The National Basilica of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and parish church situated in Brussels city. Dedicated to the Sacred Heart, its main source of inspiration came from the monumental Basilique du Sacre-Coeur in Paris, France. In 1905, then King Leopold II laid the first stone of the basilica as a symbolic act to mark the start of construction. Unfortunately, subsequent construction efforts were stopped by the two world wars that followed and the church was only completed in 1969, an astonishing long wait it is! Commonly known as the Koekelberg Basilica by locals as it sits atop the Koekelberg Hill, it features two thinner towers and a greenish copper dome that is 89 meters high and can be easily spotted from afar.

While known to be among the top ten largest Roman Catholic Churches in the world, this magnificent beauty is also recognised for being the largest Art Deco building on Earth. With two world records under its belt, this is one place that is simply unmissable! That might not come as a surprise to the history buffs who have read up on King Leopold II, who was known to have an inferiority complex, his inherent desire to outdo the greatest of European powers is not difficult to understand especially with the world titles this basilica holds.