Lots to See & Sketch in Charming Bruges

There’s lots to see and sketch in Bruges: elaborately designed churches, guild houses and civic buildings and charming streets and public squares named for the medieval trade guilds such as Crockery Maker’s Street and Lacemaker’s Square. All must be explored and sketched.  

Bruges was a leading commercial center during the middle ages thanks to the trade guilds who invested in the city’s architecture and urban infrastructure. Gothic elements such as pointed arches, ribbed vaults, detailed stonework, gabled rooves and ornate facades are common features in Bruges, the collective construction efforts by various guilds that resulted in a cohesive aesthetic throughout the city.  It’s eye-candy and a joy to capture in our sketchbooks.

Guilds established themselves in specific areas within the city, leading to organized districts based on trades that created a sense of community among craftsmen. Streets and squares are often named after specific trades such as Huidenvettersplein (Tanner’s Square), Boterhuis (Butter Hall), Eiermarkt (Egg Market Square), and Vismarkt (Fish Market Square) to name a few.

On small but charming Lace Makers’ Square, hard-working lace makers lived and worked during the 19th century. Around the corner you’ll find the Lace Centre, where lace-making is still taught today. Pointed and round arches and Flemish stair-step roof lines beg to be sketched.

And there’s so much more to see and to paint. There is Butter Hall, for example, near the Eiermarkt (Egg Market) with its pleasing cobblestone alley under a covered passageway in the Sint-Jakobsstraat.

Tucked away between the Fish Market and the Rosary Quay, you’ll find the Tanners Square. Here in the middle ages tanners worked their leather, but today friends sip Aperol Spritz under cafe umbrellas and catch up on the news.

Looking around, the sharp-eyed will discover lots of hidden medieval details: crests, patron saints, monograms and trade symbols incorporated into architectural designs as symbols of identity.

There is no shortage of patterns and pointed arches, quatrefoil openings, niches and statues to draw or paint in Bruges and we’re going to love every minute during our Artist Retreat in June 2026. This vacation package includes five art classes by Seattle-based über sketcher, Stephanie Bower. Join us!

For more info CLICK HERE