Church of Saint-Denis

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.

About this building

Key Features

  • Architecture
  • Monuments

Visitors information

  • Bus stop within 100m
  • Café within 500m

Other nearby buildings

Wikimedia Commons/Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

Abbey of Forest

The abbey of Forest, founded in 1106, lived from its glory days until the 15th century when the abbey was emptied of its inhabitants as a result of wars and epidemics. It was only in the 18th century that the abbey rose again and was rebuilt in its present form. However, this resurrection was short-lived because the French Revolution suppressed the religious community of the abbey and sold the building.

Flickr/Christian Derauw

Church of Saint-Augustin

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.

Antoinist Church of Forest

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.