Damme
Our drive to Damme was through again the beautiful flat farm land of Belgium. The roads are narrow and were full of twists as they weave through farm lands.
We stopped on the way to explore an old monastery which now was filled with beautiful female statues.
Damme is about 6 kilometres from Brugge (Bruges) surrounded by beautiful meadows and a drop dead gorgeous tree lined canal.
We parked outside the town and took a leisurely walk along the moat that had once protected this town from invasion. This was a great walk as it was lined with beautiful big trees and the water flowed ever so peacefully along its tranquil path. The water lay out a reflective mirror of trees on its glassy surface. We didn’t pass a soul on our walk in what has been named by us, The Magic Tree Tunnel. So peaceful that mindfulness was all around in its hues of green landscape.
From the path we could see the ruins of the tall tower of the Church of Our Lady.
Built in 1225, the Church was raided in the 17th century and in the 18th deemed to expensive to repair so parts of the church were torn down and materials sold just like so many other churches and monasteries of its time. History lost due to ignorance.
What few arches and the tower that remain are now protected monuments.
We walked through the quaint medieval town centre and found that storks were also nesting on the rooftop just like in the Alsace region of France.
One of the main historical sights of the town is Hoeke Windmill, which is a fully functioning mill. We were eager to climb inside this historic machine. We marvelled at all its mechanical moving parts, and we climbed the steep sets of stairs to the top of this old giant. It was built in 1840 but mills were first built in this area in 1324.
We finished our explorations as the sunset on the beautiful canals of the Damme. We just loved exploring this tiny town as its past packed a punch. The Damme boasted one of the largest Ports of her time and its rich history stretches back to the 12 century.
