Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Parking Lot Shoeprints
Dewey Square Pylon & Bent 38
Black Rocks of Pungo Andongo
Abandoned Observatory of the Pioneer Palace
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Two suitcases in an empty airport hall.
AO Mailbag: Is It Normal to Share a Checked Bag With Your Boyfriend?
1 day ago
Kolaches
How Texas Became an Unlikely Epicenter for Czech Pastries
3 days ago
What I Found Driving Across Northern Michigan
3 days ago
What I Found Driving Down Highway 61
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the Netherlands Oudenbosch Basiliek Oudenbosch

Basiliek Oudenbosch

Scale model of St. Peter's Cathedral (Rome) in the middle of a small Dutch town.

Oudenbosch, Netherlands

Added By
cjwvos
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotos_van_jol...
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotos_van_jol...
St. Peter’s Square in Oudenbosch   http://www.basiliekoudenbosch.nl/index.html
Interior of the basilique   http://www.basiliekoudenbosch.nl/index.html
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotos_van_jol...
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotos_van_jol...
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotos_van_jol...
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

There are several things that will strike you as strange about this Dutch replica of Saint Peter's Cathedral in Oudenbosch. First, it is a monumental piece of neo-classical architecture in a country that has almost none. Its designer, Petrus Cuypers, was a legendary Dutch architect who built the Rijksmuseum and the Central Station in Amsterdam, both of which have come to symbolize Dutch architecture--but this structure is an aesthetic anomaly, both for Cuypers and for Northern Europe.

Built in the late 19th century by a Dutch friar, this Cathedral is a monument to Dutch Catholic's loyalty during the attack on the Vatican by Garibaldi in the 1860s. During that period, about 3000 Dutch Catholics (Zouaves) went to Rome to protect the Papal State. Inspired by St. Peter's Cathedral, friar Willem Hellemons summoned the famous Cuypers (who was also a Roman Catholic) to build a replica in Oudenbosch to replace the old church, which was in very bad shape. Construction began in 1865 and the basilica was finished in 1912. Down to the very paintings on the inside of the dome, the basilica makes an effort to copy St. Peter's.

While the height of the church is not even half that of Saint Peter's in the Vatican, and the internal space is 1/16 that of the larger church, but it is still quite impressive, especially given its unexpected location in a small town in the Netherlands.

Related Tags

Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

A small twenty kilometers west of Breda and 45 kilometers south of Rotterdam, lies in the triangle of motorways A17/A59 from the direction Rotterdam / Dordrecht (Oudenbosch exit), and the A58 from Breda (Rucphen exit), in the countryside, the village of Oudenbosch with its large and famous Basilica. It's a five-minute walk from the Oudenbosch train station, which can be reached by taking one of the hourly Sprinter trains from either Dordrecht or Roosendaal. Within a short two-minute walk of the Baseliek, there is a small botanical garden/arboretum that is also well worth visiting.

Community Contributors

Added By

cjwvos

Edited By

rverdonschot, Henry

  • rverdonschot
  • Henry

Published

August 20, 2009

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.basiliekoudenbosch.nl/index.html
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oudenbosch
Basiliek Oudenbosch
Markt 57
Oudenbosch
Netherlands
51.588734, 4.528596
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Black Madonna Chapel at Kappelberg

Roosendaal, Netherlands

miles away

The Van Gogh Church

Etten-Leur, Netherlands

miles away

Mozesbrug (Moses Bridge)

Halsteren, Netherlands

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Netherlands

Netherlands

Europe

Places 354
Stories 20

Nearby Places

Black Madonna Chapel at Kappelberg

Roosendaal, Netherlands

miles away

The Van Gogh Church

Etten-Leur, Netherlands

miles away

Mozesbrug (Moses Bridge)

Halsteren, Netherlands

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Netherlands

Netherlands

Europe

Places 354
Stories 20

Related Places

  • St Ninian’s Chapel

    Isle of Whithorn, Scotland

    St Ninian’s Chapel

    This medieval pilgrimage site was a key part of the early Christian missionary work in Scotland.

  • Janaki Mandir

    Janakpur, Nepal

    Janaki Mandir

    An enormous white temple that honors the birthplace of a Hindu goddess.

  • Cairn T

    Ballineale, Ireland

    Loughcrew Cairns

    These Neolithic burial mounds and a still-intact passage tomb may have solar calendar significance on the spring and autumn equinoxes.

  • Grand Mosque of Mopti

    Mopti, Mali

    Grand Mosque of Mopti

    Every year, people come together to cover this mud-brick mosque with a fresh layer of earth.

  • Window arch in the City of Rocks.

    Almo, Idaho

    City of Rocks

    This U.S. natural reserve is an ancient spiritual place and rock climber’s paradise.

  • Tham Nang Ene Cave lit up with colorful neon lights.

    Xiangliab, Laos

    Tham Nang Ene Cave

    Mythological depictions of Laos’ national animal make this cave sacred.

  • The Oasis Trail at the Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza.

    Palm Springs, California

    Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza

    An ancient mineral hot spring sits at the middle of this combination cultural center and spa.

  • Remains of the Alishan Sacred Tree

    Alishan, Taiwan

    Alishan Sacred Tree Relics

    You can still see the remains of a sacred 3,000-year-old cypress.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.