The imposing Cloth Hall was originally built in the 13th century and was one of the largest commercial buildings of the Middle Ages. After being destroyed in World War I, the structure was rebuilt to its former appearance. The 70m-high belfry that surmounts the hall houses a 49-bell carillon.
In 1999 UNESCO inscribed 32 belfry towers into a list of Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia. The belfry tower of Ypres is one of these and is, therefore, now one of a group of 56 belfries across Belgium and France designated as a World Heritage Site.
