St. Nicholas Church is one of the oldest and most famous monuments in Ghent. Its construction began in the early twelfth century as a replacement for the old Romanesque church. Construction continued through the rest of the century in the local Gothic style. Here you will see the blue-gray stone from Tournai, and the only large tower above The crossing, the beautifully designed towers in the corners of the building, the central tower, partly financed by the city, served as a lookout point and carried the city's bells until the nearby Gent city bell was built.