Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon

Catholic church · Elsene ·

Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon

Catholic church · Elsene ·

Late Gothic church with royal connections and stained glass

Information

Rue des Sablons, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium Get directions

@afar

25,132 Postcards · 3,702 Cities

"A Pretty Church with a Royal Connection in Brussels While Brussels Sablon Square is most famous for shopping (especially if you are in the market for Belgian chocolate) it’s well worth visiting the pretty church at the top of the triangle. The Église Notre Dame du Sablon (Church of Our Lady of Sablon) is a late Gothic church with a royal connection. The church is the starting point for the annual Ommegang procession, commemorating the arrival of Charles V in Brussels. Notre Dame de Sablon was built for the Grand Serment Royal et de Saint-Georges des Arbalétriers de Bruxelles, the crossbow guild of Brussels. Inside the church you can see hints of this connection in the stained glass windows, featuring crossbowmen. The crossbow guild’s other connection to Notre Dame de Sablon is seen during their shooting competitions. The most difficult event consists of shooting 36 meters straight up into the air, to hit a tiny metal bird target. The distance is taken from the ground to the top of the steeple of the church, where the target used to be placed."

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@afar

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Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon

@nomadicmatt

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"This 15th-century Gothic church was where the city’s wealthy worshipped, and I was struck by its intricate exterior carvings and the interior’s 11 beautiful stained-glass windows, a 17th-century wooden pulpit, and two remarkable Baroque chapels added in the 17th century; it sits across the street from the Square of Petit Sablon and is open daily (hours and Sunday Mass closures noted)." - Matthew Kepnes

https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/things-to-do-in-brussels/

Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon

Mamata B.

Google

Very nice cathedral in sablon square. Great architecture interior as well as exterior. Stained glass work is impressive with very tall glasses immaculately painted. The ceiling also is unique with patterns of colorful designs. The art work is worth your time and the church itself very nice for prayers , very spacious big to accommodate several devotees at the same time .

Steven C.

Google

Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture in Brussels, with a history rooted in devotion and tradition. Founded in the 15th century by the Crossbowmen’s Guild, the church became a symbol of faith and civic pride. Its origins are tied to the arrival of a miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary, inspiring centuries of pilgrimage. Stepping inside, visitors are immersed in history, artistry, and the enduring spiritual legacy of Brussels.

Csr C.

Google

Lovely Church. Very beautiful. Free entrance. You must see it.

Büşra T.

Google

Great elegant gothic architecture and beautiful cathedral in the Sablon area. You should definitely see it in your Brussels visit.

Alex M.

Google

This 700 year old church was a pleasure to behold! I love gothic architecture and Our Lady does not disappoint. The lighting on an overcast day was awe-inspiring. The stained glass is special in this small church and the artwork, especially the carved wooden pulpit, was breathtaking. It’s such a joy and a privilege to be able to visit places like this.

Nerine C.

Google

Located at Rue des Sablons, 1000 Brussels, Belgium 🇧🇪. Without a doubt, one of the most impactful churches I have been to. The gothic architecture is so beautiful and intricate. The church is located in the well known suburb of the Sablon, famous for its antiques shops and chocolate makers. It’s open 365 days a year and is FREE 🆓 entry. It attracts over 500,000 visitors a year. The church was built in the 15th century and was patronised by the nobility and wealthy citizens of Brussels. The stain glass windows were amazing as was the carved wooden pulpit. It was wonderful to just explore the church and the amazing high arches and the carvings and the paintings and I could go on and on. The church just surrounds you with a feeling of peace and calm. The windows gave a gorgeous light display into the church from the light from the sun. It was a perfect sight. I felt so blessed and privileged to be a visitor to this church and would definitely suggest to anyone coming to Brussels. Thumbs up!!! 👍👍👍

Naz “Naz2021” A.

Google

Lovely architecture highly recommend the visit

Denycia H.

Google

Stunning and absolutely worth a visit. I enjoyed the deeper color scheme than your typical cathedral in the pulpit area.

Ward T.

Yelp

Kom het eten nog want duurt wel heel lang Zitten hier met 5 man en duurt een eeuwigheid

Jennifer K.

Yelp

Eglise Notre Dame du Sablon was the only Church I visited during My Weekend in Bruxelles and not surprisingly it was not even in the Itinerary that my Yelp friend proposed. While walking by after lunch, I just could not resist admiring the exterior and started walking over as I saw all these stained windows from the outside. The inside was just breath taking especially on a nice sunny afternoon. Definitely worth coming in for a visit even if you are not into Churches or not Spiritual. Just a beautiful work of architecture, history and space that anyone could admire. And free for all!

David S.

Yelp

Another gorgeous church, this time down near the museum. I'm not sure if it is a cathedral, or just a very large church, but the thing is that the effect that this building has upon me, and the art inside, is just the same. Like a lot of these places around the world, there is some incredibly old art, all of them religious in character, however the thing that stood out about this place were the stained glass windows. Once again an absolute experience that just completely immerses you in the beauty of its art and architecture, and it is free to boot.

Mindy H.

Yelp

I was surprised by how many large churches awaited me to be visited in Brussels, and how many impressed me. This was one of the two that I enjoyed the most. This church originated as a small chapel completed in 1318 by the Guild of Crossbowmen dedicated to Our Lady. In the 15th century, the chapel church was completely reconstructed. In the 19th century the houses that surrounded the church on all sides were demolished as part of a project to improve the area. Why I loved this church so much was because of the MANY beautiful stained glass windows. This church was so well lighted by all the magnificent windows. TIP: for the best picture of the outside of the church, go across the street into the Park Le Petite Sablon, and turn around and snap a beautiful shot.