Church of Our Lady, Bruges Church

Address: Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Our Lady), Mariastraat, 8000 Brugge, Belgium

The Church of Our Lady in Bruges (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) is a large brick Gothic church in the historic center of Bruges, Belgium. It is notable for its tall brick tower and for housing important artworks and medieval tombs.

The interior contains significant highlights including Michelangelo’s marble ‘Madonna and Child’ and the funerary monuments of Charles the Bold and Mary of Burgundy, which attract art historians and visitors. The church’s soaring brick tower dominates views across the city and is a familiar landmark.

Construction of the church took place over several centuries, with major work occurring between the 13th and 15th centuries. Over time the building has served as a parish church and repository for artworks and memorials of the Burgundian and later periods.

The church stands in central Bruges near the Dijver canal and is within easy walking distance of the Markt and other historic sites in the medieval city center.

• Highlights: Houses Michelangelo’s marble ‘Madonna and Child’ sculpture and the tombs of Burgundian dukes, making it important for both art and medieval history.
• Tower height: The church’s tall brick tower reaches approximately 115.6 meters and is a prominent feature on the Bruges skyline.

What to See#

• Madonna and Child: The sacristy and chapel that house Michelangelo’s marble ‘Madonna and Child’, one of the few Michelangelo sculptures located outside Italy.
• Tombs: The burial chapels containing the tombs of Charles the Bold and Mary of Burgundy, significant medieval funerary monuments.
• Nave and interior: The 12th to 15th century nave and aisles beneath the church’s tall brick tower, showing Gothic brickwork and interior artworks.

The Church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) is in the historic centre of Bruges. From Brugge railway station it’s an easy walk of about 1.5-2.0 km (roughly 20-25 minutes) along city streets into the medieval core; De Lijn regional buses and local taxis also run from the station into the centre (get off near the Markt/Dijver area). The church is in the pedestrianized centre and is reached on foot from those central stops.

• Visit early in the morning when coach-tour arrivals are still low to spend quiet time with the church's key attractions, notably Michelangelo's Madonna and Child and the tombs of Charles the Bold and Mary of Burgundy.
• Enter from the Dijver side and move beyond the nave to the chapels and sacristy-many visitors only see the tower and main nave but miss the important Renaissance sculpture and funerary monuments housed inside.