Across Europe, churches, convents and chapels stand empty and increasingly derelict after faith and church attendance shriveled over the past half century. More of the once-sacred structures are repurposed for anything from clothes shops and climbing walls to night clubs. The phenomenon is seen across much of Europe’s Christian heartland from Portugal to Austria, but really stands out in Flanders, in northern Belgium. Every of the 300 towns in Flanders has about six churches and often not enough faithful to fill a single one.
The basilica in Liège is in the process of being changed into a climbing facility. I’m really eager to see it!