Cloth Hall

In the heart of Herentals stands the Cloth Hall, the most important witness of the rich Herental past. In the fifteenth century, the wool weavers and cloth makers built the Cloth Hall to trade in it. The oldest sources mention the 'gulden huys', 'meethuys' or 'loothuys'. The last major renovation was in 2010. Now the Cloth Hall has a sociocultural function. During exhibitions, the Cloth Hall is freely accessible. On the north side stands the octagonal belfry since 1534. The pointed tower is about 35 meters high. Since the middle of the sixteenth century, a carillon has hung in the belfry tower. The current carillon was played in 1965. The belfry tower is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In front of the south façade is the Boerenkrijg monument from 1898. It recalls the battle of Herentals on 28 October 1798, one of the bloodiest episodes of the revolt of the Kempen peasants against the French.

Eddy&Rita