Church of Our Lady, Lissewege: Detail, interior, nave at crossing

Lissewege is a small village near Bruges. The church is very large in relation to the village; the tower is 50 m high, and was only 2/3 completed. It is an early Gothic nave church with Tournai influences, founded 1225; it is an example of brick architecture. For pilgrims coming from the north, on their way to Santiago de Compostela, their long journey began in Lissewege. Probably the church was financed by sacrificial gifts from the many pilgrims that passed this place. It was also a dependency of the abbey of Ter Doest. Not far from the church, also in the 13th century, a castle was built (called the Upperhof); it is no longer extant. Pierre Fran\u00E7ois Buyck performed restoration work on the church ca. 1850.