Belgium Takes Bold Steps To Combat Tourist Theft And Protect Bruges’ Historic Cobblestones And Iconic Park Chairs From Irresponsible Visitors

Thursday, July 17, 2025

Belgium: Crackdown connected Tourist TheftBruges, famed for its humanities charm and swan-dotted canals, will telephone successful encephalon scanners for novelty-phone wielding visitors who bargain cocoa and lace. And nan expanding menace of visitors marching disconnected pinch historical cobblestones and Felix nan Cat-green parkland chairs has prompted section officials to enforce stiff consequences successful bid to protect nan city’s legacy. These thefts, committed by visitors keen to return a imperishable memento of nan metropolis location pinch them, person caused anger amongst nan group of Bruges, and nan incident has led to a organization rallying down its taste and humanities heritage. In reaction, officials are taking out, cleaning and re-cementing cobblestones, and utilizing other information to support distant specified destruction. They are portion of a wider inaugural to reside overtourism and to protect nan early of Bruges arsenic a destination of distinction.

Offensive Tourists Spark Outrage successful Belgian City of Bruges – After Locals Taken to Court and Branded ‘Dregs of Society’ for Complaining Their Souvenirs Are Stolen

Bruges, agelong celebrated arsenic 1 of Europe’s loveliest cities, has been progressively visited by a caller benignant of national who is infuriating nan locals by upsetting an aged 1 — a tourer packing a chisel and puffy hammer, seeking to return backmost a portion of a metropolis they person only conscionable met. Famed for its beautiful canals, medieval buildings and quaint cobbled streets, Bruges draws respective cardinal visitors a year. But immoderate of these visitors person gone beyond enjoying themselves and person picked up and kept parts of nan city, overmuch to nan chagrin of citizens and rule enforcement officials who are now taking action to reel them in.

One of nan astir troubling concerns is nan theft of nan city’s signature cobblestones. Weighing successful astatine astir 20 pounds apiece, these cobblestones are much than conscionable a humanities touch: they are cardinal to nan singular charm of Bruges. Now, however, an unsettling inclination has emerged: visitors are stealing them arsenic souvenirs. Since then, section officials person started cautiously taking up nan cobblestones and person cleaned them — pinch soap, h2o and man-power — earlier re-cementing them to debar further theft. This is 1 of respective steps that nan metropolis has taken to sphere its character.

But nan thefts are not constricted to nan cobblestones. Bruges is besides grappling pinch a disconcerting number of thefts of greenish metallic chairs from nan city’s parks and cardinal square. The chairs, usually near outdoors for some locals and visitors to enjoy, person been put astatine consequence of theft. Last twelvemonth alone, astir 350 chairs, aliases astir 4 successful ten, were carted distant by visitors. The city’s section authorities has blamed visitors for nan thefts, contributing to mounting vexation successful nan city.

In consequence to overtourism, nan powers-that-be person made a fewer important adjustments to thief nan metropolis clasp its charm. In 2019, Bruges did thing daring by capping nan number of cruise ships that could dock astatine nan larboard adjacent successful a bid to slow nan travel of wide tourism. The city, moreover, discontinued its tourism advertizing aimed astatine person destinations, pinch nan dream of deterring day-trippers who are immoderate of nan much aggravating contributors to nan crowds.

It’s nary surprise, then, that Bruges often makes it connected to nan various recreation lists produced by experts, bloggers and travellers alike, featuring heavy arsenic 1 of nan astir beautiful cities successful Europe. Its entreaty is successful its narrow, medieval streets, breathtaking canals and humanities buildings that return you to a imagination world. But that beauty is successful danger, threatened by nan inconsiderate behaviour of a number of group who dainty nan city’s treasures arsenic tchotchokes to beryllium spirited away.

Questions regarding nan effects of tourism upon nan practice of Bruges person been raised by nan theft of specified valuable art. The tourism manufacture is an important portion of nan section economy, but nan accrued traffic, and nan truth nan metropolis is not being maintained, is starring to strains connected nan narration betwixt residents and visitors. The gauntlet is now thrown, because really is Bruges going to stay not only a spot that must beryllium visited, but to protect its immensely rich | taste heritage?

To galore residents, nan demolition of these aged artifacts seems a onslaught against nan city’s identity. The cobblestones, nan chairs, moreover that full textile that makes up nan city, these arent location conscionable to look fancy – it’s an basal portion of Bruges’ characteristic and history. The theft of this stuff, accidental aliases not, robs nan metropolis of a small much of what makes it truthful great.

But arsenic officials return steps to effort to curb nan theft, residents are besides seeking immoderate respect and accountability from tourists. Tourism is important to Bruges but it’s evident that a equilibrium must beryllium recovered betwixt welcoming group and maintaining a spot of character. The destiny of Bruges lies arsenic overmuch successful its charm arsenic it does successful nan will of nan group to sphere it.

Belgium is moving to protect nan historical charm of Bruges aft visitors started pilfering iconic cobblestones and parkland benches. Local authorities are re-cementing nan stones aft they person been stolen and adding accrued information to protect nan city’s practice while fighting against caller waves of overtourism.

In a world of overtourism, really cities for illustration Bruges prosecute their visitors successful a measurement that respects their taste and historical worth is simply a mobility to beryllium reckoned with. Whether by educating connected nan request to sphere aliases done much imaginative methods to power nan travel of visitors nan beauty of Bruges won’t autumn foul of nan indifferent few. While nan metropolis will evolve, there’s 1 point that’s for sure: The seduction of Bruges — 1 of nan astir beautiful cities successful Europe — should beryllium astir for galore much generations.