Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
are two Virgin Marys: To the right of the altar, a 1630 wooden
statue of Mary, and to the left, Our Lady of the Fishermen (c.
1650, in a glass case). Over the nave stands Belgium's oldest
wooden statue, St. Andrew, with his X-shaped cross.
Outside, under the 13th-century church tower, is a three-
faced, modern fiberglass sculpture by the Belgian artist Charles
Delporte. Called
View of Light,
it evokes three lights: morning
(grace), mid-day (kindness), and evening (gentleness). If you like
his work, there's more at his nearby gallery.
• To return to Bruges, continue past the church on Kerkstraat. Just before
crossing the next bridge, follow a dirt lane to the right that leads sceni-
cally back to the Damme Canal (and Damse Vaart-Zuid). Take this
road back to Bruges.
Near bruges
in Flanders Fields museum
—This World War I museum,
about 40 miles southwest of Bruges, provides a moving look at the
battles fought near Ieper (Ypres in French), where British losses
totaled 60,000 dead and wounded in five weeks. Use its interactive
computer displays to trace the wartime lives of individual soldiers
and citizens. Powerful videos and ear-shattering audio complete
the story (€8; April-mid-Nov daily 10:00-18:00; mid-Nov-March
Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, closed Mon and for three weeks in Jan; last
entry one hour before closing, Grote Markt 34, Ieper, tel. 057-
239-220, www.inflandersfields.be). From Bruges, catch a train to
Ieper via Kortrijk (2 hrs), or take a tour (see “Tours,” page 316).
Drivers take E-403 to Kortrijk, then A-19 to Ieper, following signs
to
Bellewaerde
.
