The Zand Square is hardly known for its flea markets. The large Square is the place for large concerts, nicer restaurants, and interesting architecture. So paint me surprised when I saw a flock of people like pigeons in a coop huddle around a makeshift tent with a fat belly man screaming "fresh cucumbers" in Dutch. First of all, fresh cucumbers in the winter? Is there a greenhouse nearby? And isn't the Kapucijnenkerk that way?
Ah yes, the Kapucijnenkerk. A Catholic Church that usually goes unnoticed under the shadows of the bigger names on the other side of the city. That was my main destination, but the market made for an effective distraction. There are also quite a few beautiful brutalist-style buildings around the square that I wanted to see. One is at the bottom of the square but hardly gets any praise or attention.
The fun part was that the market sold everything under the sun. From fresh produce to Christmas decor to bobbleheads. I am surprised I didn't see anyone selling aglets. Divided through 3 different streets, the market was pretty huge and quite crowded, too.
This market wasn't on any official publication either. All the way East of the city, by the canals, there is a popular vismarkt (fish market), and in the summer there is the major market that takes place in the square. It is so popular it is simply called Markt (market). So, of course, curiosity got the best of me and nothing beats a spontaneous excuse to explore more of the city.
I wish I could call this a flea market, but there wasn't much "flea" to it. Most of the items were mass-produced commodities and the only "flea" about it was that it was held on the streets.
Talking about brutalist architecture, the pop-up shops on the final aisle of the street market were pushed against these buildings. I am guessing the red brick building is an office space. There are no balconies, and one side of the building has no opening at all. It wouldn't even be fit for a social housing complex. It also has to be newer than all the buildings around because of the flat top.
The second building is 100% a residential building. I know for sure because I did see people going in with shopping bags, and the building doesn't look like it would be fit for anything else. But what are those rectangles under the windows? Any ideas?
There was just this singular shop I found throughout the market with homemade goods. These sauces and stocks. The poster says that they do not contain artificial colours or enhancers, and it has a unique homemade preparation technique. HAH! My Dutch is getting better! Didn't need to use a translator!
Do you notice something peculiar in the pictures above? In the Netherlands, we call terraced houses Rijhuizen. Houses of medium density that share the side walls with the next house. I do not know if these are also rijhuizen although they share walls, but one of the houses was shortened. You can see the silhouette still lingering from when it was taller. It made me wonder about two things: 1- why was the house shortened? 2- how recent was it? I mean when you look at the silhouette it feels fresh, but I am sure it has been quite a few years since the shortening. Especially when you consider some of these houses were built anywhere between the 1600s to 1800s.
As I approached the church the streets widened up. As the street widened, the market became bigger. Here there were more trucks than makeshift popup shack shops. Cheese, Belgian waffles, stews and soups. What I learned was that the market was a special one. It only is open on special occasions and most of the vendors need permission to set up their stalls and trucks. I think it is due to the holiday season or some other special occasion. This market would be around for the entire weekend.
Not all of it would. Some of these vendors are regulars of the popular Markt and Friday markets, the others are here just for a day or so. If I were to guess, the ones with temporary shacks are the ones that are here for the day. Nevertheless, it is quite pricey. In comparison, things are much cheaper than in the Netherlands. No wonder a lot of people like to shop a lot when they visit Belgium from the Netherlands. Still, I found the prices to be quite steep for a street market. I mean 20 euros for a sweater and 660 for a gilet is not cheap or "street market price" in any way.
I did end up finding the last Capuchin Church of Bruges. To be honest, I was walking around it enjoying the market without realizing I was at my destination. The red bricks blended quite seamlessly with all the red houses around. Not to mention, all of the shops around it made it elope my vision very effectively. If you look at the bottom corner of the first image of the church you'll notice a van blocking the entrance to the Church, which was very odd to me. It also meant that I couldn't get in. That's a shame. The outside isn't very impressive but the interior is quite exotic and beautiful with an impressive sculpture.
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