Voices: E. Depuydt, J. Van Eenoo, K. Calis, D. Van den Berghe; Song: Bart Vandekerkhove
(www.gezellegezongen.be); Music: Kevin MacLeod: Trio for Piano, Violin, and Viola (freemusicarchive.org)

📏 3 km
🕑 1–2 hours
⭐ easy
📍 Bruges Public Library (alternatively, start at any stop)
🏁 Guido Gezelleplein