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.

I've done a lot of church "tours" in my travels. It is always nice to see their art, explore their…read morealtars, and in general experience the culture. However, I've never seen one have an immersive, holographic experience... until now. Rather than just walk around and stare, or even try to partially follow an audio tour, you are provided with a headset which syncs to the various areas of the church to provide a deep historical overview. I loved how the graphics made it clear how the church grew (no more wondering if 'that' was the area they meant). The detail was amazing, even down to the noise from the virtual crowds which got louder or softer as you moved towards or away from them. The Lamb of God painting was not one I was familiar with and getting the details on not just its production but movements over time helped me appreciate it even more! I wouldn't usually say you need to prioritize a church when exploring a European city but in this case I would highly recommend you not only visit but opt for the immersive tour!

Another large and beautiful church we saw on our visit to Brussels…read more The church was massive and magnificent! The stained glass windows were beautiful. We came at the perfect time to see some light peeking through the glass into the pews. It was an amazing part of our journey. This is why we stop into churches and take a moment to look around.

This is a beautiful Gothic cathedral. I had the pleasure of visiting for an event called…read moreLuminescence. It had two showings at night, and it was a beautiful lightshow accompanied by music along with the retelling of its history. Truly a magical experience. A live orchestra played as the lights danced and illuminated the architecture. I would love to come back and see the stain glassed windows in all its glory in the daytime. But overall, it is obvious in its grandeur and beauty it also holds a great historical significance to Brussels.

This statue on top of a fountain in front of St Nicholas Church was inspiring. It's called the…read moreParable of the Blind & shows 3 blind men holding the should in front of them. It was created by Decker, the late Belgian sculptor & commissioned into a statue in 1979. There are 46 spectacular fountains all around Brussels. I passed this coming & going from our hotel, but when I saw the mime enjoying his waffle, I had to take a photograph.

This church is one of the oldest churches of Brussels and can be found close to the Market Place,…read morewhich confirms the reason for the church name, as St. Nicholas was the patron saint of traders. The church may seem a bit oddly shaped at first sight, your eye is correct, it is built in an asymmetrical way because way back when there once was a small brook running through what is now a street. This church is a patchwork quilt of history, as pieces of it date back to different time periods, as the church has been rebuilt and restored several times. It was originally built in the 12th century, then plundered in the 16th century, and then completely ruined during the bombing of the French in 1695. You will find still today the relics of the so-called "martyrs of Gorkum" in a shrine in the church, which have been there since around 1868. This little church while not impressive, has withstood the test of time, and has many a story to tell.

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

Eglise Notre Dame du Sablon was the only Church I visited during My Weekend in Bruxelles and not…read moresurprisingly 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!

One of the more disappointing churches I've been to in some time…read more While the structure offers promise, the inside falls short of that. It has not been very well maintained over the years to be honest. The structure inside again offers promise and holds onto the past in terms of aesthetics and design. A weird aspect I'd also discovered is it has an outside urinal spot that you essentially end up urinating on the building, which is quite disrespectful. A plus side though is the fact that it is located in the middle of one of the hipper neighborhoods in the city, so there is plenty to do outside of the church. There is no fee for this church and is usually open during most of the day and night, so that is a plus. Overall, not what I expected, but not a complete loss as there is a lot to see nearby.

This is supposed to be the largest church is Brussels. It's Catholic and Orthodox. I wanted to go…read morehere since we share the same name but I couldn't find it when I tried looking for it. I ended up here by accident. Right in front is a farmer's market and lots of restaurants around it. Which is probably why I couldn't find this place. It wasn't church-like. Lots of people in this area...it looked like a freak show which is really unfortunate.

I finally found this place again! And this time, church was open so I could finally go inside!…read moreLoved the unusual circular shape and also the multi-faith nature of this church. You can see the shell design which signifies this church is on the pathway for pilgrimages walking the El Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James) trail. Go in and check it out!