St. Bavo's Cathedral

Known for the Ghent Altarpiece, St. Bavo’s Cathedral is a 16th century Catholic church and must see when you’re in the city.

You’ll see St. Bavo’s Cathedral long before you get close to it. The 89m tall cathedral towers over the city as a symbol of Ghent’s history. While St. Bavo’s is mostly known for its pretty face and for holding the Ghent Altarpiece. The altarpiece is a famous 15th century work of art by the Van Eyck brothers. But that’s not all the cathedral has. The Cathedral is home to artwork by famous painters of Belgian history, including Peter Paul Rubens.

Ghent’s History

Tons of artwork in the cathedral was destroyed in 1588 in a rebellion against the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Rebel groups targeted the cathedral because Charles V was baptised there. While a lot was destroyed, the Ghent Altarpiece survived.

• Virtual Reality: get a tour of the cathedral with the AR glasses or tablet. In VR, you get to visit the crypt which isn’t open to visitors IRL. Plus, you get full guided info on the cathedral’s history and all the art inside it.
• Did you know? The cathedral is named after Saint Bavo, the patron saint of Ghent. His sister’s Gertrude of Nivelles and Begga are actually saints too. That’s one holy family!
• Up the Tower: you can only go up the cathedral tower during Ghent Festivities, which is a cultural festival in July. If you happen to be in the city, go up the tower for a great view directly under the Belfry of Ghent.