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WEST-FLANDERS, YOUR IDEAL HOLIDAY REGION West-Flanders has just about everything you want to make your holiday both an entertaining and a memorable one. Most visitors to West-Flanders start off their holidays at the coast: the 67 km (40 miles) of North Sea coastline provide an unspoiled panorama of large sand beaches, widely spread dunes and woods of an unrivalled beauty. West-Flanders, an ideal family holiday region offers a great variety of sporting and leisure activities. For those who enjoy sightseeing, there are many towns and villages, with a rich historical heritage lying within easy reach of the sea-shore in a beautiful polder landscape. Good hotels and first rate cuisine are synonymous with the warm local atmosphere of the typical Flemish town. Take Bruges for example, world-famous for its historical and artistic heritage, or Damme, an enchanting small town, the home of the legendary and mischievous Tijl Eulenspiegel, or the lovely little country town of Veurne. For those whose taste lies in another direction, there are the magnificent rolling hills and green hopfields of the peaceful front-cities of the First World War, Ieper (Ypres) and Diksmuide. Yet you will have another impression at Kortrijk, Roeselare or Tielt, or in the region between Leie and Schelde, where industry, trade and craft are most important. In one word, whether you are old or young, West-Flanders offers you the perfect holiday. BRUGES: Bruges started as a fortress built upon the order of Charles the Bald of France by his son-in-law Baldwin, count of Flanders, at the top of the "Zwin"-estuary where some coastal rivers were reaching the sea. This to counter the Vikings who were using the spot as their "brygghia" or "landing-stage" to plunder the hinterland. Centrally situated, accessible by land and sea, Bruges soon became the leading trading place of Europe. After the 14th century though, things changed. Still, in the 15th century, Bruges witnessed the splendor of the court of the Dukes of Burgundy. It was the age of the "Flemish Primitives" with amongst others, Jan Van Eyck, Hugo Van Der Goes, Hans Memling and Gerard David. The accidental death of Mary of Burgundy cast a death-spell over the city. Slowed down by two world-wars, the revival of the "sleeping beauty" came with the 20th century. Now the future is bright for this old historical city.