Huidenvettersplein

Huidenvettersplein is a small, enclosed square in the heart of Bruges that feels more like a private courtyard than a public space. You can identify it by the historic guildhall of the tanners, which stands as a reminder of the thirteenth-century leatherworkers who once occupied this site. Known in the early fourteenth century as the Huidenvettersdam, the square was initially the center for the leather trade before the guild moved their operations away to avoid the intense smells associated with tanning.