Still entirely encircled by ramparts and nestling at the foot of its belfry and the hill which gave its name, Bergues Saint-Winoc is one of those Flemish towns on which time seems to have made no impression. No doubt that its rich heritage, refined local gastronomy and environment will detain the passing tourist in "the other Bruges of Flanders"…

As in days gone by, life here is punctuated by the sound of chimes sounding every quarter of an hour, or -with all 50 bells- sounding the Monday morning market or the traditional festivals such as the carnival (Sunday in Lent), Palm Sunday (a major agricultural fair) or during the " Nuit des Alouettes, anno 1585 " (a night show organized at the end of April and beginning of October).

Whichever your favorite type of catering, you will find it in Bergues, not forgetting the numerous local specialties served in one of the many restaurants, such as the Bergue's cheese, the Bergue's sausage or the 'Potsch'vleech', washed down of course with a good local beer.

Do not forget to visit Flanders nearby: this flat region punctuated with big villages of brick houses and gigantic churches, and criss-crossed with canals and waterways, where chapels or little bridges line the roads, and which still lead you here and there to a mill or a tavern.

Fourth Medieval Feast of Bergues (Click here)