Bruges (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Bruges is repairing loose cobblestones to prevent theft (€ 70/month), reduce falls, and protect its UNESCO heritage. Alderman Franky Demon leads the €320,000 project, starting in Steenstraat.
As VRT News reported, Bruges will fix streets where cobblestones are loose. People keep stealing them. Up to 70 stones go missing each month. Alderman Franky Demon says loose stones are easy to take. Someone can just pick one up and put it in their pocket. He mentioned that no one knows why they do it. Perhaps they want them for their gardens or as decoration.
The city wants to stop this. Workers will put the stones back in firmly. That way, people cannot take them easily. It also makes the streets safer. Loose stones can make people trip. The city also wants to keep the old look of the streets.
What is Bruges doing to stop cobblestone theft and falls?
According to officials, loose cobblestones are also a danger to people. They can make walkers or cyclists fall, especially when it rains or when it is dark. Some stones move or are missing. That is why the city wants to fix the streets. The city wants to stop theft, avoid accidents, and keep the streets nice for visitors and locals.
Bruges has begun a big job to fix streets where cobblestones are loose, broken, or missing. Workers are taking out the stones, washing them, and putting them back in the ground so they stay firm. This work is already happening in Steenstraat, a busy shopping street.
Officials mentioned that the problem there is worse because buses and cars are still allowed to drive through, which makes the stones come loose faster. More streets will be repaired this year, including Venkelstraat and streets near Astrid Park. The city is spending a little over €320,000 on this project to make the roads safe and neat again.
The city of Bruges asked people to stop taking the stones, but that did not work. In May 2025, Bruges city officials wanted to symbolise their commitment to keeping the stones but also the centre of Bruges protected under UNESCO World Heritage.
Alderman Franky Demon said most of the missing stones are taken from streets near popular tourist spots. These actions ultimately led the city to feel as if the cobblestones were largely taken by tourists, not residents. The city has reached out to not only residents but also visitors who accessed the area, asking them to leave the stones alone and recognise the value of being in the historic district, because significant numbers of stones were still being taken. So that is why the city is now making greater and concerted efforts to upgrade the street and properly lay the cobblestones, making it just that much harder to steal.
