Noël Reynders and the Belfry of Sint Truiden
Visit in March 2019
A beautiful encounter
However, an unexpected encounter befalls us when we enter the attic of City Hall. It turns out to be Noël Reynders, the former city carillonneur of Sint-Truiden….
Town Hall and Belfry of Sint-Truiden
Concise history:
The origins of the belfry of Sint-Truiden date back to 1366, when the influential cloth guild had a hall with belfry built of wood. The present stone tower dates from 1606. In that year, the superstructure of the tower with carillon was torn off by a storm. The same year the belfry was rebuilt. All the building material came from the area: marlstone from Zichem and the 51,200 bricks were purchased in Sint-Truiden itself #1.
In 1754-1755, the present city hall was built on the ground plane of the old hall. In 1934, the facades of this city hall were drastically altered. The plaster was removed to reveal the brick, and moldings of marlstone were added. These modifications were intended to give the whole a Renaissance appearance. The interior still preserves rooms with stucco and marble imitations, decorated with pilasters, friezes and medallions. The belfry of Sint-Truiden carries a carillon with 41 bells dating from 1754. The complex has been protected as a monument since 1939.
#1 2003, Flemish Belfries, Michiel Heirman, Davidsfonds Publishers, Leuven.
Origins:
Built:
Building Material:
Style period:
Height:
Accessibility:
1366
1606 (current tower)
brick, marl
renaissance
46 meters
not open to the public
City Hall opening hours
Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Closed on Carnival Monday
Every first Sunday of the month there is a free guided tour of City Hall at 2 pm. The belfry is not open to the public.
Accommodation options in Sint-Truiden
Part of our pre-fun consists of booking accommodation. For us, combining a visit to a belfry with an overnight stay near it completes the experience and gives us more time to gather information.
Hotel Belle Vie
Hotel Belle-Vie is located in the Art Nouveau district in Sint-Truiden, a 2-minute walk from the train station. There is free Wi-Fi and free parking. The soundproof…
Belrom Hotel
Belrom Hotel is just 1.5 km from the center of Sint-Truiden and is surrounded by a rural area. You can use free Wi-Fi there. The modern …
Hotel Stayen
Located in Sint-Truiden, in the Haspengouw region, Hotel Stayen offers spacious, modern rooms and free access to the fitness and wellness facilities, which are located nearby…
Food and drink
During our visit to Saint Truiden, 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 Saint Truiden should be culinarily graced please send a message to: info@belforten.com.
1. Cosmo Cafe
Stepping into a café on a Friday afternoon where, they say, lasting friendships and fresh ideas are born is a good start to a visit to Sint Truiden. With dishes as fresh as their pints with also a magnificent view of the belfry.
2. Den Artist, Bistro & Diner
When we inquire on the street about a restaurant with Belgian cuisine, we are tipped off about this cozy eatery. And rightfully so! The very generous portions of stew and casseroles are delicious.
3. Brasserie Royal
Magrites to thank the ladies of tourism adorn the table as we eat lunch at Brasserie Royal. That we are in a prominent spot on the Grand Place is visible on the bill but cannot spoil the fun. 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.
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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...