Smedenpoort is one of the surviving gates from Bruges' medieval defences. It stands slightly outside the busiest museum-and-canal circuit, which makes it a useful stop for seeing the fortified edge of the old city without the crowding around the Markt.
The gate is best visited as part of a walk along the ramparts and canals west of the centre. Its brick towers, water setting, and defensive proportions show a different side of Bruges: less lace-box pretty, more practical and urban.