Bruges City Hall — Attraction in Bruges

After a fire in the city's Belfry in 1280, the old Ghyselhuus, which had already fallen into disuse as the jail of the count of Flanders, was still the meeting place for the city council. In 1376, the Ghyselhuus was pulled down and replaced by a new purpose built council building. Count Louis laid the foundation stone.[2] Responsibility for its construction was given to Jan Roegiers,[3] and the project was completed late in 1421.[3] The City Hall is the earliest late Gothic monumental-style municipal council building in Flanders or Brabant: its flamboyant opulence testifies to the city's economic and political power[3] at a time when the population of Bruges is believed to have reached more than 37,000, or even 45,000 people.[4]

The pioneering stone facade of the oldest part, which during the 16th and 17th centuries was several times extended towards the south, inspired in quick succession the city halls of Brussels, Ghent, Leuven and Oudenaarde.[3] The building's admirers highlight the effect of the "Brugian span", referring to the abundance of repeating systematically positioned niches encompassing the windows, though it is not clear that this effect was invented in Bruges.

The statues under the stone baldachin-canopies on the building's facade have been renewed several times. At the time of the French Revolution, all the statues were destroyed. A small number of genuine pieces are now included in the collections of the city museum. The crenellated facade is topped off with little turrets and the roof is decorated with its own little crests and dormers. In 1766, the door on the left side of the building's facade was repositioned to make the overall effect more...

After a fire in the city's Belfry in 1280 the old Ghyselhuus, which had already fallen into disuse as the jail of the count of Flanders, became the meeting place for the city council. In 1376 the Ghyselhuus was pulled down and replaced by a new purpose built council building. Count Louis laid the foundation stone. Responsibility for its construction was given Jan Roegiers, and the project was completed, eventually, in 1421.[3] The City Hall is the earliest late Gothic monumental-style municipal council building in Flanders or Brabant: its flamboyant opulence testifies to the city's economic and political power at a time when the population of Bruges is believed to have reached more than 37,000, or even 45,000 people.

The pioneering stone facade of the oldest part, which during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was several times extended towards the south, inspired in quick succession the city halls of Brussels, Ghent, Leuven and Oudenaarde. The building's admirers highlight the effect of the "Brugian span", referring to the abundance of repeating systematically positioned niches encompassing the windows, though it is not clear that this effect was invented in Bruges.

The statues under the stone baldachin-canopies on the building's facade have been renewed several times. At the time of the French Revolution all the statues were destroyed. A small number of genuine pieces are now included in the collections of the city museum. The crenelated facade is topped off with little turrets and the roof is decorated with its own little crests and dormers. In 1766 the door on the left side of the building's facade was repositioned to make the overall effect more...

Stadhuis (town hall) is a 14th century gem of an attraction that is very much worth visiting while sightseeing in Bruges. Opening hours are 9.30-5pm. Entry fee is now €6 per person and includes access to the Brugse Vrije (Liberty of Bruges) also at Burg Square.

Stadhuis has one of the most beautiful buildings in Bruges. You will find a heavily gilded and decorative facade that is delightful to see and photograph. And as impressive as the exterior of the building is, it is the remarkable Gothic Hall that will take your breath away.

Inside Stadhuis, you will be able to enter the upstairs Gothic Hall, a wonderfully preserved hall covered with 19th-century murals of important historical figures and events. Other Gothic features line the walls and ceiling, complementing the murals delightfully. Once inside, simply take a seat in one of the many rows of chairs and simply enjoy what you are looking at.

Note that there are laminated information cards near the entrance into the Gothic Hall which provides descriptions for each of the murals within. Walk in a clockwise direction starting from the front right side of the hall.

There is a side room with displays of important documents, maps, texts and wall maps of Bruges through the centuries. This is worth a few minutes to browse and enjoy after taking in the splendour of the...