Saint John’s Hospital — Attraction in Bruges

Saint John’s Hospital (Sint-Janshospitaal) in Bruges, Belgium is one of the oldest and most significant hospitals in the region. It dates back to the 12th century and was historically a key center for medical care. Today, it functions as both a healthcare institution and a museum, offering visitors insight into its historical significance and medical practices of the past.

Key Features of Saint John’s Hospital in Bruges:

Historical Significance: Saint John’s Hospital is known for its medieval origins. It was initially founded as a hospital for the poor, sick, and pilgrims.

Museum: The hospital complex has been transformed into a museum, showcasing a vast collection of art, medical instruments, and historical artifacts related to healthcare. It houses works of art, including paintings by Hans Memling, a renowned Flemish painter of the 15th century.

Art Collection: One of the highlights is the Memling Museum, which is located within Saint John’s Hospital and displays several of Hans Memling’s masterpieces, such as the Saint Ursula Shrine.

Architecture: The hospital buildings feature well-preserved medieval architecture, with beautiful courtyards, cloisters, and the chapel still standing.

Medical History: The museum also explores the evolution of medicine, showcasing ancient medical tools, surgical instruments, and the practices used in the Middle Ages. Saint John’s Hospital is a great spot for history enthusiasts, art lovers, and anyone interested in the evolution of healthcare. It combines both a glimpse into Bruges' medieval past and an opportunity to explore art and medical history in a...

As a medical doctor I am biased towards all things medical. Seeing the instruments they used to extract kidney stones with several 100s of years ago left me feeling physically queezy. Then again, seeing the instruments they use now do as well haha but still the medieval diagram showing the two people holding the patient down while the third had the instrument deep inside his junk was worth the ticket alone. Then there's the epic screens explaining each aspect of the painting from the high middle ages in terms of what's going on in each part of the painting. There was a LOT of other stuff like the religious aspect of the hospital, obviously, because it also contained a church (but only after it was a hospital I think they said). But on the whole very interesting and visual way of presenting history, which someone with a very visual learning style like myself LOVES. Def get the museum Brugge card and go to everything on that list and use the audio guide for...

I arrived at the Sint-Janshospital museum this morning at about 10am. At the desk there was a family, who purchased tickets, an elderly man, who also purchased a ticket - as they were doing so a woman came in asking is she could use the bathroom but it's part of the museum you can only access it if you have a ticket - then my turn arrived and I asked for one adult ticket (15 euros). There was no one behind me but she told me that I could purchase the ticket at the vending machine at which point I just left and saved myself the 15 euros. I've travelled to quite a few places in the last few weeks in Europe and I'm in Bruges for six nights but I must say that Bruges in particular truly has a knack for making the tourist feel like an inconvenience. There is a saying about resting on one's laurels. If you do come to Bruges, make it a day trip from Antwerp or Brussels - don't bother...