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The New Tower is one of the buildings that Kampen has. It is part of the beautiful cityscape. In the summer, during the Kamper (uit) days, a fake cow (the Kamper cow) hangs on the tower, a memory of one of the Kamper uien (stories from the stupid actions of the citizens of Kampen). Nowadays it is possible to use the New Tower as a set for an escape room, of course entirely in theme.

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The New Tower in Kampen

Three and a half centuries ago, the free-standing bell tower, the New Tower in Kampen, was opened. The New Tower towers far above the average height with a height of 65 meters. It is part of the magnificent cityscape of Kampen. There are 163 steps in the tower that take visitors to one of the most beautiful places in Kampen.

History of the New Tower

After the chapel of the Holy Spirit guest house burned down in 1646, the board of Kampen decided to build a free-standing bell tower on this spot. The construction lasted no less than 14 years and even completely stopped between 1655 and 1660. In the tower hangs a carillon that was cast by the famous François Hermony. The Kamper bell makers Geert van Wou and Kilian Wegewaert have added more clocks here. In 2008 the carillon was restored because it was affected by a beetle. This restoration was finished in 2011. Nowadays there are 48 bells in the tower that you can regularly hear. The most beautiful chimes play a few times a week.

The cow in the tower

On top of the tower is a platform where grass used to grow. The Kampenaren looked for a solution because at that time there were no lawnmowers. They decided to place a cow on top of the tower so that it could graze. What they didn’t think through was the way the cow was brought up. They hung a rope around the neck of the cow expecting this to go well. Halfway through the people found out that it was not a good idea. Nowadays during the Kamper (uit) days a fake cow hangs on the tower and there is a bronze statue of a cow next to the New Tower.

About the New Tower

Since 2015, the New Tower is a location for people who like excitement. In this year the escape room in the New Tower was introduced. Like others, this escape room has its own story. The group has to reach the top of the tower as quickly as possible, using riddles. The escape room is (half made up) based on the history of the New Tower. The story starts with a monk order that discover that the fire in the Holy Spirit House has been lit. You have to find out the mystery behind it.