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Brugge Groene Rei (Gracht) Quai Vert Bruges
Catalogue information
LastDodo number
4627467
Area
Postcards
Title
Brugge Groene Rei (Gracht) Quai Vert Bruges
City
Street
Province / region
Country
Year
1939
Collection / set
Number on postcard
15
Designer
Publisher as on card
General name of the publisher
Dimensions
10.5 x 14.8 cm
Printing technique
Details
Bruges (/ˈbruːʒ/ in English; Dutch: Brugge, [ˈbrʏɣ̟ə], French: Bruges, [ˈbʁyːʒ], German: Brügge, [ˈbrʏɡə]) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country.
The area of the whole city amounts to more than 13,840 hectares, including 1,075 hectares off the coast, at Zeebrugge (from Brugge aan zee[2] meaning "Bruges on Sea"[3]). The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. It is oval-shaped and about 430 hectares in size. The city's total population is 117,073 (1 January 2008),[4] of which around 20,000 live in the city centre. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of 616 km2 (238 sq mi) and has a total of 255,844 inhabitants as of 1 January 2008.[5]
Along with a few other canal-based northern cities, such as Amsterdam, it is sometimes referred to as "The Venice of the North". Bruges has a significant economic importance thanks to its port. At one time, it was the "chief commercial city" of the world.[6]