{"organism":"Page","children":[{"organism":"Container.Raw","children":[{"organism":"Metadata","model":{"title":"Bruges","text":"\u003Cp\u003EThe classic city of Bruges is known for its tiny lanes and pedestrian zones. So how exactly was motoring journalist Luke Ponsford supposed to find a cracking circuit?\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n","links":[{"name":"Bruges","value":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges.html"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/_jcr_content/root/metadata.shellimg.jpeg/1715784405047/brugge-cabrio-night.jpeg","alt":"Black car parked outside of a large house at night, next to some stone steps","width":4209,"height":2377},"tags":[{"name":"Retail","value":"line-of-business:b2c/retail"}]},"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/metadata"},{"organism":"ContentOwner","model":{},"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/contentowner"},{"organism":"Container.Header","children":[{"organism":"Container.Raw","ref":"https://www.shell.mu/_jcr_content/root/header/inherited.model.json","id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/header/inherited","model":{}},{"organism":"Breadcrumb","model":{"links":[{"name":"Home","value":"https://www.shell.mu/"},{"name":"Motorists","value":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists.html"},{"name":"Driving Inspiration","value":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration.html"},{"name":"Secret Circuits","value":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits.html"},{"name":"Bruges","value":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges.html"}]},"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/header/breadcrumb"}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/header","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Main","children":[{"organism":"Container.Section","children":[{"organism":"PageHeader","color":"inherited","model":{"title":"Bruges","text":"\u003Cp\u003EThe classic city of Bruges is known for its tiny lanes and pedestrian zones. So how exactly was motoring journalist Luke Ponsford supposed to find a cracking circuit?\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n","image":{"src":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/_jcr_content/root/main/section/page-header.shellimg.jpeg/1715784428877/brugge-cabrio-night.jpeg","alt":"Black car parked outside of a large house at night, next to some stone steps","width":4256,"height":1064}},"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/main/section/page-header"},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/main/section/text","model":{"text":"\u003Cp\u003EThe plan seems faulty from the outset. A car? In Bruges? That’ll never work. Belgium’s medieval gem isn’t the kind of place you drive around. Its pinched, cobbled lanes and public squares will surely make a night-time drive a waste of time.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn entering the city in the early evening rush hour, there’s traffic everywhere, clogging up Bruges’ arteries. Cyclists dart the wrong way down bewildering one-way systems, which render you hopeless, lost in a nanosecond. Our sat-nav has a panic attack.\u003C/p\u003E\n"}},{"organism":"StandaloneAsset","color":"inherited","colspan":4,"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/main/section/standalone_asset","model":{"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/_jcr_content/root/main/section/standalone_asset.shellimg.jpeg/1715784570162/brugge-driving-by-night.jpeg","alt":"Black convertible car driving through Brugge streets at night","width":2832,"height":4256}}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","colspan":8,"colstart":5,"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/main/section/text0","model":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003EFalse Start\u003C/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo we park up and have a coffee in the Burg – one of the city’s gothic-tinged main squares. Our surroundings may be beautiful, but from a driving perspective, Bruges isn’t looking good. It takes a small car to lessen the risk of us colliding with the two-wheeled warriors, tourists, slimline canals and cramped architecture that make up the city.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs darkness brews, we drive to the main ring road to start our circuit of the city. Heading to the eastern side of town, we reach Kruisport, a small battlement over the moat that surrounds the old city of Bruges, and make our way in as the streets of Bruges clear into the darkening hours.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe tourists have gone by now, dissolved into the city’s hostelries. Lone cyclists clatter over the cobbled streets, heading for home. We pass the old tollhouse, dating from 1477, then The Royal City Theatre, one of Europe’s best-preserved neo-renaissance theatre buildings. The vertiginous spire of the Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk cathedral, backlit by the moonlight, acts as our compass.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s an eerie sensation, driving through a sparsely lit, part-gothic, part-medieval city under the spell of a full moon. The gargoyles looking down on us through the gloom are unsettling. The history of this place seeps out of the walls late at night.\u003C/p\u003E\n"}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/main/section/text1","model":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003ETake A Trip Through Time\u003C/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you squint just a little bit, you can imagine Bruges in medieval times, when it was a leading light in the cloth trade. Although much of the city’s architecture is a recreation of older buildings, the combination of ancient and new is almost seamless. Take away the cars and the electric lighting and you could be in the 15th century.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe press on to the Markt, Bruges’ principal main square. Overlooked by the mighty Belfort, one of Belgium’s most famous landmarks, the Markt is host to a selection of mostly late 19th century recreations of medieval gabled buildings, all subtly different from each other. During the day the Markt is just another tourist attraction, full of cafes, waffle stalls and souvenirs, but with added darkness its real grandeur comes alive, looming over us through the murky skies.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch2\u003EDescent Into Darkness\u003C/h2\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe drive through to the Burg, where we retired for coffee all those hours ago. It too is deserted now. We stop in front of the beautiful Basilica of the Holy Blood, the city’s most holy shrine and home to a phial that reputedly contains the blood of Christ. Then the lights in the square go out suddenly at midnight and we’re plunged into darkness.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe head for the comfort of street lighting and continue south, taking in the city’s central canals before gunning down to the Astridpark and the stunning Magdalena church.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt’s getting chilly now, and it’s time to call it a night. We point the car north and wind our way back through the deserted narrow streets, past the beautifully kept houses, along the bottle-green canals, past the homely restaurants and cosy bars, and head towards a good night’s sleep. Who’d have thought a night-time tour of Bruges could’ve gone so well?\u003C/p\u003E\n"}},{"organism":"StandaloneAsset","color":"inherited","colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/main/section/standalone_asset_1859253166","model":{"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/_jcr_content/root/main/section/standalone_asset_1859253166.shellimg.jpeg/1715784721894/brugge-square.jpeg","alt":"Front view of a Bruges cathederal lit up at night","width":2832,"height":4256}}},{"organism":"PromoSimple.Text","color":"inherited","id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/main/section/section_header_copy_","model":{"text":"\u003Ch2\u003EUseful tools\u003C/h2\u003E"}},{"organism":"CallToAction","color":"brand1-solid","id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/main/section/call_to_action_copy_","model":{"links":[{"name":"Find your station now","value":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/shell-station-locator.html","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/business/gas-pump.svg"},{"name":"Find the right oil","value":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/oils-lubricants/lubematch.html","icon":"/content/dam/shell/icons/global/business/oil-can.svg"}]}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/main/section","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Section","color":"brand1-subtle","children":[{"organism":"PromoCard","color":"brand1","colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/main/section_1474933710_c/promo_copy_74193191_","model":{"title":"Berlin","text":"\u003Cp\u003EOnce divided, Berlin is now a vibrant modern metropolis combining old and new. Automotive journalist James Mills went to check out the sights.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n","links":[{"value":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/berlin.html"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/_jcr_content/root/main/section_1474933710_c/promo_copy_74193191_.shellimg.jpeg/1715784253460/car-on-the-road-in-berlin-city.jpeg","alt":"green car driving fast at night","width":1891,"height":1066}}},{"organism":"PromoCard","color":"brand1","colspan":6,"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/main/section_1474933710_c/promo_copy_copy","model":{"title":"London","text":"\u003Cp\u003ERead our article to discover London at dawn – a world away from congestion charges and gridlocked streets.\u003C/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\r\n","links":[{"value":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/london.html"}],"image":{"src":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/_jcr_content/root/main/section_1474933710_c/promo_copy_copy.shellimg.jpeg/1715777295230/car-on-the-road-in-london-city.jpeg","alt":"car on the road in london city","width":1891,"height":1066}}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/main/section_1474933710_c","model":{"title":"More in Motorists"}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/main","model":{}},{"organism":"Container.Footer","children":[{"organism":"Breadcrumb.Large","model":{"links":[{"name":"Home","value":"https://www.shell.mu/"},{"name":"Motorists","value":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists.html"},{"name":"Driving Inspiration","value":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration.html"},{"name":"Secret Circuits","value":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits.html"},{"name":"Bruges","value":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges.html"}]},"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/footer/breadcrumb"},{"organism":"Container.Raw","ref":"https://www.shell.mu/_jcr_content/root/footer/inherited.model.json","id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/footer/inherited","model":{}}],"id":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges/jcr_content/root/footer","model":{}}],"id":"/conf/shell/settings/wcm/templates/base/structure/jcr_content/root","model":{}}],"model":{"title":"Bruges","text":"Bruges is a city steeped in rich medieval history, home to narrow, streets and public squares – the perfect driving challenge for our Secret Circuits team.","links":[{"name":"canonical","value":"https://www.shell.mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges.html"},{"name":"hierarchy","value":"en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges"},{"name":"homeTitle","value":"Shell Mauritius"},{"name":"homeUrl","value":"https://www.shell.mu/"},{"name":"locale","value":"en-MU"},{"name":"title","value":"Bruges | Shell Mauritius"},{"name":"textDirection","value":"ltr"},{"name":"template","value":"base"},{"name":"contentPath","value":"/content/shell/countries/mauritius/en_mu/motorists/driving-inspiration/secret-circuits/bruges"},{"name":"externalDisclaimerText","value":"Shell plc Legal Disclaimer\r\nYou are now leaving the Shell website.\r\nThe link you have selected will direct you to a website that is not controlled by Shell plc or any member of the Shell Group. 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