Notre-Dame de la Chapelle

Notre-Dame de la Chapelle tickets: which one to buy

The Church of Notre-Dame de la Chapelle stands on the edge of the Marolles district in central Brussels, Belgium, a short walk from the Grand Place, the Sablon and the Brussels Central Station, and entry is free. It is one of the oldest churches in Brussels and is known as the burial place of the painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder, who lived in the Marolles district.

Walking tours of Brussels sometimes include the church together with the Marolles, known for its flea market on the Place du Jeu de Balle, the Sablon with its antique shops and chocolate makers, and the Palace of Justice. The church is active, and it serves a Polish Catholic community as well as the local parish. Opening hours are limited, and visiting pauses during services. Nothing needs booking. The Chapelle station, on the railway line through Brussels, is a few minutes' walk from the church.

Visiting Notre-Dame de la Chapelle: what to see

A chapel was founded here in 1134 and became a church in 1210; the present building combines a Romanesque transept from the thirteenth century with a Gothic choir and nave built in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in the Brabantine Gothic style. The tower, destroyed during the French bombardment of 1695, was rebuilt with a baroque bell-shaped top. Inside, the church has a tall nave with statues of apostles against the columns, a baroque pulpit carved by Pierre-Denis Plumier showing the prophet Elijah in the desert, and several chapels. In the side chapel of Saint Mary Magdalene lies the tomb of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, who married his wife here in 1563 and was buried here in 1569, with a memorial plaque and a copy of a Rubens painting.

The church was restored in the twentieth century. The stained glass windows of the choir include some from the nineteenth century, depicting saints. The church holds a Gothic statue of the Virgin, venerated since the medieval period. The chapels along the nave hold memorials and paintings of Brussels families. The organ, restored in recent years, is used for concerts. The Romanesque transept shows traces of the earliest church. The church's exterior is built of sandstone, darkened by age. The square in front of the church has a small garden. Nearby street art in the Marolles includes comic strip murals.

Notre-Dame de la Chapelle opening hours and the best time to go

The church is open daily, with limited hours. The Marolles flea market on the Place du Jeu de Balle is held every morning and is busiest at weekends. The Sablon's antiques market on weekend mornings is nearby. Brussels is often rainy, so the church is a pleasant indoor stop. The Grand Place is busy all year, especially during the Flower Carpet every two years in August and the Christmas season. Allow about twenty minutes for the church, and walk through the Marolles to the flea market. The Palace of Justice, with a lift that descends to the Marolles and a viewpoint over Brussels, is about ten minutes' walk.