The period around the year 1000 was a key moment in Bruges' development.
The golden age of Bruges - the Venice of the North, the New York of the North Sea - was during the Late Middle Ages. But the city's great success was more than just coincidence. Archaeologists and historians now see the year 1000 as a key moment in Bruges' development. By that time, all the components necessary for later success were present: a unique location in the landscape, the support and protection of the count, the presence of traders and craftsmen.
This exhibition takes you back to that crucial but often forgotten period. Discover the most important archaeological sites in and around the city. From the count's castle to the sheepherders in the coastal plain and from the fields on poor sandy soils to the first trading contacts with Scandinavia. The sources are scarce, but the stories they reveal both fascinating and impressive.
From 9 December 2021 to 27 October 2023 at the Gruuthusemuseum (expo attic)
In collaboration with Raakvlak.
