Architecture sights in Brussels
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A
Cathédrale des Sts Michel & Gudule
Rising out of a sea of 20th-century buildings, Brussels’ twin-towered cathedral is named after Brussels’ male and female patron saints. Construction began in 1226 but it would be another 300 years before it was completed, accounting for the hybrid of styles used – from Romanesque through to Renaissance. Take the stairs down to the crypt to see archaeological remains of an 11th-century Romanesque chapel.
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B
Stained-Glass Windows
An Art Nouveau gem is concealed on Rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains. Go through the black doors at number 36-40 to a small courtyard (this is private property but the owners do not mind if visitors peek inside - the doors are open 07:00 to 17:00 weekdays) where two old stained-glass windows are visible. One features a young woman in a white gown standing before a pond, the other a Chinese lady.
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C
Basilique Nationale Du Sacré-Cœur
The mighty Basilique Nationale Du Sacré-Cœur sits at the end of the ruler-straight Blvd Léopold II in Koekelberg. It's the world's fifth-largest church and is also arguably the city's most ghastly religious edifice, a discordant mix of neogothic and Art Deco with dull brown stonework, capped towers and a bulbous 90m-high dome (around €3 to climb).
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D
Église Notre Dame des Riches Claires
From a public courtyard off Place St Géry (go through the black steel gates next to the bistro La Lion St Géry), there's a view of Église Notre Dame des Riches Claires, an intriguing asymmetrical church. Nearby is the Nero mural, one of the city's many comic-strip murals.
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E
Glass Elevator
A glass elevator connects the Marolles' Place Breugel with Place Poelaert in the Upper Town, offering a great way to move between the quarters plus a fab city view. It descends from the Palais de Justice, leaving you just a block from the Place du Jeu de Balle, an outdoor flea market.
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F
Église St Jean Baptiste au Béguinage
Check out the imposing façade of the Église St Jean Baptiste au Béguinage . Deemed by many to be Belgium's most beautiful, the church dates from the 17th century and was designed by Luc Fayd'Herbe, a student of Rubens, which explains its strong Flemish baroque style.
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G
Église Notre Dame du Sablon
Built by a guild of crossbow enthusiasts at the start of the 14th century, this late-Gothic church sees sunlight streaming in through its stained-glass windows and on to its baroque chapels and intricately sculpted pulpit.
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H
Église Notre Dame de la Chapelle
Built in 1134, this Romanesque Gothic church is Brussels’ oldest and has a chapel devoted to Pieter Breugel the Elder who once lived nearby.
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I
Rue Neuve area
The Église Notre Dame du Finistère is an 18th-century church that sits in vivid contrast to the modern mania around it.
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