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The Belfry of Bruges

Bruges, Belgium

Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

Belgium // Bruges Belgium· UNESCO World Heritage Sites Location: [post_gps_latitude], [post_gps_longitude]

From the top, you can see most of Bruges. And from most of Bruges, you can see the Belfry. It has stood there, towering over the the city, while the economy of Bruges boomed on Flemish textiles and trading, while the economy went bust when ships could no longer reach the ports of Bruges, and when it boomed again as tourists discovered the city’s medieval and cobblestoned charms.

Ah! The enchantment of the light and wind after so long a struggle upward in the stuffy darkness! The city of Bruges lies spread around you, a carpet of orange-red roofs and gray squares. The canals, with their broken silver, bound it on either side, and the featureless flat landscape, discolored and dim, mounts to the edge of the grayish blue sky, an empty circle. Below you–immediately below–lies the vast empty Grand Place, looking, no doubt, precisely as it looked five hundred years ago. [The Independent, 1900]1

The Belfry (or Belfort, as it’s sometimes known) is probably the most famous of the several famous landmarks in Bruges. It stands 272 above the scenic medieval square below, the Markt. It’s a clock tower. It’s a carillon, with its 47 bells peeling out telling a musical story of the day. And in an era when towns paid dearly for their own independence and protected it fiercely, it was used to store the and protect the town’s charter. These days it’s one of the city’s leading tourist draws.

And yet, oddly, the Belfry remains unfinished.

It’s not for want of trying. But the Belfry of Bruges hasn’t been able to catch a break. Construction started in 1240, but in 1280 much of it burned down. The tower was rebuilt, and between 1483 and 1487 a new top was added. The first stage was the octagonal stone top that you can still see there. On top of that was a wooden spire decorated with statue of Saint Michael slaying a dragon. But it turns out that as nice as the Saint Michael might have looked, it also served as a lightning magnet. In 1493, one strike sparked a fire that destroyed the wooden top and damaged many of the bells. A new wooden spire was added, but it too burned—in 1741. At that point, they just gave up and decided that it looked good as is. So the Belfry that you see now is actually shorter than it used to be.

“In the market-place of Bruges stands the belfry old and brown; Thrice consumed and thrice rebuilded, still it watches o’er the town.” [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]

The region has a rich history of belfries. The Belfry of Bruges is one of 33 Belgian belfries that are protected as World Heritage sites, along with 23 in northern France.

Photos of the Belfry of Bruges

Carillon of the Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

Some of the intricate mechanical workings of the Carillon that chimes the bells of the Belfry of Bruges.

Bruges Market Square at Night

Bruges at Night with the Belfry of Bruges Lit Up

Back of the Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

Bruges Canals at Dusk

Courtyard of the Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

The courtyard behind the Belfry.

Morning Sun on the Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

Winding Staircase of the Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

A section of the winding staircase.

Bells on Display in the Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

View of Bruges from the Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

Chamber of the Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

One of the chambers in the Belfry of Bruges, where the city’s charter documents were once stored.

Bells in the Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

Some of the many Carillon bells.

Belfry at Night In the Markt in Bruges, Belgium

View of Bruges from the Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

Carillon of the Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

Bells in the Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

View of Bruges from the Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

Belfry of Bruges, Belgium

What To Know Before You Go

  • It’s possible to climb to the top of the Belfry—there’s a great view from up there, even if you do have to peer through the chicken wire. But know what you’re in for. It’s a long way up—83 meters up 366 spiraling steps. And there is only one staircase, so people are coming down as you’re going up. There’s no elevator. Only 70 people can be there at once for “security” reasons (really, a translation of “safety”–it’s tight quarters), so there’s often a queue to buy tickets.
  • At intervals on the way up are rooms with a few exhibits on the bells. These rooms aren’t that impressive today. They do contain some brief but interesting information about the tower’s bells and provide a good opportunity for a breather on the climb up the steep winding staircase. But historically it was in these rooms that the towns’ rights and charters were kept, symbolically in a prominent position in the center of town but also secure.
  • Try to be at the top when the bells chime. Intricate mechanical system plays a tune at regular intervals. Different tunes signified different times of a day–the start of the work day, the end of the work day, noon, etc. – The Carillon consists of 47 bells. 26 bells were cast by Georgius Dumery between 1742 and 1748 and 21 bells were cast by Koninklike Eijsbouts in 2010. The bourdon weights 6 tons, and the bells have a combined weight of 27 tons.
  • The tower is actually leaning slightly to the east. It’s not enough that you can tell just by looking at it, but it is leaning.
If you’ve seen the movie In Bruges, the Belfry will look very familiar. The exterior shots in the movie are real, but the interior shots were done in a studio. One of the biggest differences you’ll notice is that while the area at the top is indeed open to the elements, the openings are covered in chicken wire so that some of things that happen in the movie can’t happen in real life.

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  1. Edmund Gosse, “Impressions of Bruges,” The Independent, 28 June 1900. ↩

Where to Next?

  • Bruges Canals at Dusk
    Bruges by Night
  • Brussels Royal Museums of Fine Arts Main Hall
    Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
  • Mannekin Pis Statue in Brussels Belgium
    Mannekin Pis
  • Panorama of the Battle of Waterloo
    Waterloo Panorama Virtual Tour
  • Musee des Instruments de Musique Keyboard
    The Musical Instrument Museum of Brussels
  • Waterloo Battlefield
    The Battlefield of Waterloo
  • Conwy Castle (Conway Castle) in Wales
    Conwy Castle
  • Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, Brussels, Belgium
    Cathedral of Saints Michael & Gudula
  • Panorama of the Battle of Waterloo
    Panorama of the Battle of Waterloo


Travel Advice for Belgium

You can find the latest U.S. Department of State travel advisories and information for Belgium (such as entry visa requirements and vaccination requirements) here.

The British and Australian governments offer their own country-specific travel information. You can find the British Government's travel advice for Belgium here and the Australian Government's here.

Health & Vaccinations

The CDC makes country-specific recommendations for vaccinations and health for travelers. You can find their latest information for Belgium here.

David Coleman Photography

I take photos. I travel. I write. I do it for a living. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between. You can find my main site at havecamerawilltravel.com. Or check out what’s in my go-to travel photography kit. Or get in touch here.


Location:
Country: Belgium
Coordinates:
      Latitude:
      Longitude:

      # Bruges Belgium
      # UNESCO World Heritage Sites



About David Coleman

I take photos. I travel. I write. I do it for a living.

I’m based in Washington, DC.

You can find my photography gear reviews and tips at havecamerawilltravel.com/photographer.

David Coleman Photography

I take photos. I travel. I write. I do it for a living. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between. You can find my main site at havecamerawilltravel.com. Or check out what’s in my go-to travel photography kit. Or get in touch here.

Licensing & Prints

Looking for travel stock photos or prints? I might be able to help. You can search my collection here:

If you already have a buyer account with Alamy and would prefer to use that, you can search my images directly here.

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Photos by David Coleman. Please contact me for licensing images.
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