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Rich religious heritage
Over the centuries many of Bruges’ churches, monasteries, abbeys and chapels have been active centres of religious life. This accounts for the city’s remarkable ecclesiastical heritage. But this patrimony is testimony to more than just its religious past. If the stone façades could speak they would have countless fascinating stories to tell about evolutions in education, the economy, society and culture.
Grootseminarie (Major Seminary)
A unique place in the city with an orchard and meadows with grazing cows. Between 1628 and 1642 a new Cistercian abbey (the Dune Abbey) was...
Heilige Magdalenakerk | Madeleine in Brugge (St Magdalene’s Church)
St Magdalene’s Church (Madeleine in Brugge) is one of the earliest neo-Gothic churches in continental Europe. In this extraordinary...
O.L.V.-kerk Museum (Museum of the Church of Our Lady)
The Church of Our Lady boasts the world's second-highest brick church tower. A timeless reminder of the craftsmanship of Bruges' builders....
O.L.V. ter Potterie (Museum of Our Lady of the Pottery)
This hospital was first mentioned in records dating back to the 13th century, when the nuns cared for pilgrims, travellers and the sick...
O.L.V.-van-Blindekenskapel (Chapel of Our Lady of the Blind)
Even many of Bruges’ residents are unfamiliar with the Chapel of Our Lady of the Blind. Even though it’s just a stone’s throw from the...
Sint-Annakerk (St Anne’s Church)
This simple Gothic single-nave church, built in the 17th century, surprises with the opulence of its rich Baroque interior - the result of...
Sint-Gilliskerk (St Giles’ Church)
In this church, the only one in the city centre with a tower clock, many of the great Bruges artists have been buried. These include Hans...
Sint-Godelieveabdij (St Godelina’s Abbey)
Benedictine nuns from Gistel settled here as early as 1623 after the turbulent Beggars (‘Geuzen’) era. A new, austere brick monastery...
Sint-Jakobskerk (St James’s Church)
In the second quarter of the 13th century, the modest St. James’s Chapel was elevated to the status of a parish church. During the 15th...
Sint-Salvatorskathedraal (Saint Saviour's Cathedral)
Bruges’ oldest parish church (12th–15th century) has amongst its treasures a rood loft with an organ, medieval tombs, Brussels...
Sint-Walburgakerk (St Walburga’s Church)
In 1619, a Bruges lay brother, Pieter Huyssens, was commissioned to build a prestigious church that expressed the values and beliefs of the...
Engels Klooster (English Convent)
At two locations, Sacred Books | Secret Libraries invites you to learn about authentic monastic life and spiritual heritage. The English...
Kerk en Klooster van de Ongeschoeide Karmelieten (Church and monastery of the Discalced Carmelites)
In the 17th century, Bruges had at least twenty abbeys and convents, and today more than a quarter of the historic city centre is directly...