The basilica was tucked away in a corner of this plaza hemmed in on one side by City Hall and the other side by the Basilica of St. Basil. I was able to enter the Basilica before mass and had the opportunity to explore both chapels. Upstairs was the ornate and richly painted chapel with a beautiful wooden ceiling. Downstairs the chapel was quite stark and a bit dark. Quite a contrast between the two different styles. The relic containing the cloth with the blood of Christ was located on a platform overseen by a sitting priest. One queued at the bottom while the person ahead spent time looking at the container. I suggest starting here before exploring the rest of the basilica in case of lines. read more

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Tucked away in the corner of the square laid the church that has a sample cloth of Jesus' blood. The church had many wooden pieces and relics. Wonderful place to sit and reflect. read more

Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed - Entrance to church - Churches Near Me - Bruges, VWV

Very popular place, and it is with it. Is it drive out of your way good, no. But if you are in Bruges, it is worth the stop. Mussels were good, albeit not the best we've had, and same with the frites. But it is still worth a stop in as the service was good and the location is nice/ right outside a Christmas market. read more

Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed - Churches Near Me - Bruges, VWV

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Very ornate church! Paintings all over the cathedral! It is beautiful to walk through! Free to visit! Absolutely worth the stop when in the area! It was a quick stop for me less than 20 minutes spent! read more

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Not a destination that will take you significant time nor one I would say you must prioritize unless you are a devout catholic, this small church is free to the public and runs on donations. Inside you'll find a lot of things typical of a church. However, what is unique is the opportunity to queue up to see an artifact which is said to be the Blood of Christ. It is presented for viewing daily, guard by a priest. The hours variety a bit by the season but are clearly posted in multiple languages. read more

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Basilica of the Holy Blood is a smaller but beautiful church to visit. Every day the relic of Holy Blood is available to see every afternoon from 2 to 4PM and additionally on Friday from 10:15 to 11AM. The line was short so we were able to see Christ's blood pretty quickly. This church is free to visit so it's worth checking out. read more

Deze basiliek is absoluut een bezoekje waard voor de architectuur en geschiedenis alleen al. Of je nu gelovig bent of niet, het is zeker een plaats waar je stil van wordt. Het heilige bloed is goed zichtbaar omwille van de glazen koker waarin het werd geplaatst. Wij hoefden geen ticket te betalen om binnen te gaan, al wordt er wel overal om donaties gevraagd. De schatkamer is wel ter betaling. read more

Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed - Binnen - Churches Near Me - Bruges, VWV

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Like Ray and Ken from the movie "In Bruges", I'm sightseeing in the city to get my cultural fix. Luckily for me I'm sightseeing under much more pleasant circumstances. After the Belfort, the cultural attraction that is most often associated with Bruges is the Basilica of the Holy Blood. It is tucked away in a corner next to Burg Square. The chapel was built to house a tabernacle safeguarding a vial containing Jesus' blood dabbed from a cloth during his crucifixion. According to legend Joseph of Arimathea collected the blood. It remained in Jerusalem until the vial was given to Thierry of Alsace as a gift by his half-brother-in-law for helping out in the Second Crusade during the 12th century. In reality its origin may have been more grim as most likely this relic was looted from Constantinople at around the same time. Veneration of the Holy Blood is conducted from 11:30-12:00 and from 2:00 to 4:00 every day. Admission is free. The sight can easily be visited in 30 minutes. --- The basilica itself is divided up into two chapels: the lower chapel designed in the older Romanesque style and the upper chapel designed in the newer Gothic style that houses the relic. The exterior facade and staircase links these two chapels together. - The lower chapel is dedicated to Saint Basil the Great. The chapel houses a relic said to be from the saint himself. In comparison to the upper chapel, the lower chapel is more simple and bleak. - The upper chapel was once done in the Romanesque style but then renovated in the Gothic style. One of the frescoes depict the vial's origin story. - For about €2.50 you can go inside the treasury. Though not necessary you can view more items including a reliquary where the vial is carried around on procession days. PS: The Jerusalem Chapel was used in the movie to simulate the "Basilica of the Holy Blood" as the real church wouldn't let them use their facilities during filming. read more

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While I am not religious, I do enjoy going to churches to admire their architecture. This Basiilca was tiny and very ornate with gold gilting. Oddly enough you needed to ring a bell to get the elevator up to the second floor (like a speakeasy). Once their the church itself is unassuming until you see the shiny gold gilt. We missed the traditional procession that takes place and apparently is well turned out by tourists and locals. It is a nice place to stop, sit and reflect. You can also pray or light a candle if you are into that. You can also take photos if you like but set your camera or phone correctly (no flash) as it is surprisingly dark inside despite all the gold. Worth a stop, it is near the Stadhuis. read more

There is so much old architecture in Brugge, you get stuff stack next to, behind and even on top of each other. This 12th century basilica holds the the relic of the Holy Blood from Thierry of Alsace. The lower chapel to St Basil is Romanesque while the upper is both Gothic and Bothic revival. Im not totally into the religious stuff but the historic architecture is truly fascinating especially when you grow in an area where the 1950s is as old as it generally gets read more

Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed - Not mine (from their site) - Churches Near Me - Bruges, VWV

Being Catholic, visiting the Basilica of the Holy Blood was on my list of sites to see while in Brugge. My mom and I picked the perfect time, right before Mass on a weekday morning. The line to see the relic of Christ's blood was short, and while even my Catholic self doubted this really was the blood of Christ, it did offer a few moments to quiet prayer and reflection before the nun in front of me shooed me off. The church is free to visit and ornate compared to the churches in the States. My mother and I also attended Mass here the next day, granted we could only understand the Latin (both of us being taught in a Catholic school after all). It was a nice respite from our constant travels and felt like we were with our people, so to speak, for a moment. Even if you're not Catholic, it's still worth a moment to pop in and look around. You can't beat free. read more

Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed - Churches Near Me - Bruges, VWV

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Not only can you come here to pray, but you are sitting in a very ancient place. I think it's around 1100 a.d. And apparently Jesus Christ's blood is here. Brought here by the Knights. Come here. Enjoy:) read more

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Tucked away in the corner of the Burgh is a most fascinating and old basilica. Basiliek van het Heilig Bloed, The Basilica of the Holy Blood. We had been to Bruges twice before and were determined to make a visit this time. Walking into the lower chamber, De Basebasilica Sint-Basilus. A 12th century Romanesque structure. The only fully preserved Romanesque church building in West Flanders. An overpowering feeling permeates your body. Normally, I am not overcome by buildings but, this one, has a strong aura about it. The strong stone and the various statues are extremely moving. Upstairs in the main building. This Gothic upper chapel dates from the 15th century. A wonderful building. Unfortunately I felt uncomfortable about taking photographs as Holy Communion was being conducted. I managed two, one of the main chapel and one of the pulpit. A moving experience that everyone should try to enjoy. read more

This Basilica - also called Heilige Bloed Basiliek - is beautiful, though quite small and not too ornate on the scale of European Christian churches. It's in the centre of Bruges (Brugge) and is free to visit. What makes it noteworthy is that it holds a relic, purportedly some Christ's spilled blood. The blood is contained in a huge, multi-layered golden reliquary. Most of the time this reliquary is on display in a small museum room next to the entrance to the basilica which also holds other old religious items, many of them relating to the blood. Entry to this museum is just EUR1 for adults. Each day (except Wednesday) the reliquary is brought into the basilica at 11am and for an hour in early afternoon. Like many such relics in other cities around Europe it's paraded around town on Ascension Day. read more