View from the Belfry of Bruges

After following our own walking tour yesterday, today we decided to join a group tour of the local brewery, De Halve Maan. After the tour we sampled their award winning beer. Before the tour we happened to find ourselves inside a chocolate shop, sampling the locally made chocolate. After today's taste tests, I would have to agree with those that say that the Belgians make the best beer and chocolate!

A little workout was in order after the tour, so we climbed the 366 stairs to the top of the Belfort Tower - the Belfry of Bruges. Since we have been practicing stairs at our Amsterdam apartment, we didn't find these ones difficult at all even though they are far steeper and narrower and there are 312 more of them. The 83 metre tall tower has 47 bells, weighing over 27 tonnes, that are rung mechanically every 15 minutes. There is a large drum with pegs placed where needed to make the right tune. As the drum turns, levers are pulled when they bump the pegs. The levers are attached to steel strings that cause the bells above to ring.

The tower was built around 1240 and then rebuilt in 1280 following a fire. From 1483 to 1487, the tower was built taller with a large octagonal addition. The addition was made of brick and stone, and was topped with a wooden spire, making it the tallest structure in Bruges. Unfortunately, the spire was stuck by lightning and burned down in 1483. The spire was rebuilt, but burned down again in 1741. Today the tower is second tallest structure in Bruges as without the spire, the belfry of the Church of Our Lady, circa 1220, stands taller at 122 metres.

We found that it was very windy at the top of the Belfort, but the views were spectacular. This photo was taken looking to the south east along the canal towards Rozenhoedkaai.