Brugge is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country.The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. It is egg-shaped and about 430 hectares in size. The area of the whole city amounts to more than 13,840 hectares, including 1,075 hectares off the coast, at Zeebrugge ("Seabruges" in literal translation). Bruges is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It rightly deserves the name Venice of the north, canals, bridges and old city houses make it a very romantic place to visit. The good thing about this is that here you can find a city that has remained practically unchanged since its heyday at the end of the Middle Ages. Bruges came to prominence in the 14-th century. However the city lost its important position as a trading centre of the Netherlands, which included half of the current Belgium, soon to Antwerp and later to Amsterdam. The city has many sights to see, but it is also very pleasant to just wander along the canals, sit down in a small pub to taste a few special Belgian brews and then walk on, a little less steadily maybe, but with a smile on your face Bruges has most of its medieval architecture intact. The historic centre of Bruges has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.Many of its medieval buildings are notable, including the Church of Our Lady, whose brick spire reaches 122.3 m (401.25 ft), making it one of the world's highest brick towers/buildings. The sculpture Madonna and Child, which can be seen in the transept, is believed to be Michelangelo's only sculpture to have left Italy within his lifetime. Bruges' most famous landmark is its 13th-century belfry, housing a municipal carillon comprising 48 bells.[9] The city still employs a full-time carillonneur, who gives free concerts on a regular basis.