Vlissinghe
Centuries-old tavern with a black marble hearth, antique furnishings, and a garden once used to graze horses.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Vlissinghe in Bruges opens with the tavern's cherished legend, that Rubens and Van Dyck once shared a drink by its fire, and with the likelihood that it isn't true. It follows Leon De Meulemeester, who took over the family's centuries-old tavern behind Sint-Anna church in 1869 and rebuilt its shabby interior into a fantasy of Flemish grandeur, complete with a black marble fireplace and portraits of invented ancestors. You'll hear how one particular chair became the centerpiece of a story aimed squarely at newly arriving English tourists. Sit by that same fireplace and see how convincing the invention still feels.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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