Klootzakske x De Carillon
De Carillon, Markt 49, 9700 Oudenaarde, Belgium
Robyn Gilmour
Saturday 14 December 2024
This article is from
Love Your Pub
issue 112
Share this article
For readers among us who are Belgian beer and cycling fanatics, we connected with a traditional bar in the heart of Oudenaarde, the cycling capital of Belgium. De Carillion consists of two, seventeenth century brick and sandstone houses, with the inward and outward curved tops definitive of the Flemish Renaissance period, and separate saddle roofs. These are the only two houses remaining in what was once a row of eleven built on the former churchyard of St. Walburga’s church, which the pub is still adjacent to today.
These houses were the only two that could be rebuilt after bombing that the area suffered during the first world war. The then resident of one of the houses Mr. De Mulder, employed architect AR Janssens to restore the buildings to their original design in 1921. Today, the now taproom retains the Art Deco wainscoting that was added in the time since Mr De Muler’s residency, and also enjoys a painted cityscape of Oudenaarde, signed and dated Edg. Fobert 1926.
In more recent history, the houses served as a backdrop in the first Bakelandt comics by cartoonist Hec Leemans, and today, the facade, the interior of the house on the left, and the neon sign "Special Oudenaards" are listed. The rich and deep history baked into these buildings are enjoyed by De Carillon’s patrons, who can toast to this relic of times gone by with an exceptional selection of modern and traditional Belgian beers. Think Liefman’s, Duvel, Geuze Boon, Chimay, Orval, Westmalle and you’d still just be scratching the surface.
Share this article
