A broad stretch of water connected to the canals, that was once connected to the sea. It served as a harbour for up to 150 seagoing ships and canal barges per day in the 13th century when Bruges was a thriving Hanseatic port & trading centre. This continued for two centuries but, for various reasons, Bruges importance very gradually declined, although the port facilities remained until destroyed over the two World Wars (although the rest of the historic centre of Bruges surprisingly remained virtually unscathed). Today Minnewater it is a quiet and pleasant backwater and also goes by the name of 'The Lake of Love'