Belfry of Ghent

Ghent, Belgium

The 91-metre-tall belfry is one of three medieval towers that overlook the old city centre of Ghent, the other two belonging to Saint Bavo Cathedral and Saint Nicholas" Church. Its height makes it the tallest belfry in Belgium. The belfry of Ghent, together with its attached buildings, belongs to the set of belfries of Belgium and France inscribed on UNESCO"s World Heritage List.

Construction of the tower began in 1313 after a design by master mason Jan van Haelst. His plans are still preserved in the Ghent City Museum. After continuing intermittently through wars, plagues and political turmoil, the work reached completion in 1380. It was near the end of this period that the gilded dragon, brought from Bruges, assumed its place atop the tower. The uppermost parts of the building have been rebuilt several times, in part to accommodate the growing number of bells.

The local architect Lieven Cruyl made a design for a Baroque spire in 1684. His design was not implemented and in 1771 the campanile was finished with a spire after a design by architect Louis "t Kindt. A neo-Gothic spire of cast iron was placed on the tower in 1851. This iron spire was demolished between 1911-1913 and replaced by the current stone spire. The works were carried out under the direction of Valentin Vaerwijck whose designs were inspired by the original design from the 14th century.

Through the centuries, the belfry served not only as a bell tower to announce the time and various warnings, but also as a fortified watchtower and the place where the documents evidencing the municipal privileges were kept.

The bells in the belfry originally only served a religious purpose. Gradually the bells got a secular role by regulating daily life in the growing medieval city. The primary bell in the tower, called Roland, was also used to warn the citizens of Ghent of an approaching enemy or a battle won. After subduing Ghent, which had risen up against him, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor ordered the removal of Roland.

The rectangular hall adjoining the belfry was built to headquarter the affairs of the cloth trade that made the city rich during the Middle Ages. Inside, woollens were officially inspected and measured; transactions were negotiated. As the cloth industry lost importance, the hall drew new occupants, including a militia guild and a fencing school. The cloth hall"s construction started in 1425 and ended 20 years later, with only seven of eleven planned bays completed. In 1903, the structure was extended by four bays in accordance with the original plan.

A small annex dating from 1741, called the Mammelokker, served as the entrance and guard"s quarters of the city jail that occupied part of the old cloth hall from 1742 to 1902. The name refers to the sculpture of Roman Charity poised high above the front doorway. It depicts the Roman legend regarding a prisoner called Cimon. Cimon was sentenced to death by starvation, but survived and ultimately gained his freedom thanks to his daughter Pero, a wet nurse who secretly breastfed him during her visits. Her act of selflessness impressed officials and won her father"s release. The term "mammelokker" translates as "breast sucker".

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Address

Botenmarkt, Ghent, Belgium
See all sites in Ghent

Details

Founded: 1313
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Belgium

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Aggie Wang (2 years ago)
I took an early train from Brussels to Ghent. When I arrived at the Bell Tower, it’s just opened with only a few visitors. The ticket office is on the ground floor underneath the stairs. When entering in the building, it’s a large hall. I asked the attendant there and was told this was a trading market in the old time. There are three levels. On the first two levels there are stairs. On the third level there is an elevator to bring you to the top of the tower. The view from the top was amazing. The vibrant and charming Ghent is displayed in front of your eyes.
Hina Nainani (2 years ago)
The city of Gent looks gorgeous from up there. The good thing is it’s one of the cheapest bell tower entry cost of 6 euros and you don’t even have to climb the stairs, they have an elevator. Do remember to check out all the floors, it’s created like a museum with machinery, all the bells that were used, etc.
Debaleena Sain (2 years ago)
A clock tower from where the entire city of Ghent can be seen. Ticket is €10 and worth every cent. The view of the city was the best part of my day. There is a museum inside the tower as well. You can go up using the elevator and take the stairs to get down.
J (2 years ago)
Loved the view. The ticket costs €10 and its easy to go upstairs with an elevator. Stairs to go down and the space to actually see from the tower is very tight (consider this if you have claustrophobia). I loved it! No line even tho the weather was super great
Emrah Onder (3 years ago)
If you visit Gent, it is one of the must-see places. I recommend that you set aside at least an hour. If you have a CityCard Gent, you can enter for free; if not, for eight euros. The city view from the five-floor top floor is exquisite. You can also listen to the melodic bells that ring every 15 minutes.
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