5 Mind-Blowing Bell Towers Around the World

by Cherese Weekes
Last updated: 3:00 AM ET, Thu January 8, 2015

PHOTO: The Campanile di Curon. Photo via Wikipedia

Before alarms or setting reminders on your cell phone for an important event, the bells of a bell tower would chime and the townsfolk would scurry off to worship, attend a wedding or even mourn the dead. Although many bell towers today appear as beautiful markers in their old age, these next five prove they serve a greater purpose than telling time.

Some stand proudly in honor of a town that once thrived and others look to the future with a modern design. The following bell towers may sit in silence, but the stories of their past make them architectural timepieces worth the visit.

Australia: The Perth Bell Tower

When this bell tower rings its bells, the entire city of Perth is forced to stop and listen. You would too if you heard the music that transpires when its 18 bells known as the Swan Bells ring in perfect harmony from 12:30-2 p.m. every Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The Perth Bell Tower soars as Perth's crowning attraction, in which 12 of its bells are renowned for their blue-blooded history since they came from the British church, the Martin-in-the-Fields and were personally altered by Queen Elizabeth I.

However, visitors don't have to wait for the bells to chime in order to be enthralled by the Perth Bell Tower because even when it sits in silence its cutting-edge style makes it a constant revered architectural treasure. For maximum viewing pleasure, an observation deck is accessible for anyone wanting to capture the city as well as the Swan River in all of their glory.

Spain: La Giralda Bell Tower

Since the La Giralda Bell Tower was created around 1196, it was a force to be reckoned with. So much so, the Moors sought to have it destroyed in order to prevent Christians from conquering it during their invasion.

Thankfully, the king threatened anyone who dared lay a finger on the bell tower, which is why it has emerged as one of the world's best displays of Almohad architecture, heightened with sweeping arches, windows, gargoyles and religious emblems. A flight up its ramps not only transports guests of the La Giralda Bell Tower to its rich past, but rewards them with impressive views of the city of Seville as well.

Russia: Kalyazin Bell Tower

Although the Kalyazin Bell Tower was built with every intention to stand in unison with the Monastery of St. Nicholas, plans changed when Soviet leader Joseph Stalin commissioned for the Uglich Dam to be established in hopes to create the Uglich Reservoir.

During the process, many structures were either destroyed or submerged in water including the monastery, but it was the bell tower that triumphantly emerged to the top of the lake. Now it continues to be a beacon of strength as it sits on a small island next to the Russian town of Kalyazin, attracting both swimmers and tourists awed by this historic floating belfry.

Italy: Campanile di Curon

You may have to wait for the Lago di Resia to freeze to walk up to this bell tower which impressively juts out of the lake, but that makes visiting the Campanile di Curon one unforgettable experience.

Once the centerpiece of a small Italian town called Val Venosta before falling victim to a flood that was caused by combining three lakes to create a large dam, the bell tower continuously remains a fascinating sight.

China: Bell Tower of Xi'an

Centuries ago, the Bell Tower of Xi'an was built to provide warnings of any unwanted visitors when it was constructed by Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. Fast forward to the 21^st century, it has become one of China's most elaborate bell towers, astonishingly towering over the city at 118 feet.

Its wooden décor is accentuated with carvings on the doors and gold embellishments on the roof, and inside an array of historic remnants are preserved including its bronze bells dating back to the Ming Dynasty. Its staircase leads to panoramas of the colorful city of Xi'an, but from ground level mysterious legends of dragons, silent bells and heavenly kings are heard around every corner.