Saint Nicholas Chapel, Thynes

Location: Belgium Wallonia Dinant

Romanesque remains of an 11th-century church in the old cemetery of Thynes near Dinant – the sanctuary and crypt survive.

Interesting facts

  • The old church was originally dedicated to Saint George.
  • The sanctuary and crypt were kept for their archaeological value.
  • The chapel and crypt have been protected since 22 February 1938.

Why visit

  • A rare 11th-century Romanesque building
  • A quiet spot away from the Meuse

The Saint Nicholas Chapel stands in the former cemetery of Thynes, a village north-east of Dinant. It is what remains of the old parish church, built in the Romanesque style in the 11th century – possibly in 1069 – and originally dedicated to Saint George. The crypt also dates from the 11th century.

In the 19th century the old church was demolished and replaced by a new parish church, which opened for worship in 1875. The sanctuary and the crypt were kept because of their archaeological value. Since 22 February 1938 the chapel and crypt have been protected as heritage of Wallonia.

Services are no longer held here. The crypt is still awaiting a thorough restoration; several projects were never completed.

History

Built in the 11th century (possibly 1069) as the Church of Saint George, demolished in the 19th century except for the sanctuary and crypt, replaced by a new parish church in 1875, protected since 22 February 1938.

Special features

Romanesque sanctuary with an 11th-century crypt in the old cemetery.

Map

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50.27940, 4.98750

Nearby

  • Notre-Dame de Foy Pilgrimage Church

    Dinant, Wallonia

    3.6 km away

    17th-century pilgrimage church in Foy-Notre-Dame near Dinant – with a coffered ceiling of 145 painted oak panels.

    Route
  • Citadel of Dinant

    Dinant, Wallonia

    5.6 km away

    Fortress on the rock above Dinant and the River Meuse – today a museum, also reached by cable car, with views over the town and the river.

    Route
  • Collegiate Church of Our Lady, Dinant

    Dinant, Wallonia

    5.7 km away

    Gothic collegiate church on the Meuse with a distinctive onion-shaped spire against the cliff – Dinant's landmark, with one of the largest church windows in Europe.

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  • Leffe Abbey

    Leffe, Wallonia

    5.8 km away

    Premonstratensian abbey on the Meuse in Dinant-Leffe, founded in 1152 – the namesake of the well-known abbey beer and still home to a community of canons.

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  • Church of Saint George, Leffe

    Leffe, Wallonia

    5.8 km away

    13th-century church in the Leffe district of Dinant on the Meuse – with a Romanesque core and historic flood marks on its portal.

    Route
  • Former Capuchin Convent, Dinant

    Dinant, Wallonia

    5.9 km away

    Early 17th-century convent on the left bank of the Meuse in Dinant – a plain complex around a cloister, today home to municipal social services.

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Sources

  1. Wikipedia (fr): Chapelle Saint-Nicolas de Thynes
  2. Wikidata: Q28497825