Aalst - Original Town Hall Schepenhuis and Belfry
Begun in 1225 and now the oldest building of its kind in the Netherlands, the Schepenhuis (the original town hall) dominates the Grote Markt. The entire evolution of Gothic architecture over three centuries can be clearly traced in this ancient sandstone edifice. The rear facade and side facing onto Kattestraat both date from the first half of the 13th C. and are of particular interest.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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The other side and the main facade were built later, following a fire in 1407. The beautiful Belfry (1470) with its carillon of 52 bells juts out to the right of the main facade. Embellished with Flamboyant Gothic pinnacles (1543-44) the tower bears the town's motto "Nec spe nec metu" ("Neither hope nor fear").
The tower is a UNESCO site.
The tower is a UNESCO site.
Related Attractions
D.A.V.S.
The Daensmuseum en Archief van de Vlaamse Sociale Strijd (D.A.V.S.) on the second floor of the Belfry is dedicated to the movement for social justice founded by the priest Adolf Daens. Expelled from the Catholic Church because of his political activities Daens established the social-democratic "Christian People's Party" which, after the First World War, was absorbed into the "Vlaamse Beweging".
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