Religious buildings display some of the world’s greatest architecture, probably because man values his religion above most other things. Since the cathedrals, wats, and mosques are a visible expression of that religion, man invests much time, energy, and money into making these hallowed places magnificent.
There is no better place to see these incredible religious structures than Europe, the seat of Western Civilization for the last two thousand years. As you travel throughout Europe, you will be amazed at the beautiful and ornate extravagance that has been invested in these buildings.
The following photos represent some of the very best of these structures and are all excellent places to visit:
In France, you will find
Chartres Cathedral
and
Notre Dame Cathedral
and
Sacre Coeur
and
Notre Dame Cathedral
In Italy, you will find cathedrals everywhere. Some of the most important and most beautiful are listed below. In Rome you can see
St Peter's Basilica
and
Santa Maria in Trastevere
In Assisi, there is the very famous
St Francis BasilicaFlorence is the Renaissance City and home of several gorgeous churches. Santa Croce
and
Duomo, Florence
and
Santa Maria NovellaThe iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa is part of a beautiful religious ensemble. Cathedral, Baptistry, and Campanile, Pisa
and one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world can be found in Milan.
Duomo, MilanSiena is another wonderful city and its cathedral is as impressive as any in the country.Duomo
There are also some beautiful churches in England; London has several
St Paul's Cathedral
and
Westminster AbbeyIn York you can find the MinsterYork Minster
and, of course, there is the famous
Canterbury Cathedral
In Scotland, the most famous church is
St Giles Cathedral
Spain is another country with a wealth of beautiful churches. El Escorial, northwest of Madrid, was both a church and a royal residence
El Escorial
Another view of this great structure
El Escorial
In Seville is Spain’s largest cathedral with its distinctive bell tower
Cathedral & Giralda, Seville
In Salamanca, the Old and New Cathedrals are physically connected
Old-New Cathedral
Segovia’s Cathedral has lovely spires and appears graceful
Cathedral, Segovia
while in Avila the Cathedral is built into the walls of the city
Cathedral, AvilaIn Belgium, the delightful city of Bruges has two noteworthy churches, the Church of Our Lady Church of Our Lady
and the Basilica of the Holy Blood
Basilica of the Holy Blood
in the corner of Burg Square. Its interior is very
Altar, Basilica of the Holy Blood
distinctive
Moving further east, we can admire Stephansdom in Vienna
Giant's Doorway, Stephansdom
with its distinctive roof tiles
Stephansdom
Prague is one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Its famous cathedral, St Vitus, is located within the Prague Castle complex
St Vitus CathedralAlso in Prague, on the Old Town Square are two interesting churches, Tyn Church which rises impressively above the square Tyn Church, Old Town Square
and St Nicholas Church which occupies a corner of the square
St Nicholas Church, Prague
In Budapest, St Mathias Church is associated with the castle
St Mathias Church
In Switzerland, you will marvel at the Munster in Bern, with its interesting door carving of heaven and hell
Munster Door, Bern
as well as the Church of Saints Peter & Paul
St Peter & Paul Church, Bern
Another beautiful church is found in Arlesheim. The Cathedral here is lovely on the outside
Exterior, Arlesheim Cathedral
and inside
Interior of Arlesheim Cathedral
My favorite church in Germany is the Wieskirche, a small but lovely church near the southern terminus of the Romantic Road.
Wieskirche
The spectacular interior looks like this.
Interior, Wieskirche
Greece isn’t known for its churches but this one in Santorini is beautiful.
Thira, Santorini, Church
