There is always more to discover if you take the time to really look and are willing to broaden your horizons. After an introduction by city guide Bob Vranken, you will set off in small groups on an expedition through the neighbourhood around the Speelmansrei, a watercourse with a somewhat hidden character but many possibilities.
Travel in the wake of four guides: city writer Lara Taveirne, designer Tom Callebaut, local residents Hanan & Nur and biologist Wim Jans. You will see the same neighbourhood from four different perspectives thanks to their diverse backgrounds.
Bob Vranken
Bob Vranken, a graphic designer with a Brussels background, decided to settle in Bruges and focus on historical research as a city guide. He is a volunteer at Bruges City Archives and writes for the local history magazine Brugs Ommeland.
Lara Taveirne
Lara Taveirne committed to her great love about ten years ago: literature. She made her debut with the award-winning novel De kinderen van Calais [The Children of Calais] and, besides being an author, is also active as a teacher of theatre and writing. As Bruges’ current city writer (with Marieke De Maré), she takes us back to the time when she grew up in the neighbourhood around the Speelmansrei.
𝗧om Callebaut
Tom Callebaut is not only a designer, but also a researcher at KU Leuven and a pioneer in the repurposing of religious heritage and the design of silent areas. For Tom, architecture is not an end in itself, but a means of bringing people together. He sees his own home, G-LAB, as an exercise in hospitality.
Hanan & Nur
Hanan Al Majdoubi is from Morocco and has lived in Bruges for six years. She is passionate about people, her new city and loves bringing people together. Hanan does extensive voluntary work and is also training to be a beautician. Her daughter, Nur, is by her side on the walk. Like her mother, 18-year-old Nur loves Bruges and connecting people with each other.
Wim Jans
Biologist Wim Jans is Bruges’ Nature Guide and president of Natuurpunt Brugge, where he focuses on nature education. His mission is to accelerate the green transition and make people aware of climate challenges. Wim takes you on an urban safari and allows you to look at the fauna and flora in the city centre through green-tinted glasses.
