Belfry of Ghent

Flanders has 23 belfries, but Ghent’s the only one with a dragon on top. Climb the Belfry of Ghent’s stairs or take a leisurely trip up the lift for 360 views of the city.

The Belfry of Ghent is a major tourist attraction and symbol of the city. Easily seen before you get to the main square, the belfry is one of three towers that keep watch over Ghent’s city centre. The Belfry, Saint Bavo’s Cathedral and Saint Nicholas' Church are all historic and well known buildings that you’ll see in every travel guide to Ghent. So, if we didn’t mention it you’d be missing out!

The Belfry has good views of Ghent from above once you get up all the stairs. It’s a 360 view of the city and, if you happen to come at sunset, you’ll have one of the best views around. But the stairs at the very top can get pretty busy in tourist season. Try the elevator in the evening or go outside of the tourist season to avoid the crowds.

What’s a belfry for anyway? Well, the Belfry of Ghent was built in 1313 as a symbol of the city’s independence. It was used as a watchtower to view the whole city and keep an eye out for fires. And, before we had alarm clocks and phones, people stayed on time thanks to bell towers. The bells would chime each hour. The Belfry of Ghent actually has 7 bells to make an even grander sound.

The Dragon

Ghent’s Belfry was also used to keep important documents safe. They didn’t have passwords to protect their documents back then, after all. A massive tower had to do it! The dragon of Ghent is a symbol of protection to keep the city safe. It also looks pretty cool.

Historic pieces are on display as you go up the belfort, with a bit of info on each and Ghent’s history. Ghent’s golden dragon at the very top of the belfort