Flemish inner courtyard

A Flemish inner courtyard is the open space framed by the wings of a building, a recurring feature of bourgeois and religious residential architecture in the Southern Low Countries. In Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp, these courtyards, often paved with blue stone or herringbone-laid bricks, served climatic (ventilation), social (reception) and utility (well, stable access) functions. Average dimensions range from 40 to 200 square metres. A notable point: the Stadhuis inner courtyard in Bruges, a listed monument, still hosts premium civil weddings and appears in the Flemish regional architectural inventory (Visit Belgium officiel, 2026).

Hospitality context
Dukes' Palace in Bruges showcases a 600-square-metre inner courtyard framed by the former wings of the Dukes of Burgundy palace. Botanic Sanctuary in Antwerp deploys several interconnected courtyards that structure circulation between the 108 rooms and six restaurants.