National Basilica

Brussels

LoginSave

Ghastly but gigantic, this is the world’s fifth-largest church and the world’s largest art-deco building. When construction started in 1905 (to celebrate Belgium’s 75th anniversary), a truly magnificent feast of neo-Gothic spires was planned. However, WWI left state finances impoverished, so a 1925 redesign shaved off most of the intricate details. The lumpy result, finally completed in 1969, has some attractive stained glass but is predominantly a white elephant of dull brown brick and green copperwork.

Take the lift (adult/BrusselsCard €5/3) to a 53m-high panorama balcony for sweeping views, including an interesting perspective on the Atomium.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Officials unveil the restored exterior panels of "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb", an altar piece painted by the Van Eyck brothers in 1432, at Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent on October 12, 2016. .The restoration of the exterior panels and frames started in 2012, and constitutes the first phase of restauration which will be followed by two other phases for the interior panels and is set to last until 2020. / AFP / EMMANUEL DUNAND (Photo credit should read EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images)

    The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb

    28.82 MILES

    Art enthusiasts swarm the Sint-Baafskathedraal to glimpse The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb (De Aanbidding van het Lams God), a lavish representation of…

  • Museum Plantin-Moretus

    Museum Plantin-Moretus

    24.53 MILES

    The medieval building and 1622 courtyard garden alone would be worth a visit, but it's the world's oldest printing press, priceless manuscripts and…

  • The museum of musical instruments "Old England", Brussels, Belgium

    Old England Building

    2.47 MILES

    This 1899 former department store is an art nouveau showpiece with a black facade aswirl with wrought iron and arched windows. The building contains the…

  • BELGIUM - AUGUST 11: BELGIUM, BRUSSELS, The Grand Place in Brussels. (Photo by Ulrich Baumgarten via Getty Images)

    Grand Place

    2.07 MILES

    Brussels’ magnificent Grand Place is one of the world’s most unforgettable urban ensembles. Oddly hidden, the enclosed cobblestone square is only revealed…

  • MIM

    MIM

    2.47 MILES

    Strap on a pair of headphones, then step on the automated floor panels in front of the precious instruments (including world instruments and Adolphe Sax’s…

  • Musée Horta

    Musée Horta

    3.37 MILES

    The typically austere exterior doesn’t give much away, but Victor Horta’s former home (designed and built 1898–1901) is an art nouveau jewel. The…

  • St-Gilles Town Hall facade

    St-Gilles Town Hall

    3.18 MILES

    One of Brussels’ overlooked architectural wonders, this splendid Napoleon III–style palace

  • Pairi Daiza

    Pairi Daiza

    27.05 MILES

    Set on the grounds of a former Cistercian Abbey, this 65-hectare park is home to more than 5000 animals (including pandas, koalas, gorillas and lemurs)…

View more attractions

Nearby Brussels attractions

1. Tour & Taxis

1.3 MILES

A postal sorting shed doesn’t sound like an immediate tourist draw, but the Tour & Taxis complex is an architectural masterpiece, its 21st-century revamp…

2. Recyclart

1.42 MILES

This ‘arts laboratory’ recently moved from its old graffitied central Brussels location to Molenbeek. It hosts art installations and theatre productions,…

3. MIMA

1.43 MILES

On the banks of the Brussels Canal, the engaged and engaging Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art (MIMA) showcases contemporary art with a permanent…

4. Sacrifice Mural

1.44 MILES

This raw and unsettling mural is based on Caravaggio's Sacrifice of Isaac, and shows a child about to have his throat cut. The artist, who has also…

6. Cubitus

1.55 MILES

In this mural a tetchy-looking Manneken Pis gazes up at his pediment, from which he has been displaced by a grinning, peeing bear.

7. Anspach Fountain

1.58 MILES

Surmounted by a tall granite tower topped by a bronze statue of St-Micheal, the fountain commemorates a former mayor.

8. Argos

1.58 MILES

A not-for-profit gallery in a former banana warehouse, founded in 1989 to promote video art that engages with politics. In addition to changing temporary…