Damme
A Tiny Medieval Port Town That Once Served Bruges, Reached By Bike Or Summer Paddle Steamer Along A Poplar Lined Canal, With A Gothic Town Hall And Book Markets · Damme, West Flanders Province
Damme is a tiny medieval town about 7 km north-east of Bruges/Brugge in West Flanders, in Dutch-speaking Flanders. It grew in the 12th century on a tidal inlet, the Zwin, and became the outer port of Bruges, handling wine, wool and cloth until the inlet silted up and trade moved away. What is left is a quiet village with an outsized past: a Gothic town hall on the Markt, the big Church of Our Lady with a tower you can climb in summer, a statue of the poet Jacob van Maerlant, and the legend of Tijl Uilenspiegel, the prankster hero whom the writer Charles De Coster placed in Damme. Most visitors arrive the pleasant way: by bike along the Damse Vaart, a straight canal lined with poplars, or on the Lamme Goedzak paddle-steamer from Bruges in summer. Damme also calls itself a book village, with a monthly book market. The honest caveat: Damme is small, it can be seen in an hour or two, and its restaurants cater to day-trippers and are often pricey for what they serve. Come for the ride, not for a full day of sights.
Damme's Markt and town hall, about 7 km north-east of Bruges along the Damse Vaart canal, Damme, West Flanders Province, Belgium
The Markt, the canal banks and the town walls are always open and free. The Church of Our Lady is usually open by day in the warmer months, and its tower climb has run only in summer, roughly May or July to September - confirm. The Tijl Uilenspiegel museum and tourist office, in the Huyse de Grote Sterre, keep seasonal hours and may close on some weekdays - check the current schedule. The town hall is mostly seen from outside. Getting there: cycle about 7 km from Bruges along the Damse Vaart, roughly 25-35 minutes; take the Lamme Goedzak paddle-steamer from Bruges, which usually runs from spring to early autumn (confirm); or take a De Lijn bus from Bruges, which is infrequent, especially at weekends - check the timetable. Drivers from Ghent must respect Ghent's low emission zone; Bruges's centre has a traffic plan, so park at Bruges station and ride out. Nothing needs booking except groups; buy boat tickets on the day.