St-Martin's Basilica, Flanders, Belgium
4.5 (65 reviews) Tuesday: 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM Spent 1-2 hours Ranking #2 in Flemish Brabant Province Churches & Cathedrals
Stupendous church
The Basilica of St Martin is the only reason why the small Flemish town of Halle has been graced with two stars in the Green Michelin Guide. As Halle is only ten minutes by train from Brussels, we really wonder why it took us so long to visit this stupendous church. There is so much to be seen the basilica is a whole museum of medieval religious art in itself. We picked up a brochure for sale at the back of the church, containing a floor plan, fifteen good-quality pictures and detailed descriptions of the interior. We regretted not having brought binoculars to examine the famous 14th century apostle statues because they are very high up and difficult to see with the naked eye. The crypt was closed, an extra reason to come back.
Address
Graankaai 21, Halle 1500 Belgium
Mobile
Website
http://www.halle.be/toerisme/menu/zien-doen/musea-attracties/sint-martinusbasiliek
Working hours
Monday : 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday : 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday : 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Thursday : 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday : 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Saturday : 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Sunday : 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM
Current local date and time now
Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 7:41
User Ratings
4.5 based on (65 reviews)
Reviews
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5CapeVacationer 5:00 PM Aug 23, 2016
Ancient cathedral that is newly restored
Small town cathedral with a lot of history, but easy to visit and walk around. Can't miss if you are in the area. Right in the town center near shopping and cafes.
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5Steeve 5:00 PM Apr 22, 2018
Splendid!
A few days ago, a friend who lives in Brussels told me we could meet in Halle instead of Brussels (we always meet in Brussels and although we have passed by Halle hundreds of times we had never stopped). I thought it was a brilliant idea. We met at the train station. Halle was not at all like I had expected. It was so much better! After crossing a canal and the Senne River, we passed through a delightful park before entering the picturesque part of town: it is a medieval town, not one of these new towns like Braine-le-Comte. And in its centre we saw Saint-Martin's Basilica. We were both amazed at the size of the building. It's HUGE! It's not a church, it's a cathedral! Halle must have been tremendously rich in the past to build such a cathedral, because it isn't a big town. Even today, it counts only about 30,000 inhabitants. It isn't only huge, it is also beautiful and interesting. It was restored three years ago. The statues in the church are really well-made. I also liked the paintings. Well, you need to see that for yourself. I don't want to tell you everything. Just understand that it's worth visiting. This church can easily be called 'a hidden gem'.
