The story
Stand for a moment here in the heart of Ghent, right in the shadow of the great stone tower known as the Belfry. As you look up, your eyes travel past the rows of windows and the heavy masonry, climbing ninety-one meters into the Belgian sky. There, at the very peak, sits a shimmering figure that has served as the city’s silent guardian for more than six hundred years.
This is the Dragon of Ghent. Cast your eyes toward that gilded silhouette. To the people of the Middle Ages, this wasn’t just a piece of decoration; it was a powerful symbol of municipal autonomy.
While the nearby Saint Bavo’s Cathedral represented the power of the church, and the Gravensteen castle represented the power of the counts, this Belfry belonged to the people. And the dragon was its crown. The story of how the dragon got there is draped in legend.
For centuries, locals whispered that the beast was a trophy of war, brought back from the Crusades in Constantinople by Flemish knights, or perhaps stolen from the rival city of Bruges. While the truth is likely more grounded—it was probably commissioned from local copper-smiths in 1377—the myth persists because Ghent has always loved a good story of defiance. The dragon you see perched high above today is a 20th-century replica, but the original is not far away.
If you step inside the Belfry museum, you can stand face-to-face with the original 14th-century copper beast. It is massive, weighing nearly four hundred kilograms, with a fierce, open maw and a body built to withstand the fierce winds of the Low Countries. In the old days, the dragon did more than just watch.
It was a literal fire-breather. On special occasions, such as royal visits or great victories, city officials would fill the dragon’s throat with combustible materials and set them ablaze. Imagine standing exactly where you are now in the 15th century, looking up to see flames pouring from the dragon’s mouth against the dark velvet of the night sky.
As you walk around the base of the tower, notice the Cloth Hall attached to it. This was the center of the wool trade that made Ghent one of the wealthiest cities in Europe. The dragon looked down upon these wealthy merchants as they stored the city’s "privileges"—the documents guaranteeing their freedoms—in a reinforced chest inside the tower.
Today, as you explore the surrounding squares and narrow medieval streets, let the dragon be your compass. It remains a golden reminder that while empires rise and fall, the spirit of Ghent remains fierce, watchful, and proudly independent.