Bruges (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The famous wooden façade at Arentshof in Bruges, designed by Jozef and Luc Vierin in 1936, was restored with a €6,000 grant. Lyne Vanhacke runs a 20-year-old B&B there.
As VRT News reported, one of Bruges’ most photographed buildings has been restored. The wooden rear façade at Arentshof, located just behind the Bonifacius Bridge. The building behind it appears in countless pictures taken by tourists and locals.
“The 1936 condition was largely preserved, but conservation work was necessary to preserve the wooden facade and the stained-glass windows,”
says Alderman for Monument Preservation Mathis Goderis (Vooruit).
“The lead was in very poor condition. The stained-glass panels were dismantled, cleaned, and fitted with lead strips and mastic. The wooden joinery was given a smooth, dark brown finish. We are awarding a grant of €6,000 for the work.”
What makes Bruges’ Arentshof façade restoration special?
According to Officials, few people know that behind the well-known wooden façade at Arentshof, Lyne Vanhacke has been running a bed and breakfast for 20 years. Every part of the house has been arranged to match the atmosphere of Bruges’ old town.
“Behind the stained-glass windows on the ground floor is indeed our breakfast room,”
Vanhaecke explains.
“The previous owner, Baron van der Elst, had a great passion for the Flemish Primitives. With a thoughtful use of colour and robust furniture, I wanted to capture the atmosphere of that period.”
Officials mentioned that from the windows, guests can look out across the canal to the Bonifacius Bridge, one of Bruges’ most visited spots. Throughout the day, groups of tourists stop to take photos or pass by in boats.
“Yet, we don’t feel watched, no,” says Vanhaecke. “It’s quieter here than you’d think. Most guests have breakfast around 9 a.m., and there’s no one around then. The boats don’t set sail yet either,”
Vanhaecke concludes.
The wooden rear façade at Arentshof, located just behind the Bonifacius Bridge in the city of Bruges, was commissioned in 1936 by Bruges architects Jozef and Luc Vierin to be constructed as a rear extension of a 17th-century deep house.
Over the years, the rear façade became one of the most photographed places in Bruges, regularly appearing on the covers of postcards and travel guides. In the early 2000s, a bed and breakfast was established by Lyne Vanhacke in the building, and then fully restored in 2025.
Comments
17 responses to “Bruges Arentshof Façade Restored with €6k Grant by Mathis Goderis”
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Of course, a €6k grant for a facelift on a tourist hotspot—who needs a budget for more pressing issues when we’ve got woodwork to pamper? 🪵💰 Cheers to keeping up appearances while the real world carries on, eh?
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€6,000 for a facelift? Must be the most expensive wood in Belgium! 🙄 At this rate, I might start charging for my morning coffee!
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Blimey, a €6k grant to spruce up a façade that’s been posing for tourists since ’36? Must be the real estate equivalent of getting a free croissant at a five-star hotel! 🥐💸
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So, we’ve splurged €6k to make a wooden wall pretty again—who knew that was a thing? 🤔 But hey, at least the tourists can still snap their selfies in front of it. #Priorities
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A mere €6,000 for a façade restoration in Bruges? At this rate, I should start charging tourists for the pleasure of taking selfies with my office door! 😂
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Seems like a snazzy €6k facelift for a building that’s basically been photobombing tourists since the 30s! I mean, who needs a new car when you can have a shiny façade, right? 😂
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Only €6k for a facelift on a landmark? I suppose they were on a budget after that expensive round of waffles and chocolate! 😂
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€6k for a facelift? Well, at least it’s cheaper than a weekend in Paris! 😂 Must be the “art of conservation” they don’t teach in business school, eh?
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A mere €6k grant for such a masterpiece? I suppose the stained-glass windows needed a spa day too! 😂 Typical Bruges, always keeping it classic while cashing in on tourists’ “artsy” selfies! 🖼️💰
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Oh, a €6k grant for restoring a façade that tourists can’t stop snapping pics of? Brilliant! At this rate, I might just start charging for my own smile when they take photos of me in the taxi. 😂
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€6k for a bit of paint and some fancy lead? I suppose that’s what you call a “brilliant investment” in Bruges, where even the breakfast rooms have better views than my last holiday! 😂
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Oh, a €6k grant for a façade restoration? How generous of them! Next, they might consider funding my morning coffee – because we all know that’s a true heritage site too! ☕️😂
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Oh, a €6,000 grant for a façade restoration? That should just about cover a pint and a packet of crisps in Bruges these days! 🍻💸 Who needs a whole budget when you’ve got charm like that, right?
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Just what Bruges needed, another €6k miracle to keep that iconic wooden façade standing tall—because, you know, nothing says “heritage” like a budget that wouldn’t even buy you a decent dinner in Brussels. Honestly, it’s like giving a spritz of cologne to a statue; looks nice, but are we really fooling anyone? 😏
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Gotta love how a €6k grant turns a crumbling façade into a tourist trap! I mean, who wouldn’t splurge on breakfast with a view of the *mighty* Bonifacius Bridge? 😂🥐
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Oh, a €6k grant for a wooden façade restoration? I guess that’s what they call “living the Bruges dream” these days—next, they’ll be charging us for the air we breathe! 😂
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Only €6k to restore a piece of wooden history? Must be nice to have a budget that would make even a tax collector blush! 😏 Just imagine the “exclusive” breakfast views for the price of a decent pint! 🍻
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