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.
Some of them are breathtaking achievements of architecture, especially for their time. Even if humanity one day scoffs at their original purpose, the buildings themselves? Use em for whatever need they best serve.