Bruges is Flanders' best preserved medieval city, attracting millions of foreign visitors every year. But it is also a working city, with its own coastal suburb at Zeebrugge.

The carefully preserved medieval buildings and network of canals in central Bruges have a unique atmosphere. The winding streets and small squares provide intimate settings, and the bridges and waterside cafes are romantic meeting places. And monuments such as the large market square and the 80-metre belfry add a touch of grandeur.

Nearly 1000 years of architectural styles can be seen in the city, from Romanesque and Renaissance to the Baroque and later revivals. The city centre is not only unique in its own right but also able to double for other north European cities in many periods.

Religious buildings include a cathedral, large and small churches, and the Beguine house, a religious community whose courtyards and terraced houses date back to the 15th and 16th centuries.

Bruges has many museums, housed in historic buildings and featuring work by artists such as the Flemish primitives, Bosch, Memling and Van Eyck. The tourist trade provides a backdrop in its own right, and the city is rich in hotels and restaurants, from family-run establishments to the large and luxurious.

Zeebrugge offers beach and dune locations, marina and sea-front settings while the port has commercial backdrops from small-scale to industrial fishing and shipping of all kinds. The countryside between Bruges and the coast features woodlands and wetlands, populated with quiet villages, farmhouses and windmills, canals, castles and abbeys.

The City Film Office Bruges also covers following adjoining municipalities: Assebroek, Dudzele, Koolkerke, Lissewege, Sint-Andries, Sint-Kruis, Sint-Michiels and Zeebrugge.