St Michael's Church (Sint-Michielskerk) is the late Gothic church on the west bank of the Leie in Ghent, at the end of St Michael's Bridge. Building began around 1440 and dragged on for centuries, and its tower, once planned to rise to 134 metres, was never finished: it still ends in a flat roof. Inside hangs one of the best-known paintings in the city, Anthony van Dyck's Crucifixion.
St Michael's Church at a glance
- Where: Sint-Michielsplein, on the west bank of the Leie, across St Michael's Bridge from the Korenmarkt.
- Built: begun around 1440; the western half finished in 1528, the choir rebuilt from 1623 and the tower given a flat roof in the 1820s.
- What it is today: a Catholic parish church with free entry, known for its Baroque paintings and its stubby tower.
- Time needed: 20–30 minutes.
A church built in two rounds
A chapel of St Michael stood here by 1105, and it became an independent parish in 1147. The present church was probably begun in 1440. In the first phase the builders raised the western half, with the base of the tower, the three-aisled nave and the transept, which was completed in 1528. Then the religious wars of the 16th century brought work to a halt. In 1578 Calvinists wrecked part of the church, and in 1579 the old choir was pulled down.
Rebuilding started in 1623 with a new choir in Brabantine Gothic style, and a Baroque sacristy followed in 1650–51. In 1662 Lieven Cruyl designed a spire that would have reached 134 metres, far above the 89-metre tower of St Bavo's Cathedral. The money ran out and it was never built; in the 1820s the 46-metre stump received the flat roof it still has. Later surveys found that the soft ground could not have carried a heavy spire anyway, so the lack of funds may have saved the church.
What to look for
- Van Dyck's Crucifixion: painted around 1630 for this church, it shows Christ on the cross with Mary, John, Mary Magdalene and soldiers, and is counted among the finest works of Flemish Baroque painting.
- More Baroque paintings: works by Gaspar de Crayer, Philippe de Champaigne and Jan Boeckhorst, and Otto van Veen's Raising of Lazarus.
- The Loreto chapel: a marble Madonna and Child by Rombaut Pauwels, inspired by Michelangelo's Madonna in the Church of Our Lady in Bruges.
- The carved confessional by François Cruyt, with figures by Michiel van der Voort the Elder, and 18th-century statues such as St Livinus by Laurent Delvaux.
- The tower: from the bridge, notice how the heavy square tower simply stops where the spire should begin.
Free beer for the rioters?
During the iconoclastic riots of 1566, when churches across Flanders were stripped of their images, the brewers' guild, the church's main sponsor, is said to have offered the rioters free beer to keep them away from the interior. It is a story told in Ghent rather than documented history. The church also guards a relic of the Crown of Thorns that tradition links to Mary, Queen of Scots, and a relic of the True Cross given in 1619 by the Archdukes Albert and Isabella.
Tips for your visit
- Stand on St Michael's Bridge for the classic view of Ghent's three towers in a row: St Nicholas' Church, the Belfry and St Bavo's Cathedral.
- Come on a bright day: the paintings hang in fairly dark chapels, and they are easier to see in good daylight.
- It is a working parish church: dress respectfully and stay quiet if a service is going on.
- Combine it with a walk along the Graslei and Korenlei, which start right below the church.
Nearby
- St Michael's Bridge: the stone bridge outside the church, with the best-known view of the old town.
- Graslei and Korenlei: the two quays along the Leie, lined with old guild houses and grain warehouses.
- Korenmarkt: the old grain market across the bridge, with St Nicholas' Church and the former main post office.
- Gravensteen: the castle of the Counts of Flanders, a short walk north along the Leie.
See Ghent with World City Trail
Our Ghent scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 11 stops and takes around 3 hours, with about 30 minutes of walking. St Michael's Church is one of the stops, along with St Michael's Bridge, the Belfry and St Bavo's Cathedral.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Ghent.
Play the Ghent scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Ghent →
Play the outdoor escape game in Ghent →
Facts checked in October 2026.