Sint-Jansbasiliek

Neo-Gothic basilica on the Brink, anchor of the annual St John's procession

The neo-Gothic basilica on the Brink was built in the 1920s on the site of an earlier church, with twin towers that dominate the village skyline. Pope Pius XI elevated it to the status of minor basilica in 1937 in recognition of the village's strong Catholic tradition and the importance of the St John pilgrimage.

The interior is unexpectedly grand for so small a village — high vaulted ceilings, stained glass by the Laren-based artist Wim van Woerkom, and a series of murals depicting the legend of Saint John the Baptist. Open to visitors most afternoons.

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The Sint-Janskerk has been the focus of the annual Sint-Jansprocessie on 24 June since the medieval period — when the Dutch Republic banned Catholic processions in 1574, the Laren faithful kept it going clandestinely, and it is one of the few processions in the Netherlands with a continuous tradition stretching back to before the Reformation. The walk leads from the church out to the old St Janskerkhof in the heath.