Dominating Tournai’s skyline are the five spires of its remarkable cathedral, which survived WWII bombs only for a freak 1999 tornado to compromise its stability. It'll remain a vast building site until at least 2018; what you can see meanwhile depends on the restoration work. Despite the scaffolding, the interior remains a fascinating example of evolving architectural styles, from the magnificent Romanesque nave through a curious bridging transept into an early-Gothic choir whose soaring pillars bend disconcertingly.
The wood-panelled little Chapelle St-Louis is under restoration and its large canvases by Rubens and Jacob Jordaens are currently hidden, but there are some impressive pieces in the treasury , including a fabulous 'Last Judgement' châsse (casket), a chasuble worn by Thomas Becket and a 22m-long 1402 tapestry that culminates in the plague of Tournai.
