St. Michael & St. Gudula Cathedral

A Gothic Masterpiece in the Heart of Brussels ​Walking into this cathedral feels like stepping back into the 13th century, but with a lightness that many older churches lack. Unlike the darker, more "heavy" Gothic styles, the white stone interior here makes the whole space feel airy and serene. ​The 16th-century Renaissance windows are breathtaking. When the sun hits them just right, the floor transforms into a kaleidoscope of colors. ​Even if you aren't religious, the 1699 wooden pulpit is an incredible piece of craftsmanship—it depicts the fall of Adam and Eve with staggering detail. ​For a few extra Euro, you can head downstairs to see the Romanesque remains of the original 11th-century church. It’s a literal "foundation" of history. ​​Try to visit during the week in the morning. The crowds are thinner, and the atmosphere is much more contemplative. If you're lucky, you might catch a rehearsal on the massive pipe organ—the acoustics are phenomenal. ​It is less flashy than the Grand Place but twice as atmospheric. It’s a perfect blend of Brabantine Gothic architecture and Belgian history.

​Architecture: Classic high Gothic style with impressive vaulted ceilings. ​Artistry: Detailed sculptures and vibrant stained glass windows. ​Accessibility: Free entry and conveniently located near the city center. ​Atmosphere: Quiet and peaceful, ideal for a quick yet impactful visit.

Majestic Gothic architecture! The interior is grand with its high vaulted ceilings and beautiful stained glass windows. I was particularly impressed by the massive pipe organ and the detailed sculptures throughout the cathedral. A spiritual and architectural gem in Brussels ❤️❤️❤️

It's right in the heart of Brussels, it's a very short easy walk from Brussels Central Station (use the Hilton Hotel exit and keep to the right and follow that until you see the cathedral). This once Romanesque structure is now a very Gothic building with ostentatious Baroque chapels inside. The highlight for me was visiting the cathedral's treasure inside the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. It costs to enter but absolutely worth it. The central nave is lined with the statues of the twelve apostles. Check out the carved wooden Baroque pulpit, it's stunning. The organ is very imposing and beautiful to look at. From the main western façade, with three portals, flanked by two imposing towers really set me off on a journey of discovery and history. The interior is exquisite with stupendous stained glass windows galore. Overall it's a visit I'll treasure. Highly recommended if you're in Belgium.

It is certainly one of the larger cathedrals. The melodic chimes announcing the time are also quite pleasant to hear. While it may not possess the same level of fame or opulent adornment as certain other cathedrals, it remains an impressive architectural work, featuring beautiful stained glass windows and exquisite wood carvings. Furthermore, admission is complimentary, so it should be on your must-see list in Brussels.

Impressive gothic cathedral, near the city center and that should absolutely be visited when in Bruxelles. The entrance is free and there is almost no one, so it's something you can see easily and quickly if you don't have much time.

Was on a. Day trip to Brussels , first place I saw , when I got off bus Amazing building plus a more amazing Xmas nativity scenes Take note UK cathedrals especially at Giles in edinburgh.and York and Canterbury When I walked in , no pressure on you , to pay to enter , ( which I think is disgusting.

The Cathedral of Saint-Michel and Saint-Gudule, or the Cathedral of Saints Michael and Gudule, is the main church in Brussels. Its history dates back to the 9th century, when a chapel dedicated to Saint Michael was built on the Troisberg hill. In 1047, Count Lambert II moved the relics of Saint Gudule from the Church of Saint Gorik to this church, giving it its dual name. The construction of the Gothic cathedral that can be seen today began in 1226 on the initiative of Duke Henry I of Brabant and lasted for about three centuries, until the mid-16th century. The architectural style of the cathedral is defined as Brabant Gothic. The cathedral is known for its two symmetrical towers, which are 64 meters high and were designed by the architect Jan van Ruysbroek. Inside the cathedral, there are famous 16th-century stained-glass windows, including a work by the artist Bernard van Orley, as well as a baroque pulpit by Hendrik Frans Verbrugghen depicting the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. The cathedral is associated with the legend of Saint Gudula....

What a marvelous building, the attention to small details is amazing. Walking distance from the grand place in the center heart of Brussels. 13th century construction that extended to 16th century to complete and once you see it in person you immediately understand why. Very rich in history it's free to visit and couple of euros to visit the crypt and tower.

I'm not entirely sure how to review a church here, but I'm going to give it a shot. The Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule de Bruxelles is massive, medieval Catholic Church that was finished being built in 1519, a time period my brain can't even wrap a thought around. My wife is fascinated by old churches so this was a must for us to walk through. The architecture here was absolutely breath taking from the art work to the small intricate details used every step of the way. You are able to walk through most of the building here, take part in religious things (as you can probably tell, I am not religious) and just enjoy the building for what it is. Overall, as someone fascinated with history I was very much able to enjoy the Cathédrale Saints-Michel-et-Gudule de Bruxelles. Anytime I can walk through a building with so much history it truly is a special occasions. This church also has a decent size gift shop if you would like to take home some sort of souvenir.

Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula is one of the most beautiful cathedral I have seen. It's so beautiful and peaceful and has incredible architecture design. Free to enter. It also has a small museum inside that you have to pay 2€ to enter to it. They also have a gift shop.

The St. Michael church is absolutely beautiful and a visit to Brussels would not be complete without stopping here. Allow yourself some time, as it is a big church and you will want to enjoy as much detail as you can. It's free to enter, so enjoy. The interior and exterior are equally as beautiful.

The Brussels Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula is a truly magnificent structure. The main part of this Catholic church dates to the 11th century while the towers were constructed in the 13th century. Once described by Victor Hugo as "the purest flowering of the Gothic style," this white, two-towered giant holds many medieval treasures inside, including splendid stained-glass windows donated by Charles V. It took about 300 years to build this impressive stone church. Named after the country's patron saints, it is Belgium's main church. You will be definitely awed by the beautiful stained glass windows, especially the ones by Bernard van Orley, a 16th-century painter. It is less than one mile northeast of the Brussels train station. It is a maze of narrow streets which run back from the cliffside - they're supposedly pedestrianized but don't be surprised if you see someone trying to squeeze a car down there. These medieval alleyways twist and turn past trattorias, bars, and shops. Forget the map and keep walking and you never know what you might discover - a hidden church, a flower-filled garden, a fantastic gelateria.

Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula is a beautiful cathedral in Brussels. From my pictures you can see the similarities of the facade/towers to Notre-Dame. This cathedral however has many more stairs to the entrance. The outside is near a park and a few benches are set up and you can enjoy the view from afar as well. After we visited inside, my parents sat on the outside benches to see the details. It's a very impressive architectural religious building. Interior- The chapel is extraordinary. There are statues of the twelve apostles that you see on the columns. A huge organ is within the cathedral that was built in the recent years. They have a choir that has mausoleums. They have kept up with the maintenance of this place. Royal weddings in the past have been held here for the ceremony part. Many tourists and locals visit this cathedral. If you are low on time in Brussels, this is one the places I would recommend. Side Note- Free to visit, but there is a donation area set up if you want to contribute while you visit.~

The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula is one you must see if visiting Brussels as it is gem in the middle of the city. I tend to always visit multiple religious architectures while traveling to really get a sense of the magnificent structures and what it took to construct them. This particular cathedral is nothing short of jaw dropping and deserves a spot up there with many of the other great cathedrals in Europe. I'd suggest visiting this site during a non mass, so you can really get a sense of the inside and spend time taking it all in whether with photos or not. Another tip is to check the small park out across the street to take a seat and really take it all in. While not a long review, I believe all the photos speak volumes compared to many of the reviews!

This is a Beautiful Cathedral inside and out. There's a lot of great detailing on the outside structure of the building. The spire detailing would be lovely to see up close. This is a church I could go to every week and be in pure awe every Sunday looking up. Could be why the churches I tend to go to aren't as intricately designed as this one, would be too distracting during a homily.

Why 5 stars? Because it definitely had the most unique character of all the European churches we visited. --- --- --- I didn't really realize this before visiting Europe for the first time, but we spent a decent amount of time walking through historical churches in middle of each city we were in. This one was much different than all the others for a few different reasons. First of all, there was a giant organ in the center of the church, and about two minutes after we walked inside, someone started playing it. It was really mesmerizing to just sit and listen to this insanely powerful instrument produce such enchanting music. I call it an "instrument" loosely, as it's the size of a person's apartment, which doesn't even include all the extra piping. How in the hell did someone even figure out how to invent an organ, anyway? Aside from that, in the back of the church, there was an area with a bunch of rugs hanging, and at one point, someone turned off the light and flipped on a black light to reveal that these rugs glowed in the dark. I didn't really understand why the rugs were hanging in the first place, and was even more confused about the whole black light thing. And before the black light came on, they almost reminded me of giant quilts you'd see inside a school in the form of some kind of art display. I definitely think this church is worth seeing if you're in Brussels. We only had one day here and it was one of the more memorable experiences. You can only eat so much chocolate and waffles before you need a break!

A part of me wants to say that this is the church, but in reality it is much much more than just a simple church. In fact I believe it is the Cathedral of Brussels, though I have noted that in the Francophone world they refer to these major churches as the Notre Dame (thogh the Notre Damme is actually down near the museums). While it isn't as big as some of the Cathedrals on the continent, it still is impressive in its own right, not just with all the lovely carvings and statues on the walls, but it doesn't hold the immense wonder of some of the other cathedrals. It isn't the easiest to get to either, though being next to the Botanic Gardens, and also a short walk from Brussels Centraal, does help somewhat. Still, it's a nice church, and free to enter as well, so the place is worth visiting.

Cathedrals in all of Europe are breath taking, however this particular one stood out for us over all other beautiful churches we had a chance to see on our trip (even the Notre Dame in Paris). Original construction dates back to the 10th century...that is 3 digit years folks, that alone will leave you speechless. How many important historical events have these walls witnessed over the course of over a thousand years? I wish these walls could talk. From it's Gothic main facade to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, to all of the stunning and intricate stained glass, every little stone in this place is full of history. I am not religious, but my bf was raised catholic, regardless of your beliefs or lack there of, you can't help but appreciate the sacredness of this structure. The cathedral was practically empty during our visit, and all we could do is glance at one another occasionally and mouth a quiet WOW. Artists from Belgium and all over the world get an opportunity to display their work at this site. Three organs were added in the 20th century, which appropriately compliment the spiritual ambiance of the church.

This was my second favourite church visited while in Brussels. This church like Sablon also had many wonderful stained glass windows. These were different in style from Sablon, but just as beautiful. The outside entrance to this church is impressive, and I can see how it would be a wonderful setting for the many royal marriages that have taken place here. This church was founded in 1047, and holds the relics of martyr Saint Godula. The patron saints of the church are also the patron saints of Brussels, St. Michael and St. Godula. In the 13th century the cathedral was renovated in the Gothic style. For those who love archaeological ruins, for 1 euro you can explore the original floor of the church, as when the church was reconstructed they rebuilt over the previous floor. You can only view a portion of it. I love ruins, but this one even for a euro was not impressive, unless you are a major history buff, don't bother. There is a lovely large wooden carved pulpit. Yes, most old churches have a carved wooden pulpit in the middle, but this one has very intricate carvings and is impressive in size. There are also beautiful sculptures to appreciate in the central columns.

It's interesting that the main church in Brussels isn't know as "Cathedral of Brussels" but instead the Cathedral of Saint Michael & Gudule! I went here as part of an afternoon I called #Tourist in my city. I have now lived in Brussels close to 3 years, but there remain parts of my adopted hometown that I am unaware of so this was an attempt to see my city via the eyes of a visiting tourist -... But I Digress. So this is a beautiful two spire church with a fantastic green space - the park set just outside the entrance has tons of benches, so I actually sat and admired the church facade for a bit before going in. The day I visited, there was a children's service going on, so didn't get to explore stuff near the pulpit, but what I did see was quite beautiful. One really cool thing is the architectural excavations and remains of the former Roman Church walks which can be viewed for €1. There were a lot of unusual artwork and statutes too. Barcelona's Sagrada Familia is still my #1, but this is worth a look.

This is the church which got great architecture and probably the biggest church close to the centre of the city. As it located rarely in tourist area, so no question it became one of the most popular sightseeing locations. From the central station come to this place on foot only took about 10 mins. Most of the people come here just to admiring the beautiful architecture, even it is very historical but yet still looks very new. The entrance is for free, inside the church look even better and greater, the window art inside was just outstanding, It caught my eyes at once during my visit, I also was some kind of art and craft competition, which reference the stories from bible. Even I am not religious, I like the art of religious generally, some of them were still interesting and fascinating. I think from time to time this church has different events, to keep it more interesting. The architecture inside was also the other part that I found of. There were still serval little thing caught my attention, like the silence room and some instruments. The was only part that need to pay was the basement, it didn't cost much. 1-2 euro. I haven't really check that out yet. At the end, I think most of the people when they are traveling they will like to visit one or two local churches or temples to understand the culture there better, if so, this should be the place for you in Brussels. For me, I have been visited many churches during my traveling, and yet I still could find the special charm of this itself. Just go and check it out yourself!

Beautiful cathedral in central Brussels. It had a very picturesque exterior with a little park in front, which seemed to be a popular lunch spot. Inside felt pretty standard for European cathedrals, though the sun was hitting the stained glass windows perfectly for showing their array of color.

severely underrated. looks simliar to notre dame and westminster abbey, but doesn't get the same credit. enjoyed it very much

Absolutely stunning architecture. Ghent is amazing and I'll definitely be returning here. I'll finish review later, need to save my phone battery for pics and check ins

Beautiful cathedral and lovingly restored. Love the architecture and stained glass windows :-)

Beautiful cathedral located a short walk from Grand Place. The architecture is purely amazing on both the inside and out. It's truly the most stunning in the city. Entrance is free to the cathedral itself but they also have other attractions inside. There's an archaeological site and a treasury that cost only €1 each. There's also a Romanesque crypt which cost €3. If you want to skip them and just enjoy the grand cathedral, that'll do just fine. I absolutely loved seeing this monument and highly recommend it if you're visiting Brussels.

This church is simply amazing. Not only it is so big but it has great sculptures from gold and wood, great paintings, and kind of a dungeon. It is located on top of the Treurenberg hill, thus it is perfectly located and from the front door you can see the entire city (the view is really great). If you are with a tour group you would 100% go there and they will tell you the whole history of the place, however, if you inn Brussels on your own get a paper guide and visit it. There is no entrance fee and you are gonna be amazed by this beautiful place.

What a beautiful piece of architecture! Not to be missed when visiting Brussels for the first time. Also the area is full of cafes, restaurants and other places to hangout after you are done taking tons of pictures.