Spiegelrei Canal, Bruges
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The area around the Spiegelrei was an important medieval trading district with harbor facilities. From 1134 Bruges was accessible via the Oude Rei Oud Zwin or Reie Zwin, the Langerei and the Spiegelrei. Initially, the trading activities were limited to the area around the Langerei. Around the end of the 12th century, the focus shifted to the Spiegelrei-Kraanrei axis, the ideal place for the construction of merchant houses very early on, in the immediate vicinity of the harbor and the Tolhuis. From the 16th and 17th centuries, shipping and port activities around the Spiegelrei and Kraanrei declined. This was partly due to the relocation of trade to Antwerp, as well as to the digging of the Handelskom and the Coupure in Bruges itself. However, until the beginning of the 20th century, barges regularly docked at the Spiegelrei.
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•July 3, 2022
The name "Spiegelrei" is said to come from a speghele, which in toponymy is an elongated body of water. It is possibly named after the house "De Grote Speghele". The name also refers to the presence of various mirror makers.
Source: Wikipediatranslated by•March 6, 2022
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