invme Place
Everywhere
All cities · Everywhere →
EN
ENEnglish RURussian FRFrench DEGerman ITItalian ESSpanish PTPortuguese PT-BRBrazilian Portuguese ES-MXLatin American Spanish FR-CACanadian French EN-GBBritish English UKUkrainian PLPolish JAJapanese NLDutch KOKorean SVSwedish DADanish NBNorwegian FIFinnish CSCzech HEHebrew ELGreek ZH-HANTTraditional Chinese HUHungarian RORomanian HRCroatian SKSlovak SLSlovenian ETEstonian LVLatvian LTLithuanian BGBulgarian TRTurkish

St Bavo's Cathedral

Historic sites ·Gent ·Closed
4.53.5K
#1Historic sites in Gent#3Historic sites in BelgiumTravelers' Choice 2026
  • Visit: 25–60 min
  • from EUR 12.50
  • Good on a rainy day
Make a plan here
Directions Website Call Bookmark

Sign up free — See who's going and message them.

Is this your place? Get the badge for your website

About

St Bavo's Cathedral in Ghent is a Gothic church on Sint-Baafsplein, home to the Van Eyck Ghent Altarpiece.

More photos 10

1 / 10
St Bavo's Cathedral

St Bavo's CathedralSt Bavo's CathedralSt Bavo's CathedralSt Bavo's CathedralSt Bavo's CathedralSt Bavo's CathedralSt Bavo's CathedralSt Bavo's CathedralSt Bavo's CathedralSt Bavo's Cathedral

Why go

  • The 89-metre Gothic west tower over Sint-Baafsplein, with four storeys and four large pinnacles.
  • The Klais organ of 1935, with more than 6,000 pipes and five manuals, the biggest organ in the Low Countries.
  • The Conversion of St Bavo by Peter Paul Rubens, painted in 1623–1624, among the cathedral's art treasures.
  • The augmented reality tour through the crypt, offered in nine languages.

Opening hours

Today08:30 – 17:30Show all
Monday08:30 – 17:30
Tuesday08:30 – 17:30
Wednesday08:30 – 17:30
Thursday08:30 – 17:30
Friday08:30 – 17:30
Saturday08:30 – 17:30
Sunday13:00 – 17:30

Don't miss

  • Ghent Altarpiece (Adoration of the Mystic Lamb)A 24-panel altarpiece completed by Jan van Eyck in 1432. Its lower centre panel is by Hubert and Jan van Eyck. Conservation work can be watched through a glass wall.Inside the cathedral, in the Lam Gods Sint-Baafs visitor centre.1432 On the map
  • Baroque high altarMade of white, black and red flamed marble.At the high altar, in the choir.1702–1782 On the map
  • Tomb of Antonius TriestA major work by Jérôme Duquesnoy the Younger, made for the long-reigning bishop Antonius Triest.Inside the cathedral. The choir holds the tombs of several bishops.1652–1654 On the map
  • Rococo pulpit by Laurent DelvauxA rococo pulpit made by Laurent Delvaux.In the nave, on the south side.1741–1745 On the map
  • Calvary TriptychAttributed to Justus van Gent and displayed in the Chapel of the Holiest.Chapel of the Holiest, inside the cathedral.15th century On the map

Know before you go

  • Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 08:30 to 17:30, Sunday 13:00 to 17:30.
  • Tickets are valid only for the reserved date and time slot.
  • School groups are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes before their reserved time.
  • Cameras, food, drinks and hand luggage are not allowed inside.
  • Smoking is not allowed in all rooms of the cathedral and the visitor centre.
  • Pets are not admitted, except guide dogs wearing a dog jacket.
  • The original altarpiece is temporarily and partly closed to visitors.

Tips for your visit

  • Check mskgent.be for restoration updates before you come.
  • The official website gives visit details and information on the art and history.
  • The choir is only partly open to visitors and is reached by about ten steps.
  • The Erfgoedapp lets visitors discover the hidden archaeological past of the cathedral.

Best time to visit

  • The third and final restoration phase of the Lam Gods is expected to end in spring 2027.
  • During the restoration, seven of the twenty panels are replaced by HD photographs.
  • The church stays open to visitors while the restoration work goes on.

With kids

  • Children under 12 must be with a parent or an adult aged 16 or over.
  • A kids tour with playful additions is suitable from age six.
  • The children's augmented reality tour is available only in Dutch, French and English.

Interesting facts5

1/5
  1. 1559

    The choir holds a 1559 painting by Lucas de Heere. It shows the Queen of Sheba visiting King Solomon, and Solomon is shown as Philip II of Spain.

    Saint Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent - Wikipedia

  2. Charles V was baptized in this church.

    Saint Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent - Wikipedia

  3. The reliquaries include the heads of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Macarius.

    Saint Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent - Wikipedia

  4. Seven bells hang in the tower. The heaviest, called Bavo, weighs 5,500 kg.

    Sint-Baafskathedraal - Wikipedia

  5. Artist Kris Martin placed the sculpture Idiot 4 on the roof.

    St.-Bavo-Kathedrale (Gent) - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

The church was first a parish church dedicated to Saint John. A Romanesque church followed in the mid-12th century, and its crypt has survived. Gothic building followed, with the choir renewed in the early 14th century and the 89-metre west tower begun in 1462.

  1. 942Transmarus, bishop of Tournai and Noyon, consecrates a wooden chapel on this site.
  2. 1559The church becomes a cathedral when the Diocese of Ghent is founded.
  3. 1566Calvinist iconoclasts smash the stained-glass windows and statues. The altarpiece survives.
  4. 1628 and 1640Two fires destroy the spire and part of the building.
  5. 1935The Klais organ from the world exhibition is installed in the cathedral.

Accessibility

  • Step-free entry The cathedral is fully accessible to wheelchair users. For safety reasons, at most two wheelchair users may enter per time slot.

Sources: Saint Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent - Wikipedia · Ghent - Wikivoyage (see) · Welkom | Sint-Baafs Kathedraal Gent · Type tour | Sint-Baafs Kathedraal Gent · Groepen | Sint-Baafs Kathedraal Gent · St.-Bavo-Kathedrale (Gent) - Wikipedia · Cathédrale Saint-Bavon de Gand - Wikipedia · Sint-Baafskathedraal - Wikipedia · checked 25 Oct 2026

Where
Sint-Baafsplein, Ghent

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

How do I get to St Bavo's Cathedral in Ghent?

Tram lines 1 and 4 stop at Sint-Baafsplein, the square where the cathedral stands.

What are the opening hours of St Bavo's Cathedral?

It is open Monday to Saturday from 08:30 to 17:30, and on Sunday from 13:00 to 17:30.

Is St Bavo's Cathedral suitable for children?

Children under 12 must be with a parent or an adult aged 16 or over. A kids tour with playful additions is suitable from age six.

Is St Bavo's Cathedral wheelchair accessible?

The cathedral is fully accessible to wheelchair users. For safety, at most two wheelchair users may enter per time slot.

Can you still see the Ghent Altarpiece at St Bavo's Cathedral during the restoration?

The original altarpiece is temporarily and partly closed, but visitors can watch the conservation work through a glass wall. The restoration is expected to end in spring 2027.

How invme works
  1. See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
  2. Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
  3. Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.
Join free

Reviews on invme

Sign in to review
Comment Share
Loading comments…