Ghent - Town Hall

(Local Name: Stadhuis) North of the Lakenhalle on the Botermarkt stands the magnificent Stadhuis (town hall). It combines a variety of architectural styles, having been built over a long period of time. On the oldest parts of the building on the Hoogpoort, completed in the style of Bruges City Hall in 1482 and containing the council chambers, the architects Rombout Keldermans and Dominik de Waghemakere built a new wing in the finest late Gothic form richly decorated with statues.

However, building work on this part, which is best seen from the corner of Hoogpoort and Belfortstraat, was suspended because of religious disputes in 1539. Only a quarter of the original plan was realized and only the