Heilige Magdalenakerk | Madeleine in Brugge (St Magdalene's Church
St Magdalene’s Church is one of the earliest neo-Gothic churches in Europe. Today, the church is opened up to a wider audience and also fulfils a connecting role: interactive installations enable you to explore contemporary forms of meaning and spirituality there.
Together, St Magdalene's Church and the Presbytery make up Madeleine in Brugge. The site is operated by YOT, an organisation focused on meaning and spirituality.
The old presbytery was transformed into an inspiration and experience space for a wide range of people and has therefore now taken on renewed social significance. Madeleine's summer bar in the garden offers sustainable short-chain produce. Though it has not been deconsecrated, the church itself is very much an 'activity-based church', with a 17-metre high swing, a cosy coffee bar, interactive installations and quirky works of art. Since 2021, this eco-church has made use of smart LED lighting, long-wave infrared heating and rainwater recovery, amongst other things.
The site as a whole is inspiring: there is time and space for playful and surprising stimuli, for stillness and slowing down, for meeting and connecting and for engaging with society. Every summer from July until the end of September, the church unveils yet another new experiential exhibition. After all, heritage buildings are there for everyone.
Madeleine in Brugge has been recognised as a Flanders Heritage Venue and therefore forms part of that exclusive network of conference venues located at historic heritage sites.
