Saint Nicholas’ Church

The Church of Saint Nicholas

The Ghent audio-guided tour presents you with the Church of Saint Nicholas, an imposing building of blue-grey Tournai stone, one of the three emblematic towers of the historic centre.

A jewel of Scheldt Gothic

In the twelfth century stood here a Romanesque-style wooden chapel, deemed too small and soon demolished. The present Church of Saint Nicholas was built in the thirteenth century in the Scheldt Gothic style, a Romano-Gothic current typical of the former county of Flanders. The nave came first, followed by the transept, the lantern towers and the choir. Its small corner towers ensure its stability, while its imposing central lantern tower lets light penetrate inside. Close to the grain market, the church was prized by the guilds of craftsmen, merchants and boatmen, who established their chapels there. It knew many misadventures, even serving as stables during the French Revolution, before being restored.

What there is to see

The Church of Saint Nicholas invites contemplation through its Scheldt Gothic architecture and its lantern tower, which bathes the nave in light. Its blue-grey Tournai stone gives it a majestic appearance. One of the three emblematic towers of Ghent, it combines architectural beauty and the memory of the guilds that frequented it in the past.

Practical information

The Church of Saint Nicholas is in the historic centre of Ghent, near the Belfry and the Korenmarkt. A place of worship, it is discovered with respect for the services, according to opening hours to be checked on site.

In what style is the Church of Saint Nicholas built?

In the Scheldt Gothic style, a Romano-Gothic current typical of the former county of Flanders, in the thirteenth century.

Who frequented the Church of Saint Nicholas in the past?

The guilds of craftsmen, merchants and boatmen, who had established their own chapels there.