Old Medieval Houses On A Canal Bruges, Belgium, Europe Editorial Photo

Laced with canals, Bruges was one of the great North European trading ports in late medieval times. Bruges also is one of the most beautiful cities in Western Europe, a place that has been called the Venice of the North. Located about an hour northwest of Brussels not far from the North Sea, Bruges is the capital of West Flanders in the Flemish region of Belgium. The city was spared major damage during the two world wars, so much of its medieval architecture is intact, earning the historic center of town a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation in 2000.