Are you fascinated by religious architecture and history? Here are the must-see religious buildings in Belgium:
1Collégiale Sainte-Waudru et Trésor de Mons
Mons 2St. Bavo's Cathedral Ghent
GhentSt. Bavo's Cathedral Ghent is characterized by a collection of religiously inspired art accumulated over centuries. The oldest objects date from the 8th century, the youngest from the 20th century. A showpiece is the "Adoration of the Mystic Lamb," a work by brothers Jan and Hubrecht Van Eyck. 3Museum of the Church of Our Lady Bruges
BrugesThe Church of Our Lady is a Gothic church from the 13th to 15th century. The collection of treasures includes twelve apostle sculptures that support the pillars, paintings by Jacques-Louis David, Bernard van Orley, Adriaan Isenbrandt, Pieter Pourbus and Gaspar de Crayer and the rococo pulpit with sy 4Sint-Carolus Borromeuskerk
AntwerpThe Jesuits built the Baroque church of St. Charles Borromeo between 1615 and 1621. Rubens had an important share in the decoration of the facade and the crowning of the tower.The apse of the main altar, the Marian chapel and the sculptures and carvings still testify to the former splendor. 5Experience Centre - Beguinage of Kortrijk
KortrijkExperience Centre - Beguinage of Kortrijk illustrates the living environment of the beguines. Beguinage Kortrijk is one of the 13 Flemish beguinages that is part of the world heritage. It includes 41 houses that date from the 17th century. The experience centre is located in the Sint-Annazaal, which 6Treasury of the Cathedral
BrugesThe Museum of St. Salvator's Cathedral is housed in the 1912 neo-Gothic chapter house. The museum displays objects from St. Salvator's Church, the demolished St. Donaas Church and the monasteries abolished in the French era. Visitors walk through some 13 centuries of art history, from early Romanesq 7Teseum
TongerenThe Treasury of Tongeren Basilica features objects of religious art from the Merovingian period to the 19th century. The Basilica of Our Lady itself is a fine example of Gothic architecture. The collection in the treasury includes gospel books from the 11th century onward, reliquaries and shrines, t 8M - Treasury of Saint Peter’s
LeuvenM - Treasury of St. Peter is located in the choir of Leuven's St. Peter's Church, a fine example of 15th-century Brabant High Gothic. The collection consists of religious art, with paintings, silverware, furniture and sculptures, including a late Romanesque head of Christ. Also on display are two fa 9Our Lady of the Pottery
BrugesThe Our Lady of the Pottery Museum is housed in a historic hospital complex from the 13th century. The museum collection includes paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture, stained glass, a silver collection, monastic and religious relics and healthcare items. The Gothic church with its baroque i 10Trésor de la Cathedrale de Liège
LiègeTrésor de la Cathedrale de Liège is housed in the annexes of the monastery where art is displayed and the history of the former principality of Liège is illustrated. Most of the Treasure Room comes from the now-defunct 'Saint-Lambert' Cathedral, including two 11th-century sculpted ivory pieces and t 11Begijnhofmuseum
TurnhoutThe Turnhout Beguinage is on the Unesco World Heritage List. The museum's collection comes from the property of the Turnhout beguines. At the time, they acquired works of art and other objects to decorate the beguinage. The oldest pieces come from the first half of the 15th century. 'Beguinage 56' i 12Provinciaal Cultuurcentrum Caermersklooster
Ghent 13Begijnhofmuseum Beghina 1660
TongerenThe Beghina 1660 Beguinage Museum includes an authentic 1660 beguine house. The museum is dedicated to the world of the beguines. 14Sint-Gilliskerk
BrugesThe most important work of art within St. Gillis Church is the Polyptych of Hemelsdale by Pieter Pourbus, featuring scenes from the life of Jesus. There are also paintings on display by Jan Garemijn and Jacob Van Oost, among others. 15Groot Begijnhof Sint-Elisabeth
Sint-AmandsbergThe Great Beguinage of St. Elizabeth is a testimony to the beguine movement in a setting of tranquility. 16Museum Godshuis Belle
YpresMuseum Godshuis Belle is housed in a almshouse from 1276, which was a hospital first and later became an institution for elderly women. In the chapel, the Public Centre for Social Welfare collection is displayed, consisting paintings, sculptures and furniture. The highlight of the museum is a panel 17Hospital Museum St. Dimpna
GeelHospital Museum St. Dimpna is located in the old hospital and monastic buildings of the Augustinians, of which the oldest parts date back to the 15th century. In the museum, the visitor learns about the everyday life in a hospital and the life of the hospital sisters. Also the memories of Saint Dymp 18Kunsthal Sint-Pietersabdij
GhentKunsthal Sint-Pietersabdij paints a picture of the abbey using the digital monk Allison. The monk addresses the visitor from a "movie guide. Most of the current buildings date from the 17th and 18th centuries. The refectory, however, dates back to the Middle Ages. In addition to the permanent exhibi 19Trésor de la Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Tournai
TournaiTrésor de la Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Tournai is the Cathedral Treasure of the Cathedral of Tournai. The treasure includes relics, sacred vessels, priest's vestments, manuscripts, books and historical documents. The cathedral itself has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. 20Abbaye cistercienne de Villers-la-Ville
Villers-la-Ville 21Heritage Centre ǀ Sisters of Charity JM
GhentThe Heritage Centre | Sisters of Charity preserves and tells the history of the Sisters of Charity and their achievements in the field of education, health care, and welfare. By extension, we tell the story of women religious in general, of their life behind the convent walls, and of the pioneeri 22Saint Gertrude Collegiate Church
Nivelles 23Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal Antwerpen
AntwerpThe Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp is the largest Gothic church in the Low Countries. The cathedral is a treasure trove of various works of art by Rubens and others. Eye-catchers in the cathedral are Rubens' "Raising of the Cross" and "Descent from the Cross. 24Museum De Mindere
Sint-TruidenMuseum De Mindere is part of the Truien Friars Minor site: that includes a baroque church with crypt and chapel, a monastery and remnants of old city walls. The museum paints a picture of 800 years of Franciscan history. It is concerned with Franciscan heritage across Flanders. The collection includ 25Trésor de la collegiale Notre-Dame Huy
Huy 26Provinciale Erfgoedsite Ename
EnameEname: a surprising story around every corner! Discover the Archaeopark, with the remains of a medieval castle and the mighty Benedictine abbey, the historic St Laurentius church with its Byzantine murals, the valuable, centuries-old forest Bos t' Ename and, of course, the picturesque village itsel 27Provinciaal Hof
Bruges 28Kerkschatten Sint-Catharina
MaaseikChurch Treasures St. Catherine is a treasury in the neoclassical St. Catherine Church. It is one of the most valuable church treasures in Limburg with various reliquaries, silverwork, 16th-century vestments and a monstrance from the early 15th century. A masterpiece is the Codex Eyckensis, the oldes 29Musea Maaseik Minderbroederskerk
MaaseikThe Church of the Friars Minor (Ursuline Church) is a church building where the Friars Minor settled in 1626. Changing exhibitions are held in the buildings belonging to the church. 30Abdijmuseum - Sint-Adriaanabdij
GeraardsbergenAt the end of the 12th century, the abbey received the relics of St. Adrian and thus grew into a major pilgrimage site. This eventually gave it the name St. Adriaan's Abbey. The Abbot's House now functions as a museum. The second floor features furniture belonging to the Guillemin family, residents 31Provinciaal Museum Begijnhofkerk
Sint-TruidenProvincial Museum Beguinage Church is located in the late Romanesque, early Gothic Beguinage Church. The museum regularly hosts various exhibitions. The church itself contains a series of 38 wall and pillar paintings, dating from the 13th to the 17th century. Together they provide an overview of the 32Museum of the Stavelot-Malmedy Principality
StavelotFor more than 1,000 years, from its foundation by Saint-Remacle until the French Revolution, the Abbey Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy exerted a great influence over a vast territory, particularly from the Loire River to the German Empire. The Historical Museum of the Principality of Stavelot-Malme 33Abdij Mariënlof
BorgloonMariënlof Abbey, also known as Colen Abbey, was originally a monastery of Crusaders, but in the last two centuries it functioned as a Cistercian convent. Since 1990, it has been allowed to bear the title of abbey. The interior of the church and sacristy date mainly from the second half of the 18th c 34Chapelle Saint-Calixte - Musée du Château comtal
MonsAt Musée et le Chateau Comtal, several panels and archaeological finds depict the history of the site. 35Orval Abbey Monastic Museum
Villers-devant-Orval 36Schatkamer van de Sint-Martinusbasiliek en klokkenmuseum
HalleSt. Martin's Basilica is a work of Brabant High Gothic. Portals, facades and interior of this church are richly carved. The church possesses some exceptional works of art, including a monumental copper baptismal font of 1466 and an alabaster altar retable of 1533. The collection in the Gothic crypt 37Stedelijk Museum Sint-Hermescrypte
RonseRonse's crypt, the St. Hermes crypt, was consecrated in 1089 as a repository for the relics of the city's patron "St. Hermes" and was a place of pilgrimage for the mentally ill throughout the Middle Ages. 38Musée du chapitre
Soignies 39Trésor de l'église primaire Saint Sébastien
Stavelot 40Abbatiale Romane d'Hastière
Hastiere 41Musea Hunnegem
GeraardsbergenOn the Hunnegem site, several museums are housed; The Museum Huge is housed in Hunnegem's Romanesque church and in the adjacent neo-Gothic Pax Hall. Besides the genesis of the town and the monastic community, specific themes are highlighted; monastic life, Marian devotion, Benedict, education, the 42Musée et Trésor de la Collégiale Sainte-Begge
AndenneThe Museum of the collegiate church from 1764-1778 includes 12 rooms in the outbuildings and sacristy. The museum displays goldsmith's art, cult objects, 16th-century rood screen, Renaissance reliquary of St-Begge, tombstones, Andenne porcelain, statues, manuscripts and printed matter from the 15th- 43
Gedachtenismuseum Pater Valentinus Paquay
HasseltMemorial Museum Father Valentinus Paquay is located in the former infirmary of the monastery. The museum is dedicated to Father Valentinus Paquay (1828-1905) "the holy paterke," who was beatified on November 9, 2003. Visitors are introduced to objects and furniture from the parental home in Tongeren - 44
Anderlecht Béguinage
AnderlechtThe Beguinage of Anderlecht is a small beguinage dating from about 1250 near the church of St. Peter and St. Guido. The oldest traces are 14th-century and a dozen beguines lived there. The museum paints a picture of how they lived on a daily basis. There is also attention to Anderlecht itself, about - 45
Musée du Trésor du Prieuré d'Oignies
NamurMusée du Trésor du Prieuré d'Oignies is a treasury housed in a modern convent guarded by the Sisters of Our Lady. Among its exhibits are Gothic religious chalices, crosses and reliquaries, many of which were made by Friar Hugo d'Oignies. - 46
Modern Religious Art Museum
KoekelbergMuseum of Modern Religious Art is located in the Basilica of Koekelberg. The museum displays a collection of paintings and sculptures by 20th century artists for whom religion was often an inspiration. - 47
Museum of the Saint-Remy Church
Cuesmes