Church of St. Catherine

Church of St. Catherine (French: Église Sainte-Catherine, Dutch: Sint-Katelijnekerk) stands on Place Sainte-Catherine right in the center of Brussels, just a short walk from the Grand Place. Its history reaches far deeper than its current, nineteenth-century appearance suggests — the first mention of a chapel dedicated to St. Catherine dates back to 1201, and for centuries the site was closely tied to Brussels' old port and its nearby fish market.

Where does today's church come from?

The medieval Gothic chapel gradually expanded during the 14th and 15th centuries, and in the 17th century it gained a new choir and a Baroque bell tower. Construction of that tower began in 1629 but was only completed from 1664 onward, and in 1745 a four-faced clock and a spire were added. The church that stood at the time was gradually undermined by flooding from the Senne river, and the floods of 1850 ultimately sealed the old building's fate.

It was then decided to erect a new church on the site of a former basin of the Port of Brussels. The project was entrusted to architect Joseph Poelaert, the same man behind Brussels' monumental Palace of Justice. Construction lasted from 1854 to 1874. The old fifteenth-century church was finally demolished in 1893 — with one exception that survives to this day.

A lone tower beside the church

That surviving fragment is the Baroque tower of the former church, which today stands on its own right next to the new building. It is an unusual sight: two different architectural eras sitting side by side on the same square. The tower was restored between 1913 and 1930 and was granted historic monument status on March 5, 1936. The whole complex — the new church and the old tower — was listed as a historic monument in 1981.

The mid-nineteenth-century church itself blends several architectural styles, combining Gothic, Baroque, Neo-Renaissance, and Victorian elements into a distinctive, eclectic whole, a mix Poelaert also favored in his other works.

Why visit?

Place Sainte-Catherine and the surrounding neighborhood are today one of the more atmospheric corners of central Brussels, known for its many seafood restaurants — a lingering echo of the area's former life as a port and fish market. The church remains an active parish, and the contrast between the comparatively modern church building and the medieval-Baroque tower standing beside it makes this spot a distinctive stop on the city's architectural map.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors enter the Church of St. Catherine? As an active parish church, it is generally open to visitors during opening hours, much like most churches in Brussels.

Why does a separate tower stand next to the church? It is a remnant of the older, fifteenth-century church that was demolished in 1893 — only its 17th-century Baroque tower survived and now stands on its own.

Who designed the current church building? Architect Joseph Poelaert, best known as the creator of the Palace of Justice in Brussels.

What architectural style does the church represent? It combines Gothic, Baroque, Neo-Renaissance, and Victorian elements in a single eclectic structure built between 1854 and 1874.