Legend of the Holy Blood

Sveral drops of Christ's blood, washed from his lifeless body by Joseph of Arimathea, were preserved in a crystal phial in Jerusalem. In 1150, the patriarch of Jerusalem gave the blood to a Flemish soldier, Derrick of Alsace, as thanks for rescuing his city from the Muslims during the Second Crusade. Derrick returned home and donated it to the city. The old, dried blood suddenly turned to liquid, a miracle repeated every Friday for the next two centuries, and verified by thousands of pilgrims from around Europe who flocked here to adore it. The blood dried up for good in 1325.
Basilica of the Holy Blood

The gleaming gold knights and ladies on the church's gray facade remind us that the double decker church was built by a brave Crusader to house the drops of Christ's blood he brought back from Jerusalem.
We went inside the church and it was amazing. To respect the church and worshippers inside, no pictures were allowed to be taken. We also got to view the relic of christ's blood which was cased inside a crystal phial and protected by a glass case. The was someone there guarding it the whole time and each time someone walks by and touches the glass, she wipes it off with a sterile cloth...after every touch.

The building on the left is the City Hall and the Basilica is on the right.

A view of the bell tower.

The Old Recorder's House...

This statue depicts two friends Jan Breidel and Pieter de Coninc, cluthing sword and shield and looking toward France during their 1302 people's uprising against the French king. This is the center of Market Square.

The Post Office...


This is another view of the Old Recorder's House (left) and City Hall (middle).