In Bruges; The Count, His Princess, and A Bear

"There's a Christmas tree somewhere in London with a bunch of presents underneath it that'll never be opened. And I thought, if I survive all of this, I'd go to that house, apologize to the mother there, and accept whatever punishment she chose for me. Prison... death... didn't matter. Because at least in prison and at least in death, you know, I wouldn't be in Bruges. But then, like a flash, it came to me. And I realized, maybe that's what hell is: the entire rest of eternity spent in Bruges. And I really really hoped I wouldn't die. I really really hoped I wouldn't die."

Ray, from the movie In Bruges




In the province of West Flanders in the Flemish region of Belgium is located the town of Bruges. Sometimes referred to as "the Venice of the North," Bruges is internationally recognized for its quaint and pristine beauty. Local chocolatiers and breweries border charming, open air cafes and restaurants, and boats ferrying tourists by the dozen sift through Bruges' numerous canals. The overall ambience is a bit like that of Amsterdam, albeit without the parallel shadow world of its Red Light District.

Few would agree with Ray's sentiments. Such is the beauty of Bruges that many Belgians select the town as the location of their honeymoon. Even royalty have been impressed by the natural charm of Bruges. One Count of Flanders, in love with a French Princess, eloped with her and settled in Bruges. The legend states that the Count and his new bride, en route to Bruges, encountered a large bear in a forest. The Count, courageous in the face of danger, bravely fought the bear and slew it, saving both his own life and that of his Princess. The King of France, his formerly unwilling Father-in-Law, was so grateful, that he graciously accepted the marriage of his daughter to so valiant a man, leaving the two lovers to live happily ever after. 

The reality deviates slightly from this imagined history. The Count of Flanders did indeed love a French Princess, who happily loved him in return. They did elope, and fled to Bruges where the Count had a residence suitable for a Princess. The French King, who had had other plans for the marriage of his daughter along the lines of a political arrangement, was furious. However, he craftily negotiated a compromise with the Count, in which the Count would defend the water routes of Bruges from the Viking invaders to the north. Said Vikings had on occasion come down from Scandinavia, and the town of Bruges overlooked a series of waterways that led into the very heart of Europe. Bruges was therefore a strategic point for defense as well as a thriving port city, and the King of France correctly reasoned that a fortified castle at Bruges would prove effective in defending the people of France. 

So it was that the Count of Flanders built a fortress at Bruges, and he successfully defended the passages into the European interior from all subsequent Viking attacks. So successful was he in turning back and counterattacking the Vikings that they were forced to sail further down the coast to establish a fort of their own to defend themselves from the Count's forces. The Count and his Princess were married in the Cathedral in Bruges, and a happy ending to their story was yet achieved. 

Centuries later, modifications were carried out in the very same Cathedral in which the Count of Flanders had wed the French Princess. The main altar was moved aside, and underneath the altar was discovered a crypt. Inside the crypt were found bones, later identified as those belonging to a bear. 

Photos of Bruge