Sint Jan Cathedral in Den Bosch

Sint Jan took roughly two centuries to build and is the high point of Brabantine Gothic in the Netherlands: a long nave, double aisles, and an exterior encrusted with carving. The detail people come for sits on the flying buttresses, where small stone figures straddle the arches as if climbing towards the roof, a set of around ninety that has been replaced and recut through successive restorations. One modern replacement holds a mobile phone, which is easy to miss and hard to unsee afterwards. Inside there is a large decorated organ case, a bronze font and dark brick vaulting. The town around it was the home of the painter Hieronymus Bosch.

What you actually see

• The buttress figures - the carved climbers on the flying arches, best picked out with binoculars.
• The nave and vaults - double aisles and brick vaulting on a scale unusual in this country.
• The organ case - the large decorated case on the west wall.
• The tower climb - the stair up the older west tower, with the roofscape and the carvings at close range.

When to go

Open all year, with services taking priority on Sunday mornings. The tower climb runs seasonally and in timed groups, so check before arriving. Late afternoon light on the south side shows the buttress carvings best. The city is at its busiest on summer weekends and during the carnival period in late winter.

Honest expectations

The exterior detail sits high above the ground and is largely invisible without a long lens, which disappoints people who came for the figures. Restoration scaffolding has been close to permanent for decades and usually covers one elevation. The interior is dim, and the tower stair is narrow, steep and not for everyone.

Nearby

The Binnendieze, the covered river channels running under the old town, is a short walk and best seen by boat.