View from the belfry
Visit in September 2016
Not yet aware
After many editions of the Ghent Festivities, September 2016 will finally see the climbing of the belfry. A double city trip to Ghent and Bruges sparked the idea of finding out what a belfry actually stands for after all….
Belfry of Ghent
Concise history:
The first account for the construction of Ghent’s Belfry dates back to 1313. You may infer that construction started in that year. Ten years later, the first four layers were completed, and between 1377 and 1380, a provisional wooden tower crown was built on which the Golden Dragon was placed. This first dragon watched over the city for nearly 500 years and was replaced in 1853. The current dragon is number three and was installed in 1980. The belfry has had a total of seven different crowns, each time adapted to the growing number of bells of the carillon. In the mid-19th century, the last wooden covering was replaced by a cast iron construction. Due to lack of maintenance, it rusted to the point that it too was replaced. The present stone spire, after the 14th-century design, was just getting ready for the 1913 World’s Fair. Between 1967 and 1980, further substantial restorations were made to properly connect this spire to the rest of the belfry.
Characteristics:
Construction start:
Completion:
Building Material:
Style period:
Height:
Number of steps:
Accessible:
1313
1380
bluestone, limestone
eclectic
91m
386 / 6 floors
daily
Opening Hours
Monday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Book tours – Guides Association Artoria sprl
Phone: 09 375 31 61 (every weekday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
Mobile: 0479 51 52 42 (every weekday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
E-mail: info@artoria.be
Accommodation options in Ghent
Ghent Marriot Hotel
The elegant Ghent Marriott Hotel combines historic charm with modern design. This hotel overlooks the famous Korenlei on the banks of…
IBIS Ghent Center Opera
The IBIS Gent Centrum Opera is located in historic Ghent, a 2-minute walk from the opera and a 10-minute walk from Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent’s Belfry…
Pillows Grand Hotel Reylof
The Pillows Grand Hotel Reylof renovated its rooms and public areas in October 2018. The hotel is just 500 meters from the historic city center…
Food and drink
During our visit to Ghent, we spontaneously visited some premises to take care of the inner man as well. If you have any additions or an absolute tip where a visit to Ghent culinary should be graced please send a message to: info@belforten.com.
‘t Dreupelkot 1.
Perhaps not the smallest, but the most unique dredge in Flanders and surrounding continents. With its more than 200 varieties of genevers, some of them homemade such as the already world-famous vanilla gin, there is more than enough to choose from.
2. Lunchroom The Black Sea
Located on the River Lys, Black Sea is one of the city’s nicest locations on sunny days. The view of the Lys River is magnificent and enjoying the large waffles served here, the whole city passes by.
3. Paradise of Wenemaar
On the Veerleplein opposite ‘t Gravesteen you will find ‘t Paradijs van Wenemaar, or ‘t Paradijs for short. You can eat super delicious food there. The Ghent stew with Gulden Draak and hand-cut fries is highly recommended.
The three most recent posts
On this page we have collected all the relevant information for visiting this belfry. To keep this up to date, we are constantly on our way to one of the 56 belfries on the Unesco World Heritage List. Below are the latest additions.
Theater Kalleke Step
Notice of an unexpected visit to theater Kalleke Step in Grembergen during a planned visit to Dendermonde.
Bayard and the Town Hall of Dendermonde
Report on the visit to Dendermonde City Hall and the Hollandse Kazerne with the common thread: Ros Carillon
Visit Belfry of Dendermonde 2023
Visit Belfry of Dendermonde 2023 Rein had managed to get in touch with Patrick Segers, the head of the Tourism Department in Dendermonde, and make an appointment to tour the Belfry. Not only was Patrick waiting for us in front of the Belfry and City Hall but he turned...