A visit to Brugges, Belgium in May of 2003.
The history of Bruges begins around 2000 years ago. At that time there was a Gallic-Roman settlement on the site of the city. In the Middle Ages, Bruges became the most important trade centre of north-west Europe. From the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries Bruges had between 40,000 and 45,000 inhabitants, double the number now in the historic inner city. The Bruges monuments, museums and particularly the unspoiled historic cityscape attract millions of visitors every year.