Béthune Belfry

Béthune, France

The 47-metre-tall belfry is standing in the center of Béthune. The Belgian border can be seen from the top. The chime of the belfry is composed of thirty-six bells. A belfry has stood on the site since 1346. The current belfry plays melodies every 15 minutes, including the ch'ti (regional patois) children's lullaby min p'tit quinquin (my little darling). In 2005, the belfry was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France site, because of its architecture and testimony to the rise of municipal power in Europe.

Comments

Your name



Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Carla van der Meijden (5 years ago)
Can't wait for this beautiful historic tower to be restored!
Yong Wooi Kee (6 years ago)
Great historic place
Mick Pelling (6 years ago)
First time visit to this city, but only had a small walk around, looked a nice place. Maybe I will return.
Alastair McKenzie (6 years ago)
A narrow medieval circular staircase to climb, but punctuated with rooms on each floor to catch your breath. The last bit involves a tight squeeze on your hands & knees to get out onto the balcony. Interesting carillon mechanism, but you want to time your arrival at the top so not to be deafened!
howard davies (6 years ago)
Old city cobbled Square surrounded by beautiful 4/5 storey buildings
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople

The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.

Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.