ANTWERP CATHEDRAL (ELEVEN LIEVE VROUWEKATHEDRAAL)

Notre-Dame Cathedral (Dutch: Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal) is a temple of superlatives, impressing with its height, gigantism and fine craftsmanship, in the purest example of Brabantine Gothic, as is its richly decorated interior. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. What's most striking here, in addition to the building itself, is certainly the fact that it has managed to preserve its original medieval environment: it is still surrounded by old, very low-rise houses, in stark contrast to its imposing stature. Construction of this gigantic Gothic work began in the ^14th century on the remains of an earlier Romanesque church dating from the ^10th century, and continued for 169 years. The spire (initially two spires were planned) was completed in 1521 and is 123 metres high! This extremely finely chiselled Gothic stone spur points vertically skywards, far higher than the surrounding buildings, symbolizing the power of the city: in fact, at the time of its construction, it was the largest Gothic building in the former Netherlands. You'll see it quite often. Raise your nose to its feet - vertigo guaranteed! The church became a cathedral in 1559: it's the largest in the Benelux and is designed to hold 24,000 people. Despite numerous fires and lootings, it still boasts a number of artistic treasures, including four Baroque masterpieces painted by Rubens in the early ^17th century: The Erection of the Cross (triptych), The Assumption of the Virgin Mary, The Descent from the Cross and The Resurrection of Christ. Other highlights include a ^14th-century marble Madonna, fine sculptures and an ^18th-century tabernacle in the form of an Ark of the Covenant. The latest acquisition is the organ installed above the entrance to the southern part of the ambulatory, dating from 1993.

Hot tip: the 515 steps of the Antwerp Cathedral tower can be visited every Wednesday from April to September with an official guide.

Carillon concerts all year round on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 12 noon to 1 p.m.; from May to the end of September also on Sundays from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.; in July and August also on Mondays from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

De Plek bistro. The former St. John's chapel behind the sacristy has been converted into a convivial meeting place: the bistro De Plek, which recently won an interior design award.