02-05-2025
In Bruges, locals rise up against blight of overtourism
At the height of the summer season, Pascal Gerritsen was sitting on the wall of the Boniface Bridge guiding a group of tourists through Bruges. A masked man suddenly rushed through the crowd, pushing him from the bridge. He fell into the canal, fortunately escaping serious injury and missing the tour boats passing below.
The man, a local who has never been named, would later describe himself as a 'masked lover of architecture' condemning guides such as Gerritsen who 'destroy our cultural heritage'.
Gerritsen told The Times: 'He was angry and thought I was showing disrespect to medieval stones by sitting next to them on the wall to show tourists.'
The tour guide, a Dutchman who has settled in the medieval Belgian city, said he
