Poertoren

Just next to the Minnewater Bridge, there is a robust tower that is 18 metres high. This tower bears the name Poertoren.

This defence tower was erected in 1397. A few years later, at the beginning of the 15th century, the tower was joined by a smaller tower that stood on the other side of the bridge. Together, they formed the water gate. The Poertoren tower, also called the 'big tower', withstood the ravages of time and in 1477 was converted into a storehouse for gunpowder. That is where the tower gets its name from: the West Flemish word for gunpowder was poer.