One legend holds that Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I retaliated to being imprisoned in this city for three months by forcing its residents to maintain a flock of swans.
Every Ascension Day in this city, a procession carries the relic of the Holy Blood of Jesus out from its namesake Basilica. One legend holds that Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I retaliated to being imprisoned in this city for three months by forcing its residents to maintain a flock of swans. Those swans live in a lake called the Minnewater, which is sometimes erroneously translated as "Lake of Love." One of its most famous buildings is a belfry with 366 steps which Longfellow claims was "Thrice consumed and thrice rebuilded." Although much of its commercial significance dissipated with the silting of the Zwijn estuary, it still conducts trade through its proximity to the Dutch border and through the port of Zeebrugge, which is about ten miles to its north on the North Sea. For 10 points, name this Belgian city known for its canals and chocolate shops and which is about 25 miles northwest of Ghent.
Every Ascension Day in this city, a procession carries the relic of the Holy Blood of Jesus out from its namesake Basilica.
Bruges [or Brugge]