Tourist boat cruising past the Old Saint John's Hospital (11th century) in Bruges, Belgium
Rear view of the Old Saint John's Hospital in Bruges, Belgium The building in the front : Old St. John's Hospital is an 11th-century hospital in Bruges, Belgium. Located next to the Church of Our Lady, it is one of Europe's oldest surviving hospital buildings. The hospital grew during the Middle Ages and was a place where sick pilgrims and travelers were cared for. The site was later expanded with the building of a monastery and convent. In the 19th century, further construction led to a hospital with eight wards around a central building. Today part of the hospital complex holds the popular Hans Memling museum, named for the German-born Early Netherlandish painter, where a number of works, such as triptychs are displayed, as well as hospital records, medical instruments and other works of art. The hospital site is also used as a congress and exhibition center, the site Oud Sint-Jan. The spire in the middle : The Church of Our Lady (Dutch: Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) in Bruges, Belgium, dates mainly from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Its tower, at meters (401 ft) in height, remains the tallest structure in the city and the second tallest brickwork tower in the world (the tallest being the St. Martin's Church in Landshut, Germany). The spire on the left : The belfry of Bruges (Dutch: Belfort van Brugge) is a medieval bell tower in the historical center of Bruges, Belgium. One of the city's most prominent symbols, the belfry formerly housed a treasury and the municipal archives, and served as an observation post for spotting fires and other danger. A narrow, steep staircase of 366 steps, accessible by the public for an entry fee, leads to the top of the 83 m (272 feet) high building, which leans about a metre (3 ft) to the east.
Size: 3840px × 5760px
Location: Zonnekemeers, Bruges, West Flanders, Flanders, Belgium, Western Europe
Photo credit: © DE ROCKER / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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