For my birthday some of my friends joined me in visiting the Cathedral in Tournai. We went by train. Tournai is easily reachable from Brussels though we had to do some transfers from my place before we could get there.

From the station we first went to the Tour Henri VIII. Tournai is the only Belgian city ever to have been conquered by the English and this tower is one of the sole survivors of this period. Also nearby is the Pont Des trous which is also a nice sight.

We went on to the Grand Place. And it struck me how beautifull this market was. You got a great view on the world heritage belfry. I'm also guessing something was going on that day as most of the statues we came across were dressed up. As probably stated before, the belfry is definitly worth it. Being the oldest in Belgium, being nicely restored and offering a beautifull view to the cathedral. After visiting 19 belfries, this one comes out as one of the best for the moment.

Onto the cathedral, which is undergoing restoration. Some parts are entirely wrapped in scaffolding. Especially the nave's exterior is nicely tucked in. The size of the building is puzzling to me. I expected the towers to be somewhat bigger, but the building itself is quite big. I especially love the purple colour of the roofs.

The gothic choir inside was entirely sealed up and filled to the brim with scaffolding. Some parts of the floor in the cathedral are opened up, for archeological research I presume. The nave itself was quite beautifull, especially the rosary window and the old statues outside at the entrance. The part I liked the most in the cathedral was the rood screen. I found it to be quite beautifull.

For a measely 2 EUR you can visit the treasury, which holds some very nice treasures. Definitly worth it's money.

I can recommend a visit to this (one of the oldest religious) building in Belgium.