From almost any elevated point in Bruges — the Belfry, the rampart parks, the rooftops — you can see the city's skyline of church spires. It's essentially unchanged since the 16th century.

The Belfry (83m) isn't a church, but it dominates. Built as a symbol of civic power — the market hall bell tower asserting the city's commercial independence from church and nobility.

The Church of Our Lady (115.5m) has the tallest brick tower in the world. Started in the 13th century, it took 200 years to reach its current height. Inside: the Michelangelo Madonna.

Sint-Salvatorskathedraal is technically the oldest church in Bruges — parts date from the 10th century. The tower is squat and military-looking because it was originally a Romanesque fortress-church. It became the cathedral almost by accident after the French Revolution destroyed the original cathedral.

Sint-Jakobskerk served the wealthy merchants of the northern quarter. It's rich in art — paintings, sculptures, and decorated tombs of the trading families who funded it.

Sint-Annakerk in the eastern quarter is simpler — a neighbourhood church with a beautiful Baroque interior that surprises visitors who expect plainness.

Sint-Walburgakerk on Sint-Maartensplein is the most dramatically Baroque church in Bruges. Jesuits built it in 1619-1641 with a marble interior that's more Antwerp than Bruges.

Sint-Gilliskerk, the northernmost, is the most 'local' — rarely visited by tourists, attended by the residents of the Sint-Gillis quarter, and quietly charming.