Bruges Hotels Guide: Gruuthuse Museum

The Gruuthuse Museum is one of the most diverse and interesting museums in Bruges. The museum is housed in a splendid fifteenth century mansion behind the Church of Our Lady and was owned by one of the richest families in Bruges.

Gruut was a herbal flavouring for beer used in the Middle Ages as an alternative to hops. The lords of Bruges held a very lucrative monopoly on trade in Gruut and became known as the Lords of Gruut.

The Gruuthuse museum is an impressive collection of all the belongings of a typical merchants home. From ceramics, silverware and tapestries to kitchen implements, musical instruments and even criminal's shackles; the museum is a fascinating glimpse into everyday life in Bruges over the centuries.

Of particular interest is a polychrome terracotta and wood bust of the Emperor Charles V carved in 1520 and there are a number of mementos of Charles II of England who spent several years in exile in Bruges.

The museum also houses a number of very attractive seventeenth century tapestries made locally.