Walking across Bruges you should definitely pay attention to an incredibly beautiful building made of gray stone, which is located at Jan Van Eyck Square.

The most picturesque view of it is from a side of the canal, whose waters lead to the majestic facade of the building. A monumental tower literally «grows» from the roof of the building. The appearance of the tower has been preserved to our time in its almost original form. This is an amazing architectural monument of the 14th century that was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

This is a building of the Poortersloge (Civil Service Lodge) which is also called the House of Burgesses. In the Middle Ages, this place was the seat of the Society of the White Bear, the knight's association, whose symbol was a bear. A statue of this majestic animal standing at full height and holding a shield decorated with chivalric symbols, is placed in one of the building niches alongside sculptures of people.

This house was a meeting place of the commercial elite of the city. Mere mortals did not have access to it. At the end of the 15th century, the aristocratic club was split and the building was transferred to the city. At different times this place was occupied by a fencing hall, a Guild of Realtors, the Chamber of Commerce, religious societies, and the Academy of Arts.

At the end of the 18th century, the building was damaged by a fire and was reconstructed with mere changes. A sign on the building with a Latin inscription refers to this period. As time went on, the building was enlarged by demolishing neighboring houses. In 1912, the State Archive was moved there. Nowadays, the building houses a contemporary art exhibition.

Jan Van Eyck Square is one of the most picturesque and cozy squares in Bruges: this was the first place where traders and travelers from the sea came. It is not as crowded and noisy as the Market and Town Hall squares.

Jan Van Eyck was a Belgian artist of the 15th century. He made a significant contribution to the development of art. It is supposed that he was an author of the original sculptures which are settled on the building of the Town Hall. The monument to him is located right opposite the Poortersloge.

Not far from the square, there are other attractions of the city: the Chocolate Museum, the Fries Museums and the Opera House of Bruges.