Belfry town hall Dendermonde, Medieval town hall with belfry on Market Square, Dendermonde, Belgium.
The Belfry town hall in Dendermonde is a building with a square tower containing forty-nine bronze bells and featuring architectural elements from different historical periods. The structure rises above the Market Square and serves as a landmark in the town center.
The structure began as a cloth hall and meeting place for weavers' guilds in 1337 before being converted to serve as the town hall. It gained UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999 as part of the Flemish Belfries system.
The first floor displays paintings from the Dendermonde School, showing the artistic traditions of this Flemish medieval town. These works reflect how local artists shaped the cultural life of the place over centuries.
The building sits at Grote Markt 3 in the town center and opens its sixth floor to visitors seeking elevated views of Dendermonde. The stairs leading upward are quite steep and narrow, so visitors should prepare for a climactic ascent.
The belfry housed a fire-proof chamber that protected important town documents, charters, and privileges during medieval times. This hidden space shows how seriously the city took safeguarding its legal and political treasures.
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