The city’s prosperity has ebbed and flowed over the course of its history. Bruges burst into life following the great Dunkerque floods in the 1100s that suddenly gave it direct access to the sea. It became one of Europe’s foremost ports, and a hub of finance, textiles and art, enjoying a dynamic trading relationship with all the maritime powers, especially Britain. Then, in the 16th century, the city’s fortunes dried up – almost literally,

as the river silted over, restricting sea access and ending the trading frenzy.

The impoverished city played no part in the Industrial Revolution and it was virtually frozen in time, which is what makes Bruges so desirable today. The central Markt square has a 13th-century belfry (Markt 7, 050 448 767, closed Mon) that you can climb – there are 366 steps, but the view makes the effort worthwhile. The square’s Wednesday morning market offers a vast array of fresh produce.

Bruges was made for walkers, and the tangled streets mean you can go for hours without repeating a vista. East of the Markt is the beautiful Burg square, home to the Basilica of the Holy Blood (Burg 13, 050 336 792, www.holyblood.org), with its Romanesque St Basil’s Chapel, art and religious relics (1139-49). The Town Hall is an imposing 14th-century Gothic building housing a collection of historic artefacts.

Over the bridge from Burg, there’s a fish market (vismarkt) every morning from Tuesday to Saturday. Nearby, Dijver street holds the Groeninge Museum (Dijver 12, 050 448 743, closed Mon), with Belgian and Dutch paintings, including works by Jan van Eyck and Hieronymous Bosch, and the Gruuthuse Museum (Dijver 17, 050 448 762, closed Mon) with a fine collection of medieval art.

Further south, the Church of Our Lady (Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk, Mariastraat, 050 345 314, closed Mon) boasts Michelangelo’s Madonna with Child in its collection. Also in Mariastraat, the Memling Museum (Mariastraat 38, 050 448 770, closed Mon) displays the Flemish painter Hans Memling’s work inside one of Europe’s oldest surviving medieval hospitals. Next door, the collection at the Archaeological Museum (Mariastraat 36, 050 448 711, www.raakvlak.be, closed Mon) dates from the Stone Age.

The main shopping district is between ’T Zand, with its Saturday morning market, and the Markt. ’T Zand’s Concert Hall (Concertgebouw, 050 476 999, www.concertgebouw.be) showcases international and Belgian music and theatre – don’t miss the views from the café on the Lantern Tower.

Minnewater, in the south of the city – known as the Lake of Love, with its swans and willows – is ideal picnicking territory. North of the centre, the Choco Story Museum (Wijnzakstraat 2, 050 612 237, www.choco-story.be) is a tempting chocolate-making museum.

Note that information on all museums can be found on the tourist office website.

• Tourist information: ’t Zand 34 (050 448 686, www.brugge.be); branch at train station.