This is one of three belfries in Ghent. The other two are St. Bavo and St. Nicholas. At 91 meters this is the tallest. Along withe the other towers this is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site. Construction began in 1330 and finished in 1380. It was considered a fortified watchtower with important municipal documents stored here. The Cloth Hall adjoining the Belfry was the headquarters for the bustling cloth trade in Ghent. Look for the gilded dragon on top.

We dropped by here at 5:00 pm, assuming we'd run upstairs for a quick view of the city from on high. We were surprised to find a very informative video (with English subtitles) about how bells are made and played. There were several old bells on display as well. The exhibition gave me a much greater appreciation for this and other carillons. As we went upstairs from the exhibition hall, we arrived at the mechanism right as it was beginning to sound. What an amazing experience! As it was, we had to rush outside to the balcony to snap our views of the city because an attendant told us the tower & cloth hall were closing momentarily (at 6:00 pm). What a thoroughly enjoyable visit.

TIP: If you are at all interested in carillons or bells, do allow an hour or more to enjoy the tower fully---and time your visit with a bell toll.

We enjoyed this. The entrance seemed a little steep but the days was clear and we had amazing views. It wasn't too crowded either (Saturday am) so we were able to walk up the steps without too much down traffic. There were little information stations on each level, The information about how bells are made was really good. Time your arrival to the top for the top of the hour, and you will get to see the mechanism working when the bells ring... pretty cool.