Markt, Medieval square in Bruges, Belgium

The Markt is Bruges's central square, covering about 1 hectare. On its south side stands the 13th-century Belfry, a slender pale-stone tower with two tall-arched belfry stages, a clock face, and an octagonal top ringed by a balustrade and corner pinnacles. In the middle of the square, not the tower, stands a green bronze equestrian statue on a tall stone base.

The square began in the 10th century as a trading hub for the growing city. By around 1200, merchants had established regular international markets here, with wooden halls where they displayed and sold goods.

The bronze group in the middle of the square shows Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck, the fighters of the 1302 Battle of the Golden Spurs. It was unveiled in July 1887 and formally opened that August by King Leopold II. Breydel grips a spear with a draped flag; De Coninck holds a sword upright, and the pedestal carries shields with three lions and a cross.

The square is easy to reach on foot from most parts of the city center and serves as a natural meeting point for walking routes. Cafés and shops line the edges, giving you plenty of spots to rest, eat, or shop while you take in the surroundings.

The fish market on the north side of the square dates from 1396, when fishmongers' stalls stood near St. Christopher's Church. An iron fish market building followed in 1709 and was moved with the trade to the Braamberg in 1745, where Bruges's fish market still operates.