Cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp

Standing before the Cathedral of Our Lady, it's hard to imagine that this magnificent Gothic structure began as a modest parish church way back in the 7th century, dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Then the Vikings came. Their raids in 836 levelled the building, and it was rebuilt and rededicated to Saint Michael, as if a fresh name might bring better luck.

The medieval centuries brought more drama. A group of rebellious secular priests occupied the site in the 9th century, openly rejecting Rome's authority. It took until 1124 for the Bishop of Cambrai to finally talk them into founding a proper abbey. Saint Michael's Abbey, as it became known, grew steadily in prestige, and by 1352 construction began on a church grand enough to match those ambitions. Nearly 200 years of building work later, in 1521, the cathedral we see today was finally complete.

But peace remained elusive. Protestant forces looted the church in 1566, and by 1581 they controlled it entirely. Fourteen years later, the Catholics were back in charge, and have held it ever since.

Given everything this building has survived, the tourists wandering through with their selfie sticks might just be the most peaceful visitors it has ever had.