My visits to Flanders (Brussels and Brugge in 2016; Antwerp, Mechelen, and Ghent in 2018) were also visits to some spectacular towers called the Belfries. Many of the towers I saw are attached to other huge structures. Many of them support the carillon bells, which are played every hour providing a soundscape that brings everyone back in time. I learned from my arts studies class back in college that etymologically, belfries have nothing to do with bells. The word is derived from the Medieval French word berfrei that literally means tower in a fortress (or a castle). Sometimes, it is used to denote the high watchtower of a fortification of the Medieval era.

Today, belfry is used to refer to Gothic, Medieval and early Renaissance architecture dominant in Belgium and Northern France. They were once upon a time symbols of power and influence. Many of them were extensions of Medieval cathedrals such as the belfry in Mechelen (attached to St. Rumbold’s Cathedral), in Ghent (attached to St. Bava’s Cathedral) and in Antwerp (attached to the Cathedral of our Lady). Some are the primary motifs of town or city halls (as in Mechelen, Antwerp, and Brussels). It makes sense that these towers are adjacent to churches and city halls because the Medieval era is the era of the Church’s authority. Once upon a time, the city halls were even owned by the Church.

During my travels to Flanders, I was able to explore the following belfries designated as WHS: The Belfry of Brugge (Brugge); The Belfry of St. Bava’s Cathedral (Ghent); The Belfry of Antwerp City Hall (Antwerp); The Belfry of the Cathedral of our Lady (Antwerp); The Belfry of St. Rumbold’s Cathedral (Mechelen); and The Belfry of Mechelen’s City Hall (Mechelen).

The Belfry of Brussel’s City Hall is also worth mentioning here because it is also a WHS. However, its inclusion is not within the designation of The Belfries of Belgium and France but as part of La Grand-Place, Brussels.

I have yet to see other belfries – in Leuven, in other Flemish cities, in Wallonia and even in France.

For more commentaries on the belfries of Belgium and France, please click here.