As I said in the earlier post about Tournai’s Belfry, there are 56 Belfries in whole France & Belgium that are enlisted under UNESCO. Remember my post on the Great Beguinage of Leuven? Similar to that a total of 13 Beguinages in Flanders were enlisted under UNESCO in 1998. 2 of the 3 Beguinages in Ghent are among those 13 sites.
Let me begin with the Belfry. Ghent received its municipal rights and civic privileges in 1180. By 1313, the construction of this Belfry began to celebrate their independence. In those days only the lower half of the present tower was present. The upper section was made of wood and was continuously replaced. The upper part of the Belfry was constructed of stone only in the 14th C following the design idea of Tournai Belfry which was constructed in 12-13th C CE. This was then the safest place and all business and offices were around it incl the 15th C Cloth Hall and this also housed a prison in 18th C! Right atop is the golden ‘Dragon of Ghent’, the city’s symbol!
The main bell in the belfry is called the Roeland Bell and it has been ringing since 1314 CE. It was originally used as a warning bell. When it cracked, this was melted to create 40 smaller bells which form the carillon today. In 1660 CE the 2nd Roland bell was cast and the present one in 1948 CE.
As soon as you enter there is a small museum. Beyond this is the platform from which the underground ‘secret chamber’ can be seen. After climbing the first floor there is an option to either climb to the top or take the lift. The pregnant me decided to take the lift. On the 3rd floor is the Roeland bell and on the 4th floor is the clarion. I was bang on time there. I was there at 11:49 AM! Then the stupid thing happened! I ended up at the 4th floor and not the 3rd floor and totally missed the 12 noon bell inspite of being inside the Belfry!!!!!
Over to the Beguinages (read about who beguines are). The 3 beguinages here are located in the outskirts in 3 different directions from the city centre! One of the 2 UNESCO sites is the Great St.Elizabeth Beguinage also called Grand Beguinage Sint-Amandsberg or Groot Begijnhof St.Elizabeth. This was built in 1873-74 CE under Duke Engelbert of Arenberg. It was then an extremely challenging task to construct 80 houses, 14 convents, a communal house, an infirmary, a chapel and a church all in 2 years!!! The last beguine here died in 2008. Of all the 13 beguinages, this is the newest one and built in 19th C Neo Gothic style!
This is located just behind Gent Damspoort railway station. So this was the very last site I saw before hopping onto the train back home. The Begijnhof by itself is exceptionally large and the Cathedral is just huge & tall with 2 floors, filled with stunning stained glass. However like my luck in the Beguinages of Leuven as well, the churches were closed and couldn’t see the interiors!!!
The other Beguinage under UNESCO in Ghent is the Small Beguinage our Ledy Ter Hoyen also called Petit Béguinage de Gent or Klein Begijnhof OLV Ter Hoyen. This was built in 1235 CE under Countess of Flanders who also built the Old St.Elizabeth Beguinage before this. This has around 100 homes, a church, 2 chapels and a meadow (which was a churchyard). Like my luck in all UNESCO Begijnhofs, here too the church was closed!!!
I believe the interiors also has some interesting frescoes, coz even exteriors have a couple of frescoes which have been protected today with a small ceiling and frontage. One thing that intrigued me was certain windows were actually walls that were painted like windows. I have no clue for the reason behind it!
The 3rd and only beguinage of Ghent that’s not under UNESCO is the Old St.Elizabeth Beguinage or Ancien Béguinage Sainte-Elisabeth. I reached here early in the morning of Day 2. Beguinages & Bridges seem to the first thing I see in the mornings, happened in Leuven & Tournai. Basically these are the places that don’t require any tickets or has any working hours. So on Day 2, I began with Rabot (more about which is coming up soon) and my next stop was this beguinage.
Unlike the other 2, this doesn’t have an outer wall and is kinda mingled with the city streets. Infact the main road where the tram runs is also a part of Beguinage street! This had more than 100 churches, an infirmary, a chapel and most importantly the home ‘mother superior’. When the new Groot begijnhof was built in 1874, the beguines here moved there. I headed to the church. This was luckily open, but that luck didn’t last! The mass was on and here too, I didn’t get to enjoy the interiors of the church!!!
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To Stay:
Hotels at all price points are available in Ghent City Centre.
Here’s my review of Ghent River Hotel where I stayed.
To Get There:
To Ghent: Refer to my earlier post
Local transport in Ghent possible with bus & tram (incl in the City Card Ghent All in).
Local transport in Ghent possible with bus & tram (incl in the City Card Ghent All in).
On Google Maps: Belfry, Great St.Elizabeth Beguinage, Small Beguinage our Ledy Ter Hoyen, Old St.Elizabeth Beguinage
Nearest Bus/Tram stop: Gent Stadhuis, Gent Van Arenbergstraat, Gent Vijfwindgatenstraat, Gent Rabotstraat respectively
Nearest Bus/Tram stop: Gent Stadhuis, Gent Van Arenbergstraat, Gent Vijfwindgatenstraat, Gent Rabotstraat respectively
Entry Ticket & Timings:
All Beguinages: Free to enter and open 24x7
P.S: I was invited by VisitGent to experience the city and hosted by Historic Hotels Belgium for review purposes, however the opinions are my own and this post does not to advertise the product/service.
P.S: I was invited by VisitGent to experience the city and hosted by Historic Hotels Belgium for review purposes, however the opinions are my own and this post does not to advertise the product/service.