What does minnewater mean? This is the Dutch name for the lake, which is made up of two Dutch words: minne, which means both "common" and "love", and water, which means "water". Thus, the most correct translation would mean translating the word minne as "common", since these were the "common waters, community waters, everyone's water" since it was where the old port of Bruges was located, a site closely linked to the city and the daily life of its citizens. Today, the square serves as e meeting place for the locals and the three tot four million visitors who flock to the town every year. The most striking building is without any doubt the Belfry.