Summary:
Welcome to this charming getaway called "Asterix" located in the historic city-center of Bruges and 5 mins walk away from the marketplace and other main sites. Staying in this cozy house will help you experience Bruges in the best possible way. It has a fully equipped kitchen, cozy living area with large dining table, 3 spacious bedrooms with 2 king-size double beds and 3 single beds, a terrace and a bathroom with a bathtub and shower. Garage at only 100 meters from the house.

The Space:
Discover the hidden gem of Bruges with this 4 bedroom town house that sits in the heart of the city's historical center. Perfect for families and friends, the town house is the ideal retreat for your next holiday. Enjoy the small inner courtyard with its peaceful atmosphere and take a trip to the nearby Astridpark, where nature and history blend together in perfect harmony and families can enjoy the big playground. Each bedroom provides ample space to relax, while the location ensures you can explore the rest of this amazing city with ease. With so much to see and do, this charming town house is the perfect place to make some special memories.

The house is located at a 5-minute walking distance of all famous sites, attractions and restaurants within this amazing world-heritage site.

There are 3 floors in total. On the ground floor you will find the fully equipped kitchen, inner courtyard, separate toilet and the living room with dining area. On the mezzanine there's a spacious bathroom with bathtub. On the first floor you can find one bedroom with twin beds and one bedroom with kingsize bed. On the third floor there is one bedroom with a king-size bed and 1 single bed and a bedroom with a double bed.

Please note the authentic staircase is rather steep and small.

Guest Access:
We're excited to welcome you and make your stay as enjoyable as possible. Stairs ar unavoidable. There is no elevator. Guests have the entire accommodation to themselves.

The Neighborhood:
Although the Bruges region was already inhabited in Roman times, the name of the city first appears in the 9th century, perhaps a derivation from the Old Germanic word 'brugj' or landing stage. Bruges therefore has a special relationship with the sea. After all, water played a crucial role in the development of the city. Here a number of streams converged to form a river (the Reie), which drained northwards into the coastal plain. This river was connected to the North Sea via so-called 'tidal channels', a guarantee for prosperity and prosperity.

Due to its favorable location and connection with the sea, Bruges developed early in the Middle Ages into an international and bustling trading city with a port. At the same time, the fortified fortress grew into a powerful political stronghold, thanks to the presence of the Flemish counts, who ruled the county of Flanders from Bruges. In the 13th century, Bruges could proudly call itself the most important trading center of Northwestern Europe. Traders from all over Europe settled in the city and the world's very first stock exchange was founded in Bruges. The exhibition activities took place on a square in front of the inn that belonged to the Van der Beurse family of estate agents in Bruges. In this way, their name was forever linked to the financial institution. Despite the typical medieval ailments, from epidemics to political unrest to social inequality, the inhabitants of Bruges were well off and soon the city acted as a magnet. Around 1340 the city had no fewer than 35 000 inhabitants.

The success continued and in the 15th century, Bruges' Golden Age, things were even better. Since the end of the 14th century, Flanders belonged to the realm of the Burgundian dukes. They further expanded their residence in Bruges and the city quickly became a cultural hotspot. In addition to the traditional cloth, plenty of new luxury products were produced and sold. Famous painters such as Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling – the great Flemish primitives – found their creative place here. The fine arts reigned supreme and in addition to numerous beautiful churches and unique nation houses, the monumental town hall was also completed. Bruges seemed unapproachable.

The sudden death of the beloved Queen Mary of Burgundy in 1482 heralded the turning point. The relationship between the inhabitants of Bruges and widower Maximilian of Austria soured and the Burgundian court left the city, with the international traders in its wake. Bruges' connection with the sea also quickly silted up. The Golden Age was over and long centuries of wars and power changes followed. After the independence of Belgium (1830) Bruges was a poor, impoverished city in the middle of the 19th century. Remarkably, a novel would help turn the tide.

In “Bruges la Morte” by Georges Rodenbach (1892), Bruges is aptly described as a somewhat dozed, but very mysterious place. The 35 photos included in the book for illustrative purposes in particular made readers curious. Bruges' magnificent patrimony was soon rediscovered and its mysterious intimacy immediately became its greatest asset. Bruges thus carefully took its first tentative steps towards tourism. The desire to be connected to the sea resulted in a new international seaport at the end of the 19th century, which was given the name 'Zeebrugge'.

During the First World War, Zeebrugge became a base for the German submarine fleet, controlled from the headquarters on the Brugse Markt. Both world wars left the historic city center virtually intact, which meant that Bruges' appeal continued to grow. And with success, because UNESCO promoted the entire medieval city center to World Heritage in 2000. The rest is history.

The Burgundians already knew. Bruges is the foodie destination par excellence. Good for a unique and very varied offer. From award-winning star restaurants and authentic brown bars to world-famous ice cream bars and hip lunch spots to original brunch addresses, chocolatiers and fancy cocktail bars. Bet you're running out of time? Because Bruges always tastes good.

Bruges is not just one of the gastronomic centers of Europe. Two renowned Bruges schools – Spermalie and Ter Groene Poorte – train culinary talent that is causing a furore internationally. The city is putting itself on the map with an impressive list of top restaurants. No fewer than 35 Bruges chefs receive a rating from Michelin, Gault & Millau and Bib Gourmand.

Bruges residents like to drink a pint and the 500-year-old Café Vlissinghe with hundreds of beers on stock is a good example of this. The city can therefore boast of a few beers, which are brewed locally. Right in the historic city center you can visit the De Halve Maan brewery and the Bourgogne des Flandres brewery. De Halve Maan is a family business with a tradition of six generations of brewers since 1856. Here, among other things, the Brugse Zot, the official city beer, is brewed with passion.

Bruges is easily reachable by car and train.

For more detailed information we refer to the websites “visitbruges” en “dekust”.

Getting Around:
ACCESSIBILITY:
You can easily reach the accommodation by car, public transport and taxi.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
For bus transport, please refer to the website “delijn”.
For train transport, please refer to the website “belgiantrain” or “nmbs”
For tram transport, please refer to the website “dekusttram” or “delijn”.
The Belgium coast is served by the Kusttram, which traverses the entire Belgian coast from Knokke to De Panne.

PARKING:
For all parking information, we refer you to the website “seety”. This website will clearly show the parking options when entering the accommodation address. It shows parking costs, the possible durations and even public (underground) parking options if available.

EXTRA GETTING AROUND NOTES:
There are no other getting around notes that could impact your stay.

Interaction with Guests:
Hello guest(s),

We are thrilled to welcome you on behalf of the owner as our guests. We from Huswell are a hospitality management company dedicated to making sure your stay is as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

From handling your reservation, supporting you during your stay, and facilitating your check-in/out to providing top-notch cleaning services, we are here to ensure you have everything you need to have a memorable stay.

Hospitality is our passion, and we are committed to providing you with the best possible experience. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We can communicate in Dutch, German, French and English, and we will do our best to get back to you as soon as possible.

On behalf of the owner, we look forward to welcoming you and making your stay truly special.

Hospitality regards,
The Huswell team

EXTRA INTERACTION WITH GUESTS NOTES:
There are no additional notes about interactions with guests that could impact your stay. We want you to feel at home and enjoy your time with us to the fullest.