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St. Nicholas' Cathedral, Ghent

4.3

#5 of 33 in Historic Sites in Ghent

Church Tourist Spot

St. Nicholas' Church (Sint-Niklaaskerk) is one of the oldest and most prominent landmarks in Ghent, Belgium. Begun in the early 13th century as a replacement for an earlier Romanesque church, construction continued through the rest of the century in the local Scheldt Gothic style (named after the nearby river). Typical of this style is the use of blue-gray stone from the Tournai area, the single large tower above the crossing, and the slender turrets at the building's corners.Built in the old trade center of Ghent next to the bustling Korenmarkt (Wheat Market), St. Nicholas' Church was popular with the guilds whose members carried out their business nearby. The guilds had their own chapels which were added to the sides of the church in the 14th and 15th centuries.The central tower, which was funded in part by the city, served as an observation post and carried the town bells until the neighboring belfry of Ghent was built. These two towers, along with the Saint Bavo Cathedral, still define the famous medieval skyline of the city center. One of the treasures of the church is its organ, produced by the famous French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll.

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St. Nicholas' Cathedral Reviews

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4.5

132 likes

• By Montreal_native

  This is another impressive church in the city of Ghent which we really enjoyed walking around. I'm not a religious person but I think anyone can appreciate the scale and beauty of a building like this...  more »

• By amaiaetxabe

  Esta iglesia del siglo XIII dedicada al patrón de los comerciantes y de los marineros es un bello ejemplo de gótico "Escaldiano". No tiene pérdida , porque si sales de la Catedral y continúas de frent...  more »

  This 13TH century church dedicated to the patron of merchants and sailors is a beautiful example of "Escaldiano" Gothic. It has No loss, because if you leave the cathedral and continue from the front passing through the municipal bell tower and the Municipal Pavilion, direction to the river arrives in less than 3 minutes to San Nicolás. And right across the street is the Bricklayers ' Guild House. Inside is very curious and draws attention to the tower of the cruiser that acts like a natural lantern. From the bridge San Miguel takes a very nice view with St. Nicholas in the background open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 to 5pm, and Mondays only from 14 to 5pm
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