Belfry of Mons

Mons, Belgium

The belfry of Mons is one of the more recent among the belfries of Belgium and France. It is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1999. It is the only one in Belgium that is constructed in baroque style. With an altitude of 87 meters, it dominates the city of Mons, which is constructed on a hill itself.

The building was designed by architecture Louis Ledoux. He led the works from 1662 until his death in 1667. The work was continued from 1667 to 1669 by Vincent Anthony. This belfry is both a prestigious construction and a functional building as it served to warn in case of fire or, during the Second World War, to give alerts against incoming bombardments.

The belfry of Mons does not have all possible belfry characteristics like the presence of a jail or rooms serving the Justice department, but the Hainaut province is not a region with belfries that are as typical as the ones in Belgian Flanders and in French Flanders.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Rue des Gades 7, Mons, Belgium
See all sites in Mons

Details

Founded: 1662-1669
Category: Miscellaneous historic sites in Belgium

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Suyatra Sinha (7 months ago)
Went on Sunday afternoon and all museums were free. This place is so beautiful. The belfry is a clock, so do go inside and to the top.
Stasya Tim (10 months ago)
Nice view but there are no open terrace but lift is there! So don’t miss it and buy ticket in the office on the lower street - 10 euros
Caberinjo (17 months ago)
Didn't enter, just wanted to share pics of this nice looking place :)
Fernando Nellmeldin (18 months ago)
Not worth the price (9eur in 2022). The visit takes at most 15 minutes. They make it seem that you can go to the very tip of the tower, but it is not possible. There are some screens with information, and some windows (VERY dirty) with the view of the city. I recommend to Just walk around the park and take some photos, the view is almost the same.
Tom De Pauw (2 years ago)
I used to go to the very last little room on top of the belfry. Nowadays it's not accessible. That"s why gave it only 4 stars. Otherwise the place has been very well restored and is way cleaner than before. The park is very peaceful and is worth a special visit because of its views over the surrounding city.
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Broch of Gurness

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick.