Lakenhal Herentals

In the heart of the city is the Cloth Hall, the most important witness to the rich Herentals past. The building was built at the beginning of the fifteenth century by wealthy wool weavers and cloth makers for their trade. In 1512 the building was almost completely destroyed by fire. In 1534 the reconstruction was a fact. Over time, many repairs and renovations were made to the town hall. The last major renovation dates from 2010. The belfry is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Lakenhal is a sober rectangular building. The height of the tower is approximately 35 meters. A carillon has hung in the belfry tower since the middle of the sixteenth century. The fifty bells together weigh almost four tons. The carillon is still regularly played.The oldest sources call the building the “gulden huys”, “meethuys” or “loothuys”. Around 1430 the building was officially given the name 'town hall'. Since 1998 it has been officially called Cloth Hall. The belfry is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Beautiful square and the Cloth Hall is worth seeing. Unfortunately it was quite rainy today.