Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
2.7. Almshouses
To understand any European city, it is essential to have an appreciation for the role that re-
ligion has played in the making of that city. This is especially true in Bruges where you can
see many religious buildings dotted all around the city.
The almshouses are really an extension of the Beguinages - small houses that were built and
whitewashed centuries ago, belonging to a religious order. And also like the Beguinages,
many of the almshouses in Bruges are still occupied by people today. This can make the
experience of looking around the almshouses a little strange, but definitely a unique experi-
ence, and the people occupying them are more often than not extremely friendly.
Historically, these almshouses were created to enable people who couldn't afford to live in
a community to have free housing. These people would be widows and the poor, and so you
can think of almshouses as a historic kind of socialism in Bruges.
