• 2: Discover Flanders
  • 2.1: Introduction
  • 2.4: Brussels
  • 2.5: Flanders
    • 2.5.1: Antwerp
    • 2.5.2: Bruges
    • 2.5.3: Ghent
    • 2.5.4: Leuven
    • 2.5.5: Mechelen
    • 2.5.6: Other Flemish Towns
  • 2.6: Suggested Itineraries
  • 2.7: History of Belgium
  • 2.8: Did you know?
  • 2.9: Facts & Figures
• 3: What to do?
  • 3.1: Special Interests
    • 3.1.1: Art & Architecture
    • 3.1.2: Beer Lovers
    • 3.1.3: Chocolate Lovers
    • 3.1.4: Belfries & Beguinages
    • 3.1.5: Family Fun
    • 3.1.6: Gay Travel
    • 3.1.7: Jewish Heritage
    • 3.1.8: Castles & Gardens
    • 3.1.9: WWI & WWII
    • 3.1.10: Green Belgium
  • 3.2: Brussels Highlights
  • 3.3: Art & Culture
  • 3.4: Gourmet Corner
  • 3.5: Festivals
  • 3.6: Nightlife & Entertainment
  • 3.7: Recreation & Sports
  • 3.8: River Cruising
  • 3.9: Shopping
  • 3.10: UNESCO
  • 3.11: Young & Hip
• 4: Where to stay?
• 5: Practical Info
  • 5.2: Before You Go
  • 5.4: Transportation
  • 5.5: Tour Operators
  • 5.6: FAQ
• 37: Sitemap

Belfries, Beguinages & Shrines

Belfries used to be the place where medieval merchants could find protection for their merchandise and where the city archives and charters were kept. The belfries are exceptional examples of a form of urban architecture adapted to the political and spiritual requirements of their age.  In addition to their outstanding artistic value, the belfries are potent symbols of the transition from feudalism to the mercantile urban society that played a vital role in the development of late medieval Europe.The belfries are imposing bell-towers of medieval origin, generally attached to the town hall and occasionally to a church.

During the course of the 12^th and 13^th centuries the rise of the regional textile industry contributed to a large extent to the emancipation of the urban settlements that arose around the feudal fortresses.  In the 13^th and 14^th centuries, belfries were detached buildings with added multifunctional halls that  served both as administrative and commercial purposes.  In another type of architecture in 14^th and 15^th centuries, the belfry tower is incorporated in the elevation of the main façade of the town hall.  Gradually, the clock and watch tower function of the belfry became predominant and as a result the belfries were given a more elegant and tall elevation and crowning which in fact fits in very well with the gothic style prevailing at that time but thus also made into easy targets for enemy attack.  The greatest humiliation to which the enemy could subject a town was the imposition of silence, causing damage or even forcibly removing the belfry's bells and the carillons. 

Belfries in Flanders
Aalst This small city on the river Dendre is located between Brussels and Ghent. The Gothic style belfry was completed in 1460 with a carillon of 52 bells.
Antwerp : Cathedral of Our Lady This is the tallest Gothic tower in Belgium and also the most finely finished. The building became a cathedral in 1559 and houses two Rubens masterpieces, Raising of the Cross and Descent from the Cross.
Antwerp Town Hall When the city council decided to build a new city hall in the 16th century, they wanted a building in gothic style, but by the time the money for the new city hall was found, renaissance had become the new architectural style. This eye catching building located on the Grote Markt (town square) has recently been opened as a venue for meetings and events for up to 150 persons.
Bruges The medieval belfry tower (13th-15th century) is 288 feet high and houses the famous 47-bell carillon . A climb of 366 steps takes visitors past the impressive clock mechanism and culminates in a breathtaking panoramic view of the city and surroundings.
Diksmuide The small Flemish town of Diksmuide, was flattened to ground level by weeklong German artillery fire during the First World War. Like Ypres, the town has been rebuilt in the old Flemish style and is now an important market center for intensive dairy farming.
Ghent The tower was completed in 1338, when the bells were rung for the English King Edward II. At the top corners of the towers a stone soldier on watch was placed. The most famous of all Flemish bells, the 'Roeland' bell, used to hang in the Belfry.
Kortrijk The belfry is located in the middle of the Grote Markt and has five small towers, the only remains of the cloth halls built in 1307.
Leuven The heart of the city is very clearly dominated by university buildings, the town hall and the Church of St Peter. Conspicuous among these buildings are the monumental university library, with 278 foot high belfry, the historic university hall and various auditoria.
Mechelen Belfry The 14th century belfry and the gothic Lakenhal (hall for merchants of woolen cloth) beside it, form now the City Hall at the Grand Market square. Mechelen is probably best known for its carillon school where students from all over the world come to learn to play church bells.
Mechelen St. Rumbolds Cathedral The flat-topped silhouette of the cathedral is easily recognizable and dominates the surroundings. This never-completed monument is 319 feet high and has 514 stairs which are visited by thousands of tourists every year. The tower counts 49 bells, each of them with its own name.
Oudenaarde From the 13th century there is a city hall standing on this place. On top of the belfry tower is the statue of Hans the Warrior, the legendary citizen and defender of Oudenaarde. This gilded brass statue was made by local silversmith Willem Blansterins.
Tongeren The oldest city in Belgium dates back to Roman times. No matter which direction you come from, you can see the belfry tower for miles.
Ypres The 230 ft-high square belfry is visible from the surrounding countryside. Its carillon of 49 bells is played from June through October at 9:00 am.
Zoutleeuw St Leonard's Church in Zoutleeuw owes its national importance to the fact that it was one of the very few churches in Belgium which was spared. The belfry above the crossing was rebuilt in 1926.

Beguinages

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A beguinage consists of a number of small houses within a courtyard enclosed by walls. Unlike regular nuns, beguines are not under vows of celibacy, obedience and poverty. They do take a vow of chastity and obedience for as long as they choose to stay at the beguinage. If they decide to marry, they are allowed to do so but have to leave the beguinage. The beguines live in a small individual houses in solitude, dividing time between prayer, manual work (sewing or lace-making) and taking part in collective events, such as religious services and processions.

The first beguinages were established in the early 13th century in the southern parts of the Lowlands (Flanders and the Netherlands). Due to a surplus of women, the regular convents were overcrowded.Yet at the time a large number of women from all classes shared the same longing for a mystical and religious lifestyle. To ensure a stable social position for themselves, they founded semi-religious communities. These were the very first beguinages.They flourished under Spanish rule and especially from the 17th century on. The movement reached its nadir after the French revolution, when Napoleon attempted to smother all religious activities. After the Second World War beguinages soon became extinct.