Het Minnewater / Love Lake ., Brugge

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Most visitors to Bruges are dropped of by coach near the station and so the Minnewater and its lovely park are the first part of the beautiful city that they see.
The Minnewater is a canalized lake mostly referred to as 'the lake of Love, Minne means love in Dutch but we were also informed that it can mean 'belonging to all' and that people used to come from all over to get their water from the lake and that this is the real meaning of Minnewater.

There are always plenty of swans on the Minnewater.

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At the southern edge of Brugge you'll find Minnewater Park, a quiet oasis away from the herd of tourists in the central part of Brugge. There isn't really anything to do here besides walk and enjoy the scenery

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The Minnewaterpark is a pleasant escape from the bustle of the city and being located a short walk from the Halve Maan Brewery was ideal for doing my healthy bit before searching out the next beer.

Althought the name translates as "Love Lake" the park's origin (and indeed its present day usage) is in fact purely practical. This is an artificial lake which was constructed as a means of flood control as the city expanded during its Medieval heyday. The building directly in front when viewing the main pic is the sluice house, underneath which are the gates used to control water levels in the city's canals.

I'm not sure whether these are still in use or whether there's a more modern pumping system but the lake and its park are worth searching out for an all too short wander.

I think there's also an annual music festival here during the second week of July - the Cactus Festival - which looks quite interesting. The main site for which doesn't seem to have been updated for the 2011 event yet but the site below has the bare bones.

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The Minnewater, or "lake of love", is found close to the train station. It's a little canalized lake with a park, a quite and idyllic place – even in winter, probably more beautiful during the other seasons! In any case, if you come by train, this is a great start for your visit of Brugge. There's also a nice bridge and a tower from the late 14th century called Poertoren (powder tower). And of course many swans!

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The Lake of Love is something of an oasis in the city of Brugge. Though not huge in area it has these lovely aspects, whether sitting at one of the restaurants or simply strolling by the park or leaning over the bridge admiring the reflections.
There's a guardhouse (Sashuis) on the adjacent lock which stands between the reien and Minnewater and, particularly around autumn, many artists have found inspiration here.
As if to add to the romanticism of the place, fairy lights illuminate it in the evening.
Of course, there's a reason the swans are, they didn't just come naturally! In 1488 the populus of Bruges executed one of their administrators whose nickname was 'Pieter Lanchals' (long neck). So it came to pass that the administrator had a family coat of arms that featured a white swan. So what did this man do before he died? He punished Brugge by obliging the whole population to keep swans on their lakes and canals till eternity!

For a while Minna managed to convince her caring father that a marriage was not really suitable for her but, finally his patience ran out. He was getting old and sought assurances about her future.
His decision was that when the sun rose for the 3rd time he would give her away to his choice, Horneck.
Minna was now desperate. Torn between her feelings and her promise to Stromberg and the will of her father.
Before the sun set on the 3rd day, she ran away during the night and into the woods, never to return again.
Some time later, when the acute danger of the Romans was gone, Stromberg returned. Soon he found out about the disappearance of his beloved and started a near impossible search.
However, after many fearful hours he found his lover but she was totally exhausted from the lack of food and ardours of her escape. She only managed to survive just long enough to die in his arms.
Stromberg was distraught and his immediate thought was to take his own life, but then he changed his mind. He decided that he wanted the place where his true love Minna had died to be remembered always. He would cherish and honour this place as long as he lived and to this end he built a cabin then a dam in the middle of the stream to block the water.
In the dry bed of the river he then dug a grave for his lost love before removing the dam to let the water cover the site.
At the shore he found a huge rock which he inscribed in remembrance of Minna “Minna-Water”.
The legend says that much later in history this is the exact location where the present tower has been built.

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The name Minnewater is derived from the Dutch word Menne meaning love. It is hard to imagine this tranquil lake being part of a busy outer harbour in past industrial times. The gothic Sluishuis or lock house with its pretty pink brick and red tiles presents a perfect partner to Love Lake creating a picturesque and colourful scene. Early Spring saw the trees produce a profusion of greenbuds, I could have stayed forever watching as the dappled sunlight enhanced the weeping willow as she bend down toward the lake. I had images in my mind of artists with easels dotted around capturing the beauty of nature on canvas. May be in dark Winter day in the future I might try to capture the serenity of beauty in water colour myself.

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The "Love Lake" is a small lake surrounded by a large peaceful park. It is located in between the main train station and the city's historical core. This area is the perfect introduction to the city of Bruges.