Bruges City Hall (Stadhuis van Brugge)

Construction began in 1376 and lasted until 1421. The building inspired the builders of the town halls in Brussels, Ghent, Leuven and Oudenaarde and had a major influence on the city's Gothic bourgeois architectural style.
A monumental staircase leads to the Gothic Hall on the first floor, where murals from the early 20th century depict the history of Bruges. The vault with original polychromed consoles from the 14th century also catches the eye. In the adjoining historic room, even more of Bruges' administrative history comes to life through original documents and paintings.
On the ground floor you come face to face with life-size portraits of former rulers: mayors, kings, emperors and even Napoleon. You'll also get an insight into the development of the castle and the square in front of the town hall, once the civic and religious administrative center of the city.

Stadhuis (City Hall)
Bruges' City Hall (1376-1420) is one of the oldest in the Low Countries. It is from here that the city has been governed for more than 600 years. An absolute masterpiece is the Gothic Hall with its late 19th-century murals and polychrome vault. In the historic chamber next door, original documents and artefacts are used to evoke the history of the city's administration through the centuries. On the ground floor, the structural development of the Burg square and the City Hall is illustrated.
The Bruges town hall was built in 1376, which makes it one of the oldest town halls in the Low Countries. The city has been ruled from here for over 600 years. The Gothic hall is a work of art in itself, with its splendid 19th-century murals and a colourful vaulted ceiling. The painted figures depict Bruges’ glorious past. The theme ‘citizens and government’ sheds light on the eternal power struggle between the city government, the sovereigns, and the people of Bruges.
visitbruges.be/en/stadhuis-city-hall

The Bruges City Hall is one of the oldest city halls in the Netherlands and is located on the Burg in Bruges. It was built in 1376 and finished around 1400. From here the city has been governed ever since. After a fire in Bruges' belfry in 1280, the old Ghyselhuus on the Burg, the then disused count's prison, became the new meeting place for the city aldermen. In 1376 the ghyselhuus was demolished by order of Count Lodewijk van Male to make way for a real scepenhuus, which was built under the direction of master mason Jan Roegiers and was not fully completed until 1421. The Bruges town hall is the first monumental late Gothic town hall in Flanders and Brabant, a witness to the economic and political flourishing of the city during the 14th century.