Belfry of Sluis

Sluis is a wonderful city in West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen for the real Burgundian. There is something for every taste. You will find many shops, restaurants and cafes. Not such a shopper? Now not possible anyway during the Corona time: Visit the Belfort (can only be viewed from the outside because of the corona) or take a walk on the ramparts of Sluis and discover the rich history of the city.

Sluis… once a Flemish fortified city is full of memories.You can see the Belfort tower from afar. It is the 'pride' of Sluis that has dominated the city center since 1375. It was built after the example of other Belfries in Flanders.
The tower was the symbol of the freedom of the city and also an ideal vantage point for the city guards of yesteryear and now for day tourists. The tower and the museum are the ideal starting point to gain insight into the strategic importance of the fortified city.The Belfry, which is by the way the only one in the Netherlands, reminds every passer-by of the 'Rescue of Sluis on 12 June 1606 by Jantje the bell-ringer' every fifteen minutes.If you look up from the Markt, you will see 'Jantje van Sluis', a wooden statue from 1421, in the left reverberation hole of the Belfort tower. In the Museum, discover the full story behind Jantje who strikes the bells with his hammer every quarter of an hour…
Back in time… we are writing June 12, 1606 – fair in Sluis. The copious consumption of alcohol during the fair saved the city from reconquest by the Spanish troops.
Since that night, Sluis was the first Dutch fortress and border town.
Read the full story in the highlight The Belfry and Museum komoot.com/nl-nl/highlight/5564793

The town of Sluis was created by a lock in the Zwin, the watercourse that once offered Bruges access to the sea. It was given the city charter by the Flemish count Gwijde van Dampierre in 1290. In the 14th century Sluis was very important as a foreshore of Bruges. In 1340 the first major battle of the Hundred Years War took place in Bay before Sluis, the Battle of Sluis, which ended in a catastrophic defeat of France. When Flanders rose in 1492 against the Roman-German King Maximilian of Austria, Sluis was besieged in vain by Philip of Cleves-Ravenstein. By 1550 the Zwin was no longer passable. Later, a canal Sluis-Damme-Bruges was dug, but the big ships did not come to Bruges. The heyday of Sluis was over too.
Source = Wikipedia