Belfort Brugge, The Famous Belfry Tower in Bruges Belgium

Stepping out of car the first structure that caught my eye was the Belfry Tower in Bruges, a structure that had long captured my imagination. The day was windy and the sky overcast with grey clouds. I was unmindful of it.

After a scenic car ride through the Belgian countryside we finally arrived at Brugges outskirts, the skyline clearly marking the outline of Belfort Brugges. The medieval charm of the city was immediately apparent as I walked towards the city center clutching my camera in one hand and buttoning up my jacket with other. The cobblestone streets led me through narrow alleys lined with quaint cafes, artisan shops, and chocolate boutiques that emanated the irresistible aroma of cocoa.

Brugge Belfort tower

As I turned a corner, the magnificent Belfry Tower came into view. Its imposing presence dominated the skyline, standing tall and proud against the backdrop of grey skies, that was threatening to pour any moment. The tower’s intricate Gothic architecture is a testament to the craftsmanship of the past. I took time to marvel at the details etched into the stone.

The other 3 belfries of Belgium that I have visited are: Belfry of Tournai, Belfry of Mechelen and Belfry of Ghent.

Interesting Facts of Belfry of Bruges

UNESCO Site – This medieval bell tower of 1240 AD is included in UNESCO’s World heritage Site since 1999. It showcases one of the earliest instances of medieval urban and public architecture. This belfry is one among the 55 other surviving belfries in Belgium and France.

Leaning Tower – Did you know Bruges has a leaning tower? Yes, Bruges boasts its own leaning tower, the belfry, although its tilt is less pronounced than the one in Pisa, Italy.

Damages – Belfry of Bruges got destroyed and rebuilt three times. If one observes carefully one can find the distinct stages. The different materials used and the designs are clear signs.

Belfort Construction – Topmost octagonal part of the belfry was built in 1483AD. The current neo-gothic tower crown of Belfort was constructed in 1822.

Tower in Bruges Belgium

Height – The tower’s height reaches 272 feet, and visitors have to ascend its 366 stairs to reach the top, where they can enjoy panoramic vistas of Bruges. There are halts along the way up. Be warned, the wait time to climb the tower could be almost an hour, sometimes more, during the busy afternoons. Arrive early and head to the tower in Bruges first thing.

Bells in the Tower – Apart from offering breath-taking views, the Belfry houses a carillon containing over 47 bells, all put together weigh around 27.5 tonnes. (Carillons are musical instruments composed of a series of bells of varying sizes.)

Timings – The bells chime during carillon concerts on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, ringing from 11 AM to noon.

Former market hall with inner courtyard

Treasure chamber – The belfry houses the vaulted chamber of the treasury, gallery of Hallengeboden and turret rooms containing inter alia, the carillon which is still played. The carillon counts 47 bells, of which 26 are from mid 18th century. This is just before you climb the last step to the viewing platform at the Glockenspiel.

The buildings adjacent to Belfry are former market halls with inner courtyard.

Entrance to courtyard of Belfry Bruges Belgium

Other names of Belfry of Bruges – Belfort Brugge, Halletoren (Tower of Halls), Bell Tower

Movie shot featuring the Tower of Bruges – The 83m high Belfort (belfry) is one of the three iconic towers of Bruges, together with the towers of Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady), and Sint-Salvatorskathedraal (St Saviour’s Cathedral). It is featured in the film In Bruges, a 2008 black comedy crime film.  It was written and directed by Martin McDonagh. Have you see the film ‘In Bruges’? Do let me know in the comment box.

Courtyard inside Belfry of Bruges

How to reach Belfort Brugges

We made day trip to Bruges from Antwerp, one of the best decisions ever. A distance of 106 km… we covered it one and half hours. The plan was self guided walking tour of Bruges but before that the hunt for parking space.

Luckily we got parking spot a little away from the market square. Keeping the tall belfry of Bruges as reference point we easily reached the square without getting lost.

You can plan to reach Belfry Tower in Bruges on a day trip from Brussels or Antwerp.

Location: Grote Markt.
Address: Markt 7, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
Coordinates: 51.20848267579892, 3.224715269316046

Open Timings of Tower Brugge Belgium

Monday to Sunday – 9.30 AM to 6 PM.
Closed on 25^th December and 1^st Jan.

Tickets to top of Tower in Bruges:

Tickets to enter Belfry of Bruges costs 12 euros for adults, 10 euros for 6 years to 25 years age, Free entry for kids  aged 5 and less and for all those who have the Musea Brugge Card.

View of the bell tower from courtyard.

H. W. Longfellow’s Echo: ‘Bells of Bruges, at the midnight air – / their melancholy music.

The building, 83 m tall, stands so impressively in the square that it can evoke poetry. Belfries symbolize deep human urge for freedom and democracy. Bells regulated the lives of the citizens of the city for years. In addition to announcement of time, bells chimed for fire alarms, work hours, and also for social, political, and religious events. Here is one by the poet H W Longfellow.

THE BELFRY OF BRUGES

In the market-place of Bruges stands the belfry old and brown;
Thrice consumed and thrice rebuilded, still it watches o’er the town.
As the summer morn was breaking, on that lofty tower I stood,
And the world threw off the darkness, like the weeds of widowhood.
Thick with towns and hamlets studded, and with streams and vapors gray,
Like a shield embossed with silver, round and vast the landscape lay.
At my feet the city slumbered. From its chimneys, here and there,
Wreaths of snow-white smoke, ascending, vanished, ghost-like, into air.

Not a sound rose from the city at that early morning hour,
But I heard a heart of iron beating in the ancient tower.
From their nests beneath the rafters sang the swallows wild and high;
And the world, beneath me sleeping, seemed more distant than the sky.
Then most musical and solemn, bringing back the olden times,
With their strange, unearthly changes rang the melancholy chimes,
Like the psalms from some old cloister, when the nuns sing in the choir;
And the great bell tolled among them, like the chanting of a friar.

Visions of the days departed, shadowy phantoms filled my brain;
They who live in history only seemed to walk the earth again;
All the Foresters of Flanders,–mighty Baldwin Bras de Fer,
Lyderick du Bucq and Cressy Philip, Guy de Dampierre.
I beheld the pageants splendid that adorned those days of old;
Stately dames, like queens attended, knights who bore the Fleece of Gold
Lombard and Venetian merchants with deep-laden argosies;
Ministers from twenty nations; more than royal pomp and ease.

I beheld proud Maximilian, kneeling humbly on the ground;
I beheld the gentle Mary, hunting with her hawk and hound;
And her lighted bridal-chamber, where a duke slept with the queen,
And the armed guard around them, and the sword unsheathed between.
I beheld the Flemish weavers, with Namur and Juliers bold,
Marching homeward from the bloody battle of the Spurs of Gold;
Saw the light at Minnewater, saw the White Hoods moving west,
Saw great Artevelde victorious scale the Golden Dragon’s nest.

And again the whiskered Spaniard all the land with terror smote;
And again the wild alarum sounded from the tocsin’s throat;
Till the bell of Ghent responded o’er lagoon and dike of sand,
“I am Roland! I am Roland! there is victory in the land!”
Then the sound of drums aroused me. The awakened city’s roar
Chased the phantoms I had summoned back into their graves once more.

Hours had passed away like minutes; and, before I was aware,
Lo! the shadow of the belfry crossed the sun-illumined square.

by H W Longfellow.

What is a Belfry Tower?

A belfry tower is a type of tall, often free-standing structure that houses bells. These towers are commonly associated with churches, cathedrals, town halls, and other public buildings.

What was the role of Belfry Towers?

Belfry towers historically played a vital role in communication within a community. The ringing of bells could convey messages related to religious services, public gatherings, and even times of danger.

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