Enjoy a 360° view of Bruges from the top of the belfry

In Belgium, the Grand Place is the nerve centre of the town or village. It is the space around which the daily life of the inhabitants, the shops, the important monuments, etc. are organised. The best-known Grand Place in the country is undoubtedly that of Brussels, but every town and village has one of its own. Bruges is no exception, and its Grand Place is full of small (and large) treasures. One of them is none other than the city's most important and imposing tower, the Belfry.

Built in several stages over several centuries, from the 13th to the 15th, it is the symbol of the city's independence. At 83 metres high, it slopes slightly to the left, just 83 centimetres, making it difficult to see this imperfection with the naked eye. Before the Belfry was built, the site housed wool and cloth markets and warehouses, which played a very important commercial role in Flanders and Europe, with craftsmen selling all kinds of products. Thanks to its strategic position close to the sea and bordered by water, Bruges was an important trading centre in medieval times.

On the first floor, a tower erected on the same site had an administrative function and served as the city's magistrate, with a vault and archives. But in 1280, a fire ravaged the tower and destroyed all of Bruges' administrative reserves, so a town hall was built on the Brug, and most of the administrative functions moved there. Following this fire, the present tower was built at the end of the 13th century. The tower was topped by a timber-framed spire, the oldest surviving example of Gothic architecture in Flanders. However, another fire caused by lightning broke out in 1493, destroying the high wooden spire once again. A new spire adorned with climbing lions replaced the old one. The lion being the coat of arms of Flanders. But fate seemed to have its way with the Belfry's spire, and in 1741 it was once again subjected to the elements, with a new fire destroying the emblem that the town was striving to preserve. The authorities resigned themselves to the situation and repaired the Belfry, which no longer needed a spire. Topped by a neo-Gothic openwork crown, the tower's current shape was acquired in 1822.

The balcony of the belfry is a particularly important place in the history of the city of Bruges. It was from here that laws were proclaimed. A little higher still, you can see the belfry's carillon, whose 47 bells, installed in 1745, are partially automated. As you climb the 366 steps of the belfry, you will see its impressive music reel, played by the town's carillonneur. In days gone by, the bells were rung for a variety of reasons, including the opening and closing of the town gates, the end and beginning of working hours, festive bells and even bell-ringing to indicate the time when it was no longer permitted to walk around the town without a torch. Today, they are used mainly to tell the time and to play religious music.

During your visit, you'll discover down below how the town's inhabitants lived and what role the belfry has played in the town over the centuries. You can climb to the top of the belfry for a 360° view of the city. But don't forget to stop on the way to admire the treasury. This was once the seat of the town's seal, charter and coffers. Once you've reached the top, on a clear day you can look out over the North Sea, which stretches out in the distance, 15 kilometres from Bruges.