Belfry carillon in Kranj playing church and folk tunes
Kranj, 3 March - Church music, evergreen tunes and anthems can be heard in the centre of the northern town of Kranj, coming from the carillon or so-called Glockenspiel in the belfry of the local church in what is the first such tourist attraction in the country.
Kranj
Old town centre.
Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA
File photo
Since this year's Culture Day, observed on 8 February, not a day has gone by that the ten-bell carillon did not play psalms, folk songs, Slovenian and European anthems and bell ringers' tunes.
Every day from 7:30am to 9:30pm, the ten small bronze bells mark the hour. The bells were made in the Grassmayr Bell Foundry in Innsbruck, Austria, with the entire structure weighing 317 kilograms, said Kranj Mayor Andrej Naglič
Glockenspiel attractions are common in Central and Western Europe, particularly in German-speaking countries, but the Kranj carillon is the first with so many bells and such a musical range in Slovenia.
The old-town novelty aims to attract visitors as well as preserve sacral musical heritage. The local parish will play special holiday-themed songs on Easter Day and during the festive season in December.
Come summer, visitors may explore the belfry and take a closer look at the carillon as well as the main church bells in the local St. Cantianus and Companions Church, which was protected as a cultural monument of national importance in January.