St Jakob

Right in the centre of Ghent, this large bridge is the spot to see all around it a plethora of historic buildings. It is named after medieval church on the other side of bridge.....not in this image. From the bridge is the view of the famous 'panorama of the three towers'....St Nicholas Church, the Belfry, and, just beyond this view, St Bavo's Cathedral.

The church, with its landmark tower, stands on the site of a previous wooden Gothic building that was damaged by fire so often that after the blaze in 1659 a decision was made to build a new one in the Baroque style. It was finally was completed in 1749. The Rococo interior is one of the finest in southern Germany.

Christmas Market

Altitude 6,000 feet.

Neustift

WINNER : TRAVEL/YPRES/IEPER JUN 09/AROUND YPRES TOWN CENTRE GALLERY

The imposing Cloth Hall was built in the 13th century and was one of the largest commercial buildings of the Middle Ages. During the First World War it was completely destroyed, except for the lower portion of the belfry and a few pieces of wall of the west wing. The structure which stands today is the exact copy of the original medieval building, rebuilt after the war. The belfry houses a 49-bell carillon, and the In Flanders Fields Museum is housed on the first floor.

The town hall, facing the front in this picture, was also rebuilt. It was originally constructed in 1619 against the east wall of the cloth hall, and has a gothic arcade.

The whole complex, in the market square, was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.

Rising behind these buildings is St Martins Cathedral which was originally built in 1221, and also completely reconstructed after WWI