Among my generation of Japanese people, there is no one but knows " a Dog of Flanders" . The story…read morewas an 1872 novel by English author Marie Louise de la Ramee published with her pseudonym " Okida ". It was about a Flemish boy named Nello and his dog, Patrasche and was set in Antwerp. In Japan, the novel has been an extremely popular children's classic for decades and has been adapted into several Japanese films and anime. I have ever seen the animation long ago when I was child, and been deeply impressed with it. Especially, even now I can vividly remember the last scene. An orphan boy Nello has wished to go to the cathedral of Antwerp to see Rubens' The Descent of the Cross, but the exhibition held inside the building is only for paying customers and he's out of money. On the night of Christmas Eve, he and Patrasche go to Antwerp and, by chance, find the door to the church open. The next morning, the boy and his dog are found frozen to death in front of the triptych of the Descent of the Cross. The Cathedral of our lady is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Antwerp, Belgium. Although the first stage of construction was ended in 1521, has never been ' completed'. In Gothic style, its architects were Jan and Pieter Appelmans. It contains a number of significant works by the Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens, as well as paintings by artists such as Otto van Veen, Jacob de Backer and Marten de Vos. The belfry of the cathedral was registered in the list of World Heritage Sites.

We visited on 10/3/24. My husband and I love cathedrals so we always try to see them in new cities…read more The inside was exquisite. The details the art it was inspiring and breathtaking. It had this energy of peace and tranquility that I loved. I am very grateful we got to experience this.

Amazing experience. You get a sense of history... history of Amsterdam and history of the Jews, who…read moresettled in Amsterdam. The synagogue itself is absolutely beautiful. Highly recommend.

St. Bavo's Cathedral was the must stop for me in Ghent to see the Adoration of the Lamb altarpiece…read morepainted by Jan Van Eck. The only way to view it required a 12.5E admission which gained entrance to the rear of the cathedral. The altarpiece was located behind a glass enclosure not only to protect it from the environment but also prevent any more thefts. Most of the altarpiece appeared in vivid colors and in great detail from the recently completed restoration of the lower panels. The top panels were high resolution copies (you can see the originals still being restored at the Museum of Fine Arts - MSK). Don't just look at the front but also circle around to the sides to see more paintings. Those would be shown in front when the altarpiece sides were swung shut. Another masterpiece located in the rear was the Conversion of St. Bavo by another great artist, Peter Paul Ruebens. St. Bavo is the patron saint of Ghent. The rest of the cathedral was admission free to wander and other items of interest were the statue of Father Damiaan and the very detailed carved pulpit.

Really pretty church in Ghent that's pretty centrally located. Lots of beautiful intricate details…read moreinside. Free to walk inside and look around but a paid ticket is required to view the famous Ghent Altarpiece (The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb) and the accompanying Augmented Reality (AR) tour.

This is a very caring church and lovely people working here. In this church there are always a lot…read moreof people coming here on a Sunday to pray. Parents always take their children too, who always get a smile on their faces from the people in the church. The International Baptist Church is very easy accessible as it is in a friendly and caring neighbourhood. There are also a lot of parking spaces available for those who come here by car. It is not the biggest church I would say, but it is well worth while giving this church a visit if you are in the local area.

Well, now that I had left the Netherlands and was in Belgium I could once again indulge in some of…read morethe really old, and incredibly beautiful, churches. While this church isn't the Cathedral, unlike the Cathedral it does have free entry, and is also much, much quieter, so you can spend a lot more time immersed in the beauty of the place. The interesting thing that at the time I was in Antwerp they had a special walking tour of all the churches, and sure enough this one was on it. Mind you, I can't say all that much about this particular church other than it is smaller and quieter than the Cathedral, and also free entry. Like a lot of the Catholic churches around the place this one is also incredibly beautiful.