5 of the most inspiring small galleries in Bruges

An abandoned chapel has been turned into a striking gallery of contemporary art. Renamed the Chapel of Awesomeness, the neat white interior, where nuns once prayed, is now used for inspiring exhibitions and the occasional concert.

This new gallery is dedicated to edgy work by emerging artists. Established in 2017, the name was inspired by a black swan that caused panic when it suddenly appeared on the canals in 2014. The gallery aims to serve as a hub for serious contemporary art lovers in Bruges, although it is only open at weekends.

This contemporary gallery occupies a 16th-century gabled house. It organises interesting exhibitions by emerging Belgian artists in a series of white spaces and a video screening room.

Luc Rabaey runs an intimate photography gallery in a bare living room with an ancient tiled floor. He sells unconventional works by contemporary Belgian photographers along with art books and postcards.

Koen Broes has been around since the early 1980s promoting young, relatively unknown artists. He recently moved into a handsome 18th-century house where he presents a personal choice of prints and graphic art. You find bright, optimistic works propped against a fireplace, resting on balls of string or piled up on a table among art books.