The graceful small city of Bruges (Brugge) has drifted down the stream of time with all the self-possession of the swans that cruise its canals. To step into the old town is to be transported instantly back to the Middle Ages, when Bruges was among the wealthiest cities of Europe. Unlike so many European cities that have had their hearts torn out by war, Bruges has remained unravaged, its glorious monumental buildings intact. UNESCO has recognized the cultural importance of the historic center by awarding it World Heritage status. The city (pop. 115,000, of whom 25,000 live in the old center) is the capital town of West-Vlaanderen (West Flanders) province, and the pride and joy of all Flanders. Medieval Gothic architecture is the big deal here. Sure, there's a layer of Romanesque; a touch of Renaissance, baroque, and rococo; a dab of neoclassical and neo-Gothic; and a smidgen of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. But Gothic is what Bruges provides, in quantities that come near to numbing the senses -- and likely would do so if it weren't for the distraction of the city's contemporary animation.