Charleroi Belfry, Charleroi, Belgium

Charleroi Belfry is part of the City Hall, designed by architect Joseph André in 1936. It is a perfect blend of Classicism and Art Deco. The 70-metre-high belfry can be accessed by climbing 250 stairs and was built using blue and white stone and bricks. It is crowned with a small bronze tower. The last three levels are reserved for the chambers of the 47 bells forming the carillon. Every fifteen minutes it chimes out a few bars of folk songs by Jacques Bertrand, the bard of Charleroi. This belfry is a UNESCO world heritage site.

References:

Wallonie-Bruxelles Tourisme

User Reviews

Jonathan Debondt (3 years ago)

Philippe Keirsbulck (3 years ago)

Anthony DUFRANE (3 years ago)
Le beffroi (70 m), classé au Patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco, a été construit en 1936 d'après les plans de J. André et de J. Cézar. Point d'orgue de la visite, la Salle du conseil et des mariages, avec ses gigantesques lustres en cristal de Val-St-Lambert, ses vitraux et sa série de sept panneaux peints par Jos De Smedt. Dans les combles, le musée Jules-Destrée évoque les multiples facettes de ce politicien, homme d'État, avocat et écrivain

Bella Janssens (3 years ago)

Giovanni Barbieri (4 years ago)
Très beau et grand bâtiment qui domine la place du Manège à Charleroi

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Kurayba

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Beckov Castle

The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends. One of them narrates the origin of the name of castle derived from that of jester Becko for whom the Duke Stibor had the castle built.

Another legend has it that the lord of the castle had his servant thrown down from the rock because he protected his child from the lords favourite dog. Before his death, the servant pronounced a curse saying that they would meet in a year and days time, and indeed precisely after that time the lord was bitten by a snake and fell down to the same abyss.

The well-conserved ruins of the castle, now the National Cultural Monument, are frequently visited by tourists, above all in July when the castle festival takes place. The former Ambro curia situated below the castle now shelters the exhibition of the local history.

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