Bruges Hinterland

The Bruges Hinterland is a lovely green area near the sea, but which is still only a stone's throw from Bruges. North of Bruges, in the Zwinstreek around Damme and in the Oudland polders, the landscape reclaimed from the sea is open. To the south, Bruges' wooded green belt extends to the Houtland with Bulskampveld Country Park and the charm of the Tieltse. The Bruges Hinterland unites canals and dikes, castles and abbeys, villages and towns, historic farmhouses and windmills, green areas and nature reserves. A winning combination!

Damme and Zwinstreek: discover their eventful history

Spire-less church towers, winding dikes, ramrod-straight canals, monumental farmhouses, rustling poplars and willows swaying beside waving grass and grain. Few landscapes are more idyllic. Here nature, agriculture and culture are forever intertwined, and each village is a partial reflection of the history of Bruges. Today this land of straight, solitary lanes is a delightful haven of peace. Medieval Damme is the perfect icing on the cake, the Damme Canal your ideal guide. And if you find yourself hungry in Damme, then you're going to be pampered. Damme's culinary reputation is justly deserved!

Also to be discovered in the region around Bruges:

• The Houtland: land of castles and abbeys.
• Bulskampveld landscape park: the hiking region par excellence, with extended network of hiking trails.
• The Oudland Polder: the oldest polder of Western Europe.
• The Green Belt around Bruges: attractive green spaces, castles, canals and villages.
• The Tieltse, overwhelming charm in the countryside.
• Bruges World Heritage City.

Bruges, City of Art

If you're spending some time in the Bruges region, you should definitely pay a visit to Bruges. This Flemish Art City is among the top heritage cities in Europe and the world. In 2000 Unesco even designated the entire historic centre as world heritage. Bruges has a wealth of valuable heritage: historic buildings, collections, museums, protected urban views...

And let's not forget that Bruges is also the world’s pre-eminent chocolate city, with more than 50 impassioned chocolatiers, the museum Chocostory and its own praline: the Bruges Swan. This lively city with romantic hotspots, cool shopping streets, prize-winning restaurants ... will go straight to your heart! More info on: https://bezoekers.brugge.be/en.

More tourist information at http://www.westtoer.be/nl and at http://www.brugseommeland.be/nl.

photos ©visitflanders ©milo-profi ©westtoer