Namur Belfry

The Belfry of Namur

The Belfry of Namur is one of the most representative images of the town, a former defensive tower become a belfry, listed as world heritage. The Namur audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this emblematic monument, a witness of the medieval fortifications of the town.

The defensive tower become a belfry

The Belfry of Namur is one of the most representative images of the town. Although it is designated today as a belfry, this stone tower was in reality, originally, a defensive element of the third fortified wall of Namur, built in the fourteenth century. Hence its massive and robust appearance of a military tower. Later, it took the function of belfry, this symbol of the communal liberties so characteristic of the towns of the former Netherlands and the north of Europe: the belfry sheltered the bell that punctuated the life of the town, announced the events and embodied the power and the autonomy of the commune. As such, the Belfry of Namur is listed as UNESCO world heritage, within the ensemble of the belfries of Belgium and France. A witness of the military and communal history of the town, the Belfry of Namur is an emblematic monument, to discover during the walk.

What to see

You admire the massive stone tower, one of the most representative images of Namur, originally a defensive element of the fourteenth-century third wall become a belfry, a symbol of the communal liberties sheltering the bell of the town, listed as UNESCO world heritage among the belfries of Belgium and France. The Belfry of Namur is an emblematic monument. It is a stop to be discovered, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Belfry of Namur lies in the heart of the historic centre, reachable on foot. You admire it freely from the street; the interior visit, when it is offered, follows its own hours and conditions, which vary. It is best to check them before coming.

Why is the Belfry of Namur listed as world heritage?

Because it is part of the ensemble of the belfries of Belgium and France listed by UNESCO; originally a defensive tower of the fourteenth-century third wall, it became a belfry, a symbol of the communal liberties sheltering the bell of the town.

Where is the Belfry of Namur?

In the heart of the historic centre of Namur, in Belgium.