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The venue
| The 2008 IBM Power Systems Technical Conference is pleased to welcome you at the congress centre of ‘Oud Sint-Jan’ in Bruges, Belgium. The congress centre is located in a 19th century former hospital, situated in the heart of the city and part of the large complex of the medieval St. John's hospital, one of the oldest still existing hospitals in Europe. In the 1970's a new general hospital was built in Bruges so that after 8 centuries the St. John's hospital lost its function. It was transformed into a museum and a congress center. In the buildings of the 19th century is now the cultural center 'Oud Sint-Jan' were numerous congresses and exhibitions are regularly organized. Entirely renovated in 2006, with 21 meeting and banquet halls, an inner garden, terraces and hallways, it is the perfect location for seminars, workshops and larger symposiums. | |
| Site Oud Sint-Jan | |
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Bruges, UNESCO World Heritage City
| Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in Belgium. The heart of Bruges, surrounded by an almost continuous ring of canals, is the best preserved example of a medieval city in Flanders. So picture postcard perfect is the city centre, known as 'the Venice of the North', it is almost impossible to take a bad photograph. Not surprisingly then, Bruges is a very popular tourist destination in Belgium. The historic city centre was declared a World Heritage Site of UNESCO in 2000. There is stunning architecture to admire virtually everywhere you wander in Bruges. Start at the Markt, with its gabled buildings and Belfry, then south to the Beguinage before winding your way back to walk along Dijver, through the Vismarkt to the Burg, historically the most important square in Bruges, where it is possible to see 700 years of architecture. After a decline in power and wealth, the 20th century, however, brought new life, when the city was discovered by international tourism and the medieval heritage turned out to be a new source of wealth for the 'Venice of the North'. In addition, the new harbour of Zeebrugge (10 miles from the city, at the Flemish Coast) brought new developments and new industries to the region. Today, the city's total population is more than 117,000, of which around 20,000 live in the historic centre. | |
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External links
| Congress Centre “Oud Sint-Jan”
Bruges, Official City Web Site
Bruges, History & Sights
For more information on St John’s Hospital history
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