Chimes in Europe:
index by weight (pitch)

Great Britain and Ireland are separately indexed, as are Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands

The table below is an index to 138 existing European chimes, in order by the pitch of the bourdon (heaviest bell of the main keyboard range).  Instruments with the same bourdon pitch are in descending order by number of bells, then by missing semitones, then by country.  The key to the four column headings is at the end of the table, along with some other notes.

    Location (City : Country)               Note Chr  Nr  Transp
bourdon in the bass octave (20000 to 3000 kg) - 14 instruments
NOTE: Bells pitched at G or heavier (and sometimes also G#) qualify as great bells of Europe.
ROSTOV VELIKII                : RUSSIA       C   -   15   -
KEM - 2                       : RUSSIA       F   *   22   -
ECHTERNACH - 2                : LUXEMBOURG   F   -    9   -
FRIBOURG                      : SWITZERLAND  G   -   13   -
VALLETTA                      : MALTA        G   -   11   -
SOLOTHURN                     : SWITZERLAND  G#  -   11   -
WIEN - STS                    : AUSTRIA      G#  -   11   -
BERN - M                      : SWITZERLAND  G# +*    9   -
CHIASSO                       : SWITZERLAND  G#  I    9   -
BULLE                         : SWITZERLAND  A#  I   10   -

MORBIO INFERIORE              : SWITZERLAND  A#  *   10   -
GRUYERES                      : SWITZERLAND  A#  -    8   -
INNSBRUCK - D/2               : AUSTRIA      A# +-    8   -
STOCKHOLM - SH                : SWEDEN       B   -    9   -
bourdon in the middle octave (2500 to 300 kg) - 14 instruments
WIEN - BF                     : AUSTRIA      C#  -   19   -
FLANTHEY                      : SWITZERLAND  C# +H    9   0
ALMERIA                       : SPAIN        C#  *    8   -
LEGNICA                       : POLAND       D#  X   18   3
VALENCIA                      : SPAIN        D#  -   14   -
SLIEMA                        : MALTA        F   K   15   5
MADRID - SF/2                 : SPAIN        F   -   11   -
GHAJNSIELEM                   : MALTA        F   H    8   -
SALVAN                        : SWITZERLAND  F   I    8   -
SEMBRANCHER                   : SWITZERLAND  F#  I   11   -

CHAMPÉRY                      : SWITZERLAND  F#  H    8   -
MADRID - SF/1                 : SPAIN        G#  H    8   -
KOUVOLA                       : FINLAND      A   -   18   -
ARENDAL                       : NORWAY       B   -   16   -
bourdon in the treble octave (250 to 60 kg) - 34 instruments
LINZ - F                      : AUSTRIA      C   -   20   0
BUEMPLIZ                      : SWITZERLAND  C   Z   18  12
ETOY                          : SWITZERLAND  C   K   16  12
FROIDEVILLE                   : SWITZERLAND  C   L   16  12
STEINHAUSEN                   : SWITZERLAND  C   -   13   -
BAD RAGAZ                     : SWITZERLAND  C   -   12   -
CHUR                          : SWITZERLAND  C   -   12   -
OSLO - VK                     : NORWAY       C   -   12   -
LILLESTRØM                    : NORWAY       C   -   12   -
VILLARREAL - 1                : SPAIN        C   -   12   -

RUESCHLIKON                   : SWITZERLAND  C   H   12  12
GRUENAU-HOFSTETTEN            : AUSTRIA      C   -   11   -
REYKJAVIK - BR                : ICELAND      C   -    8   -
REYKJAVIK - BU                : ICELAND      C   -    8   -
RUETTENEN                     : SWITZERLAND  D   L   15   -
LE LOCLE                      : SWITZERLAND  D#  H   18   -
OSLO - SVK                    : NORWAY       D#  -   16   -
AARAU                         : SWITZERLAND  D#  I   11  15
ZUORT                         : SWITZERLAND  D   -   15  12
WILLISAU                      : SWITZERLAND  E   K   15  12

TASJO                         : SWEDEN       F   Z   20  12
WIEN - STJ                    : AUSTRIA      F   -   15   -
WIKON                         : SWITZERLAND  G   J   18  12
GENEVA - G                    : SWITZERLAND  G   Z   16  12
LUCERNE (LUZERN)              : SWITZERLAND  G   -   12   -
OSLO - BK                     : NORWAY       G   -   12   -
OSLO - EK                     : NORWAY       G   -   12   -
OSLO - FK                     : NORWAY       G   -   12   -
OSLO - HK                     : NORWAY       G   -   12   -
OSLO - LK                     : NORWAY       G   -   12   -

OSLO - RK                     : NORWAY       G   -   12   -
SUMISWALD                     : SWITZERLAND  G   -   12   -
BARCELONA - NS                : SPAIN        A   J   12   -
ZD'AR NAD SAZAVOU             : CZECH REP.   B   -    9   -

bourdon in the "itty-bitty" octave (55 kg or less) - 13 instruments
DISENTIS/MUSTÉR               : SWITZERLAND  C   -   20   -
DAVOS                         : SWITZERLAND  C   -   18   -
OERLIKON                      : SWITZERLAND  C   -   18   -
POZNAN                        : POLAND       C   -   18   - 
SORENGO                       : SWITZERLAND  C   -   18   -
VADUZ                         : LIECHTENST.  C   -   18   -
PYHÄSALMI - 3                 : FINLAND      C   -   16   -
TAMINS                        : SWITZERLAND  C   -   14   -
SCHARANS                      : SWITZERLAND  C   -   12   -
STIERVA                       : SWITZERLAND  C   H    9  24

DRAMMEN - LS                  : NORWAY       C   -    8   -
WASSERBILLIG                  : LUXEMBOURG   E   -   18   - 
BUELACH                       : SWITZERLAND  F   H    8   -
bourdon unknown - 63 instruments
BRODEK U PREROVA              : CZECH REP.   -   -   22   -
KOSICE                        : SLOVAK REP.  -   -   22   -
LANGENLOIS                    : AUSTRIA      -   -   22   -
MOSKVA - IV                   : RUSSIA       -   -   21   -
KIEV - STT/2                  : UKRAINE      -   -   20   -  zvon
MARIESTAD                     : SWEDEN       -   -   20   -
MURCIA                        : SPAIN        -   -   20   -
VALLINGBY                     : SWEDEN       -   -   20   -
GOZO                          : MALTA        -   -   19   -
LINZ - K                      : AUSTRIA      -   -   19   -

HEVIZ                         : HUNGARY      -   -   18   -
KUBINKA - C                   : RUSSIA       -   -   18   -  zvon/great
MADRID - PB                   : SPAIN        -   -   18   -
PORTO - FN                    : PORTUGAL     -   -   18   -
PRAHA - V                     : CZECH REP.   -   -   18   -
PYHÄSALMI - 4                 : FINLAND      -   -   18   -
SAINT PETERSBURG - CI/2       : RUSSIA       -   -   18   -
YAROSLAVL - 1                 : RUSSIA       -   -   18   -
ZURICH - PP                   : SWITZERLAND  -   -   18   -
NOVY JICIN                    : CZECH REP.   -   -   17   -

PRAHA - STT                   : CZECH REP.   -   -   17   -
YAROSLAVL - 2                 : RUSSIA       -   -   17   -
GDANSK - B                    : POLAND       -   -   16   -
MAGDEN                        : SWITZERLAND  -   -   16   -
TIRANA                        : ALBANIA      -   -   16   -
BRAGA                         : PORTUGAL     -   -   15   -
BRNO                          : CZECH REP.   -   -   15   -
HAMMERFEST                    : NORWAY       -   -   15   -
WARSAW (WARSZAWA)             : POLAND       -   -   15   -
PYHÄSALMI - 2                 : FINLAND      -   -   14   -

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA        : SPAIN        -   -   14   -
LEON                          : SPAIN        -   -   13   -
ARSTA                         : SWEDEN       -   -   12   -
CIUDAD REAL                   : SPAIN        -   -   12   -
GRAZ - MS                     : AUSTRIA      -   -   12   -
MOSKVA - ST/2                 : RUSSIA       -   -   12   -
RHEINFELDEN                   : SWITZERLAND  -   -   12   -
SOFIA - AN                    : BULGARIA     -   -   12   -  zvon/great
TARRAGONA                     : SPAIN        -   *   12   -
USTER                         : SWITZERLAND  -   -   12   -

UNKNOWN                       : CROATIA      -   -   12   -
ZHYROVICHY                    : BELARUS      -   -   12   -  zvon
CZESTOCHOWA - U               : POLAND       -   -   11   -
JONKOPING                     : SWEDEN       -   -   11   -
GUBKIN                        : RUSSIA       -   -   11   -
PAMPLONA                      : SPAIN        -   -   11   -
TALLINN                       : ESTONIA      -   -   11   -
AVILA                         : SPAIN        -   -   10   -
KRANJ                         : SLOVENIA     -   -   10   -
LODENICE                      : CZECH REP.   -   -   10   -  zvon

MOSKVA - AM                   : RUSSIA       -   -   10   -
MOUNT ATHOS                   : GREECE       -   -   10   -  zvon/great
KRAKOW - B                    : POLAND       -   -    9   -
KRAKOW - W                    : POLAND       -   -    9   -  chime/great(2)
SIAULIAI - SM                 : LITHUANIA    -   -    9   -
TOLEDO                        : SPAIN        -   -    9   -
TROINE-ROUTE                  : LUXEMBOURG   -   -    9   -
BIRGU                         : MALTA        -   -    8   -
GENEVA - STP/1                : SWITZERLAND  -  +*    8   -
HELSINKI                      : FINLAND      -   -    8   -

NOVGOROD                      : RUSSIA       -   -   ??   -  zvon
SAINT PETERSBURG - PK/1       : RUSSIA       -   -   ??   -
ZVENIGOROD                    : RUSSIA       -   -   ??   -  zvon/great

Key to column headings:

Note
pitch of the bourdon (bass bell) of the chime. (In rare instances there may be a heavier sub-bourdon bell; see below.)

Chr
chromatics indicator:
Z = fully chromatic (no missing semitones)
Y = missing one semitone in the bass (typically keyboard C# or B)
X = missing two semitones in the bass (typically keyboard C#,D# or B,C#)
+X = same as "X" but has an additional sub-bourdon bell, separated by at least two semitones from the one indicated under "Note".
*X = same as "X" but also has a treble semitone missing somewhere.
H = purely diatonic (no added semitones)
I = one added semitone (typically keyboard Bb)
J = two added semitones (typically keyboard F# and Bb)
K = three added semitones
L = four added semitones
M = five added semitones (but without reaching chromatic status X, Y or Z)
- = unknown (or not applicable)

Nr
number of bells (notes) in the chime.

Transp
transposition from the keyboard notes to the pitches of the corresponding bells, in semitones.  (Thus the number "12" reflects transposition upward one octave, while "-3" reflects transposition downward by a minor third.)

Notes:

The table is sorted first on the pitch of the bass bell, then on the number of bells, then on the chromatics indicator, then on city.  The actual weight of the bass bell is not used.

The weight range indicators for each octave are only gross approximations, and should not be taken to represent any specific bell.


Return to Indexes to chimes in Europe.


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This page was created 2006/04/25 and last revised 2023/10/25.

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