Windmills (Kruisvest)

Standing sentinel along Bruges' medieval ramparts, these picturesque windmills have rotated their sails for centuries, grinding grain and pumping water to keep the city alive. Today they're living monuments to Flemish ingenuity, with several still operational during certain seasons, their mechanical beauty reflected in the tranquil surrounding moat. The mills create one of Bruges' most photogenic scenes, especially when their white wooden sails catch the wind against the city's golden-brick skyline.