Bruges (Dutch: Brugge, stemming from Bryggja, which assumedly used to signify 'landing stage' or 'port') is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the north-west of the country.
The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. It's egg-shaped and about 430 ha big. The surface of the complete city amounts to more than 13,840 ha, including 193.7 ha off the coast, at Zeebrugge. The city's total populuation is more than 117,000, of which ca. 20,000 live in the historic centre.
Bruges has a quite big economic importance, thanks to its port, and it's also home to the College of Europe.