Provincial Court

Easily recognizable by its multiple decorative spires, this building is one of the most beautiful examples of the Gothic Revival style in Bruges, both on the outside and inside. Originally a government meeting hall, it stopped serving its previous purpose in 1999 and turned into a purely ceremonial building. You may also catch an exhibition here.

The building, built throughout three decades from the 1890s until the 1920s, was constructed in place of an older meeting hall, which, the rumour has it, had stood there since the Middle Ages. It was designed by Louis Delacenserie and René Buyck, with a number of other artists, both painters, sculptors, and other craftsmen taking part in the decoration of its magnificent interior halls.

Although the Court no longer hosts the government meetings, it is still compulsory to book the tours of the interior quite a long time in advance of the actual visit. Keep that in mind when planning your itinerary.