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St. Salvator’s Cathedral
This cathedral is the main church of Bruges, although it was initially not at all built to be a church. Only in the 19th century it rose up to this status. The history of the cathedral is connected to the St. Donatius church which used to be the main church of the city. At the end of the 18th century the French inhabitants of Bruges expelled the bishop and destroyed the church opposite the town hall. After the Belgian Independence in 1834 a new bishop was designated to Bruges and therefore St. Salvator’s was chosen to be the new cathedral. The cathedral is less impressive than the one of the Church of Our Lady but it possesses a mighty tower that was built to have St. Salvator’s adapt to its new status. The inside shows a lot of art works which were taken over from the St. Donatius church for example eye-catching wall tapestries and the original paintings that were used as models for the wall tapestries. The choir has still the original choir stalls from the 16th century above which the weapons of the knights of the Golden Fleece can be seen.
Our Lady's Church (O.L.V-Kerk)
This church with the medieval character and the exhibition of important art pieces attracts most of the visitors coming to Bruges. Although it doesn’t have the same religious value than the St. Salvator’s cathedral, it is a touristy magnet with an amazingly uniform style. The architectural period of the church spans Romanticism, Scheldt-Gothic and French Gothic. After a transformation into a more contemporary style in the 18th century, the church was restored and given back its medieval character around 1900. The most impressive part of the church is without doubt the tower which measures about 122 m in height. The reason why so many tourists visit Our Lady is, of course, the presence of the Madonna by Michelangelo and the splendid tombstones of Mary of Burgundy and her father Charles the Bold.
Bruges
The Jerusalem Church
The Jerusalem Church dates back to the 14th century and is today preserved in its original architectural style. It is privately owned by the Adornes family, a trading family who came from Italy to Bruges in the 13th century. The name of the church comes from the facts that some of the architectural specialities are similar to the ones of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The interior consists of a nave and a higher choir. In the middle of the church is the tomb of the Anselm Adornes and his wife (Vander Banck). Very special and beautiful features are the glass windows which are from the years 1482 and 1560.
Bruges
The Chapel of the Holy Blood
This church is actually a double chapel which is located on “The Burg”. It dates back to the 12th century and got the rank of a Basilica in 1923. One can enter the church on the first floor where the Holy Blood is kept via the ''Steeghere'' which is a beautifully decorated façade behind which a staircase leads to the first floor. The original façade was constructed in late-gothic and renaissance style in the 16th century. It was demolished in the aftermath of the French Revolution and later rebuilt and slightly moved. The lower part is called the Basilius chapel. It has preserved its original Romanesque style from the 12th-13th century. On the left side of the choir is the former chapel of the clerks of the civil registry (1503) and on the right side one can see a statue of the Virgin from around 1300. The church on the first floor is the actual chapel of the Holy Blood. The church itself was originally built in Romanesque style like the Basilius church on the ground floor. The silver altar is the place where the relic is preserved during the week. The relic is shown to the public every Friday and every day from the 3rd to the 17th of May. Outside the chapel is the Holy Blood museum, which contains the shrine for the Holy Blood and other treasures belonging to the chapel.
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Churches
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