Every guidebook calls Minnewater the "Lake of Love." The name actually comes from "Minne," which in old Dutch referred to an inner harbour — nothing to do with romance. But the legend stuck, and now couples come here to walk across the bridge and make wishes.

The lake was originally part of the harbour system that connected Bruges to the sea via canals. In the 13th century, when Bruges was one of the most important trading cities in Europe, ships would dock here to unload goods. The stone lock house at the north end dates from 1519 and controlled the water level between the inner and outer canals.

Today the lake is home to a colony of swans. The story goes that Maximilian of Austria ordered the citizens of Bruges to keep swans on the lakes forever, as punishment for beheading one of his advisors. Whether that's true is debatable, but the swans are certainly still here.

The park around Minnewater is one of the nicest spots in Bruges for a quiet walk. There's a small powder tower from the 1400s on the south bank, and in spring the edges of the lake fill with daffodils and cherry blossoms. It connects directly to the Begijnhof, so you can do both in a single stroll.

Inn Bruges is about 200 metres from Minnewater. On a quiet morning you can hear the swans from our courtyard.