The Grosse Cloche is one of the oldest belfries in France, in the heart of Bordeaux. It was built in the 8th century AD to the site of ancient Gallo-Roman gate and restored in the 15-16th centuries. The bell was cast in 1775 and weighs than 7,750 kilos. The bell was used to inform and alert citizens. It is the symbol of Bordeaux and still in the city coat of arms.
House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.