Belgian city 'cries for help' as tourists steal paving stones

Cobblestones in Bruges 'lost' right under tourists' feet, upsetting local residents

Memorial Day kicks off the peak summer travel season in Europe this year, but not all destinations are enjoying the influx of visitors.

Bruges (Belgium) is "crying for help" because the situation of tourists stealing cobblestones is increasing.

According to CNN, Bruges authorities have asked tourists to stop stealing cobblestones from its UNESCO-listed medieval streets. However, this measure does not seem to be a deterrent.

City Councilor Franky Demon said that at iconic locations such as Minnewater, Vismarkt, Markt and Gruuthusemuseum, an estimated 50 to 70 cobblestones disappear each month, with more at peak times.

Repaving costs around 200 euros (about 225 USD ) per square meter, and missing or loose stones also make pedestrians trip easily, forcing workers to patch the road regularly. He said someone even “replaced” a stone with… a flower, showing a lack of respect for the common heritage.

"To walk in Bruges is to walk through centuries of history. These cobblestones are the soul of the city," said Demon, urging visitors to leave it as it is so that future generations can admire it.

Like Venice and Barcelona, ​​Bruges is struggling with overtourism. Since 2019, the city has cut cruise ship visits to Zeebrugge and stopped promoting it in Paris to limit day-trippers.

If you want to bring back a souvenir, visitors are advised to choose a box of Belgian chocolates instead of paving stones.

The above problems reflect the current situation when the flow of visitors exceeds the capacity of a heritage, the heritage itself has to pay the price. The solution proposed by experts and the tourism industry is to disperse visitors to places that are less crowded but still rich in experiences, thereby reducing the load on the "hotspot" and opening up new options for travelers.

TB (summary)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/thanh-pho-bi-keu-cuu-vi-du-khach-trom-da-lat-duong-412391.html