Sint-Maartenskerk
Historic church · Ieper · Flanders
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Sint-Maartenskerk, Ypres's towering former cathedral, rises 102 meters over the market square, among the tallest buildings in Belgium. Built in Gothic style between 1230 and 1370, it was reduced to rubble in World War One and entirely rebuilt between 1922 and 1930, its spire raised higher than the original. Inside lie the tombs of bishop Cornelius Jansen and Robert III of Flanders, the Lion of Flanders.
The tower can still be climbed for a panoramic view over Ypres and the flat West Flanders countryside beyond, an unusually generous vantage for the region's church towers. Inside, stained glass windows and centuries-old tombstones set into the floor mark the church's long use as the city's principal place of worship. Shelling reduced the church to rubble starting in May 1915, as Ypres sat directly on the WWI front line, and the neighbouring Cloth Hall suffered the same fate. Restorers cleared the ruins and rebuilt both faithfully between 1922 and 1930, following the original Gothic plans almost stone for stone.
gothic churchwwi reconstructionbell towermarket square
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Common questions
- Why stop at Sint-Maartenskerk on a bike ride?
- Sint-Maartenskerk, Ypres's towering former cathedral, rises 102 meters over the market square, among the tallest buildings in Belgium. Built in Gothic style between 1230 and 1370, it was reduced to rubble in World War One and entirely rebuilt between 1922 and 1930, its spire raised higher than the original. Inside lie the tombs of bishop Cornelius Jansen and Robert III of Flanders, the Lion of Flanders.
- Where is Sint-Maartenskerk?
- Sint-Maartenskerk is in Ieper, Flanders (Belgium).