January 29, 2008

Europe | Belgium | Bruges

The New Dukes in Bruges

By Nicole Cotroneo

Kings slept here and so can you — at Kempinski’s restored palace.

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If you think Bruges’ newest hotel, Kempinski Dukes’ Palace, is impressive with its gilded angels and cone-topped turrets, you should have seen it in the 15th century. Built in 1429 by Philip the Good for his new bride, Isabelle of Portugal, the castle was seven times its present size and harbored a swimming pool, a “hall for ballgames” and even a zoo. Though peacocks will no longer strut through the hotel when it opens February 5, Kempinski has restored the frescoed chapel with stained glass windows and one of the grand ballrooms. Guestrooms feature authentic 15th-century paintings and fixtures but aren’t total time warps thanks to flatscreen TVs and high-speed Internet. Out on your terrace, the view might take you back again: Dukes’ Palace stands in the heart of Bruges’ historical World Heritage district, where cobbled alleyways and serpentine canals have earned the Flemish city its nickname — Venice of the North. A word of advice, though: easy on the nickname when you’re on the fly in Europe — you could wind up in Amsterdam, St. Petersburg or Stockholm. Just jump on the new bullet train from Amsterdam to Brussels starting service this year — at least you know you’ll end up in Belgium.