Belgium

This beautiful 12th-century basilica on Burg Square houses a very sacred relic - a vial said to contain the coagulated blood of Christ, collected at the crucifixion by Joseph of Arimathea.

Built from the 13th to 15th centuries, the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk has a soaring spire that can be seen for miles around. And inside is a great treasure: the only sculpture by Michaelangelo outside Italy.

Built from 1352 to 1520, Antwerp's magnificent Gothic cathedral is the pride of the city. It is the largest church in the Low Countries and houses four original Rubens masterpieces.

Originally an inn for pilgrims on the road to Santiago, this parish church was greatly enlarged by wealthy merchants in 1491. It is best known for sheltering the tomb of the artist Peter Paul Rubens.

Built 1615-21 by the Jesuits, very Baroque church was partly designed by Peter Paul Rubens.

Built in 1878, the Great Synagogue of Brussels is housed in a building often described as "stately Romanesque." The synagogue is active and hosts several Jewish organizations as well.