Cathédrale des Sts Michel & Gudule

Lonely Planet review

The twin-towered Cathédrale des Sts Michel & Gudule, named after Brussels' male and female patron saints, sits gleaming on the hillside to the north of Gare Centrale. The out-of-the-way location between the Lower and Upper Towns means it is often overlooked by visitors. In addition, poor city planning has left it marooned like an ancient island in the midst of modern development.

Begun in 1226, the cathedral took some 300 years to build and consequently reveals a blend of styles - from Romanesque through all the stages of Gothic and right up to Renaissance. The interior is light and airy but almost bereft of decoration due to plundering, first by Protestants in the 17th century and later by the French army. Stained-glass windows flood the nave with light and the enormous wooden pulpit, sculpted by Antwerp artist Hendrik Verbruggen, is worth inspecting - note Adam and Eve being driven out of Eden by fearsome skeletons. In the crypt are the remains of an 11th-century Romanesque chapel.