Jan van Eyck Square

This square in the northern part of Bruges recalls the era when the city was a leading port of the Hanseatic trade network. It is named for the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck, whose statue stands at its centre, and is bordered by the former customs house and the guild house of the toll masters. Boats once unloaded goods at the adjoining canal basin, connecting Bruges to markets across Europe. Quieter than the central squares, it offers a sense of the mercantile wealth that shaped the medieval city.