Bruges has been a very influential city in medieval times with regards to both commerce and culture. Both its spacial and structural organisation was conserved throughout the years and the city’s groundplan documents the different phases of its development. In the late 19th century, a renovation of the facades gave the city a neo-gothic …
The Belfry of Ghent. The 56 Belfries of Belgium and the North of France are belltowers of medieval origin (all built between the 11th and the 17th century), representing the transition from feudalism towards mercantile urban society. In this sence, they are strong symbols of the rise of civil liberties in the Middle Ages. …
Beautiful red houses of the small béguinage in Ghent. In the 13th century the béguines (women who lived a religious life, but without any formal vows) founded the béguinages as closed communities where they could live and worship in a quiet environment. They are architecturally distinct unities within cities, composed of small houses, a church …
It’s the holiday season, and nothing says Christmas more than snow. But King Winter doesn’t always provide a magical white blanket to indulge yourself in. Sometimes you have to go out and seek it… Back in 2002 I spent New Years in Austria, on my first – and last – skiing holiday. I didn’t really …
