National Basilica of the Sacred Heart

Koekelberg, Belgium

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

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Perched on the Koekelberg Plateau in Brussels, the National Basilica of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic minor basilica built in reinforced concrete, designed by architects Paul Rome, Albert Van Huffel, and Pierre Langerock. King Leopold II laid the first stone in 1905 to commemorate Belgium's 75th anniversary of independence; construction was interrupted by the world wars and completed only in 1970. The massive structure fuses Art Deco and Byzantine Revival styles, dominated by a green copper dome rising 89 metres above ground, with two flanking towers that accent the composition. Belonging to the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels, it ranks as the 17th largest church by area globally and Belgium's largest, anchoring Elisabeth Park at the head of the Koekelberg district and shaping the city's north-western skyline.