Pictures from 2006 Ghent IP, Part 3C (or: Brugge:The Belfry)

The last landmark we visited in Brugge was The Belfry. It’s huge clocktower looking over the entire city, which also contains a 47 bell carillon:

This was interesting to me, because at Iowa State University I played a carillon there also. At ISU, it is known as the Campanile, and stands in central campus:
(photo courtesy of Iowa State)

I took music lessons in grade school and high school, so I had some music ability. The carillon as a musical instrument appeals to me because it is very obviously mechanical. The playing consoles for these instruments are typically open so you can see the linkages connecting foot pedals to batons (the parts your hands move) with wires going out the ceiling to the bell chamber above. You can also climb around the bell chamber looking at all the wires leading to clappers for the various bells. When I saw the Campanile as a freshman I decided I wanted to play it, so I found the right person in the Music Department and signed up for lessons.

I don’t know much about the history of the Belfry in Brugge, so I will show these pictures without much description:

Compliments of Sara, that is a much more imposing view of The Belfry, showing its height.
Above is a close up of the barrel which plays the mechanical tunes for the carillon. If you have ever taken apart a music box (like I have), this is simply a larger version of what you find there. The small protrusions on the barrel trigger hammers up in the bell tower to strike various bells.

That is an excellent picture of the clock mechanism, courtesy of Alex. I was surprised to learn that the clock movements on the bell tower in Brugge were still mechanical. On the Campanile at Iowa State, they have been updated to electrical clock movements.

We had 366 steps to climb from ground level to the bell chamber, and while we were doing this, the carillonneur (person who plays the carillon) was giving a concert:

I don't know how Sara managed to get that photo, because the door was closed to the playing room, with only a plexiglass window looking in. It came out great.

That's another of Sara's pictures once we reached the bell chamber.

The photo above shows the large hammers on the outside of the bells used for the mechanical chimes. The next photo is of the infamous Sara who took so many good pictures of the Belfry:

She's standing in the bell chamber next to the array of wires leading from the playing console below to the bells above. In case you were wondering what the view from the bell chamber was like, check out the next two pictures:


Courtesy of Alex and Sara respectively. After all this time in tower we naturally had to go downstairs, 366 steps, to ground level:

Sara took a picture of me trying to count all 366 steps from the top to the bottom in German. I wasn't very good at it. Once we got close to the bottom it was time for a group photo:

From left to right is Kerry, Sara, Sarah, Sara, Scott, and Alex. If you found that confusing, here is a picture of just Sara, Sarah, and Sara:

I will end this post with the last picture I have of Brugge. As we were walking back to the train station I snapped a picture of Sarah walking in front of this unknown mansion:

That's all I have for now. Enjoy!