Stained Glass Windows

Time has stopped, it is said, in the medieval town of Bruges (or, Brugge, as it's known in Flemish). This quaint Belgian city, home to the world's first stock exchange, has retained its charm throughout many centuries. The town's center, from which a web cam allows non-residents to view the market place (Grote Markt), is a World Heritage site.

Known as a "Venice of the North," Bruges' canals once provided a natural connection between the city and the North Sea. Prospering as a result, Bruges became a commercial powerhouse and a trade center. Then, hundreds of years ago, nature removed that direct path to the sea when the Zwin estuary (this is a power-point link) silted over. Without a way to ship their goods, merchants left the city.

As the industrial revolution passed it by, Bruges remained a medieval town. Becoming the poorest city in the country, however, ultimately led to renewed prosperity (from modern tourism). Without enough wealth to rebuild, the people were "stuck with" the past. Today, that is part of the town's allure.

Although not all buildings are from the Middle Ages, new construction maintains its Gothic appearance. Modern and ancient seamlessly blend, combining new (like the Bruges-Zeebrugge Canal, once again connecting city and sea) with old (such as stained-glass windows housed in medieval churches). For example:

• Saint Baselius Chapel (now known as Basilica of the Holy Blood) was built between 1134 and 1157. A relic (brought to the church in the twelfth or thirteenth century) was an object of veneration for medieval pilgrims. Today's visitors marvel at the beauty of its interior and colored windows.


• Saint-Saviours Cathedral (also known as Sint Salvatorskathedraal) is even older (although not much is left of its ninth-century beginnings). Its stained-glass windows are from medieval times.


• The Church of Our Lady (known in Flemish as Onze Lieve Vrouw) was also started in the twelfth century but wasn't finished until the fourteenth. In addition to beautiful windows, it houses a Michelangelo sculpture (Madonna and Child), donated to the church by fifteenth-century patrons.

In the seventeenth century, Belgium's neighbor to the north - The Netherlands - experienced its Golden Age. Dominating world trade helped rich Dutch patrons to commission works of art, including stained-glass windows.