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Castles

Ville De Bruxelles - Stad Brussel

Black Tower (Zwarte Toren / Tour Noire), Brussels

Castles

Ville De Bruxelles - Stad Brussel

Black Tower (Zwarte Toren / Tour Noire), Brussels

Recommended by 33 cyclists out of 40

Cycling is not permitted at this location

You'll need to dismount and push your bike.

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Location: Ville De Bruxelles - Stad Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

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Top cycling routes to Black Tower (Zwarte Toren / Tour Noire), Brussels

4.6

(9)

179

riders

1. Pont des Hospices – Charleroi-Brussels Canal loop from Sainte-Catherine - Sint-Katelijne

11.5km

00:42

40m

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

5.0

(1)

112

riders

2. Halles Saint-Géry – Cinquantenaire Park loop from De Brouckère

14.0km

00:57

150m

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.6

(5)

100

riders

3. Cinquantenaire Park – Victor Sackville Mural loop from Alma

19.4km

01:19

190m

Intermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

Mapf

October 1, 2019

The Black Tower (French: Tour Noire, Dutch: Zwarte Toren) is a medieval tower in Brussels, Belgium. It is one of the best preserved remains of the first fortifications in Brussels, built at the beginning of the 13th century. The Black Tower is a single medieval tower surrounded by modern buildings. This strange sight has made it a popular tourist destination (Wikipedia).

Translated by Google •

Bumble-Bee

August 12, 2023

The Black Tower probably became private property during the construction of the second wall of Brussels at the end of the 14th century1.

This explains why it survived the demolition of the portion of the first enclosure located behind the Sainte-Catherine church around 1564, during the development of new basins in the port of Brussels, including the Sainte-Catherine basin1.

In the 16th century, the Black Tower was transformed into a tavern known as “In de Toren”2.

In 1888, during works to clean up the district, it was saved from demolition by Mayor Charles Buls1, an ardent defender of the historical heritage of the center of Brussels, including the Grand-Place and its remarkable Baroque-style houses.

Opened up, it was restored by the architect of the city of Brussels Victor Jamaer, who rebuilt the stepped gable and the conical roof1 which had been replaced by a saddleback roof2. Jamaer also reconstructed the curvature of the extramural face2.

Formerly framed by the Esders clothing store built at the end of the 19th century by Stefan Esders, the tower is now framed by a modern hotel which partially conceals its intramural side and only really lets you admire the extra-muros side.

It has been classified as a historical monument since February 1, 1937.

(fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_Noire#Architecture)

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Elevation 150 m

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Location: Ville De Bruxelles - Stad Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

Black Tower (Zwarte Toren / Tour Noire), Brussels

1. Pont des Hospices – Charleroi-Brussels Canal loop from Sainte-Catherine - Sint-Katelijne

2. Halles Saint-Géry – Cinquantenaire Park loop from De Brouckère

3. Cinquantenaire Park – Victor Sackville Mural loop from Alma

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