Abbey of Forest

The church of Saint-Denis is a religious building whose oldest foundations date back to the 11th century, around the time of the founding of the village of Forest. The present building, which includes the sanctuary dedicated to Saint Alène, dates from the 13th century and is in Gothic style. The bell tower was raised by two floors in the 18th century. In 1925-1926, an important restoration of the ensemble was carried out by Chrétien Veraart, restoring to the building a luminosity that it had lost.

The church of Saint-Augustin was built in 1935. The church is an example of Art Deco religious architecture in Belgium. The architects Léon Guiannotte and André Watteyne were commissioned to draw up the plans for the church. Most of the work was carried out in two years (1933-1935). In the 1980s, the building deteriorated badly, but thanks to the new interest in art deco in Brussels, the church escaped demolition (requested by the engineers of the Brussels metro) and was classified as a national heritage site in 1988.

The Antoinist church on Boulevard Guillaume Van Haelen was built in an eclectic style in 1915 by the architect Charles Rifflart. The Antinista cult is a Christian-inspired healing cult founded in 1910 by Louis-Joseph Antoine (1846-1912) in the province of Liège. It is characterised by simple rites. It is the only religion born in Belgium and whose fame and success has spread beyond the borders. The Antoinist church of Forest was desecrated in 2016 and now hosts exhibitions and other events.