City Gate Kruispoort

The Kruispoort City Gate on Langestraat Street is one of four surviving gates in the city of Bruges. In the first half of the IX century, the fortress of De Burgh was surrounded by defensive walls with four gates. The city grew and in 1127-1128 the city was surrounded by a new fortress wall with seven city gates. However, all these structures have not survived to date.

The third belt of fortress walls with 10 city gates was built in 1297. In front of the walls was dug a deep moat Four fortress gates have survived to this day. The Kruispoort Gate (porte Sainte-Croix) on Langestraat Street on the outside are two massive circular towers with many loopholes built in 1402 to protect the approaches to the city from the northeast. An earthen rampart stretching from the north indicates the location of the city wall.

A lifting bridge across the Ringvaart canal leads to a vaulted wide passage inside the fortress wall. The passageway can be blocked in case of danger by a massive wooden gate. Nearby is a small pedestrian passage, it can be reached through a second bridge. On the inside, there are two octagonal towers at the corners of the structure.

Nearby are the Lace Museum, the Jerusalem Church, the Folklore Museum, the Museum of the Flemish poet Guido Gesellé and other attractions.