The Beauty Of Churches

Europe

Norway

Borgund Stave Church in Borgund, Norway is made of wood. This is a medieval wooden church that was built in 1250. It is one of the best-preserved wooden churches in Europe. The church has four dragon heads carved into the roof gables and carvings around the inside archways.

Iceland

Hallgrimskirkja is a famous church and the tallest building in the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik. It takes sixth place in the tallest structures in the country. Hallgrimskirkja was finished in 1986 and sits atop a hill overlooking Reykjavik. Inside the Lutheran church, there is an elevator that will take you to the top of the central tower for spectacular views over the city and surrounding areas. The church was built in honor of Hallgimur Petursson one of Iceland's best-known poets.

England

Westminster Abbey is a very well-known church in the capital of England, London. It was built in the 10th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The church is where the British monarchs have been coronated for centuries. The present church dates back to 1065. Many royals have found their final resting place here as well as the country's poets and writers among them Chaucer, Dickens, and TS Eliot. They are memorialized inside the section known as Poet's Corner.

France

Notre Dame Cathedral is located right in the heart of the capital of France, Paris. The cathedral reflects the traditional medieval style, It has become a major tourist attraction. It was designed in the Gothic style with towers rising high into the sky. Along the walls, you'll find many statues and the south tower is home to the largest bell called Emmanuel that weights 11 tons.

Mont Saint Michel Abbey sits on an island just off the coast of France and is accessible by a tiny causeway. The construction of the abbey began in the 10th century. Walking through its halls you'll be transported back into the Middle Ages.

Sacre-Coeur Basilica is located in the popular Paris neighborhood of Montmarte. It is the second most visited monument in the city. The church was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and constructed in 1914. The Catholic church has impressive Byzantine architecture and was built with white stone. It is home to the world's largest mosaic covering the basilica's apse.

Germany

Kolner Dom is one of the most popular landmarks in Germany, It is located in the city of Cologne and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is the tallest cathedral in the world and the second tallest church in Europe. Kolner Dom has impressive towering spires and an elegant main entrance.

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies or Wieskirche is located in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps in Steingaden, Germany. The oval church was built in the mid-18th century in the Rococo style. The interior is impressive all in white and gold.

Austria

St. Stephen's Church in the heart of Vienna, the capital of Austria was built in the Gothic style. The tower of the church is a beacon for people trying to find their way in the city. The roof is covered in multi-colored tiles in different patterns and the front of the church showcases its Romanesque origins. St. Stephen's Church date back to 1147 and is looked upon as being the most important Catholic landmark in the city.

Bulgaria

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia is a lovely church built in the Neo-Byzantine style with gold-plated domes. It is one of the most prominent landmarks in the city. The church was completed in 1912 and is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world.

Czech Republic

St. Vitus Cathedral is located within Prague Castle in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. It is an impressive 14th-century Gothic landmark. The cathedral has lovely stained glass windows. In the St. Wenceslas Chapel, you find the tomb of St, Wenceslas, one of the primary patron saints of the Czech Republic.

Slovenia

Church of the Assumption is located in Lake Bled, Slovenia. The church actually sits in the middle of Lake Bled on a small island near Slovenia's Alps. The church is accessible by small, traditional wooden boats and a Baroque staircase connects it with the island dock. Local superstition has it that any visitors to this 17th-century church, who ring the church bell three times can make one wish which will come true.

Italy

St. Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world and is located in Vatican City. It is the epicenter of Catholicism. The basilica is the final resting place of St. Peter the favored apostle of Christ and has become a pilgrimage destination for devout Catholics. The basilica sits on St. Peter's Square.

Duomo di Milano is a beautiful church in the Piazza del Duomo in Milan, Italy. It is the fifth-largest Christian church in the world and also one of the oldest. The church has about 3,400 statues, 135 gargoyles, and 700 figures decorating it. Duomo di Milano is a huge Gothic masterpiece taking nearly six centuries to complete.

St. Mark's Basilica sits on the famous Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy. It is one of the best examples of Italian Byzantine architecture. A great deal of gold was used in building the basilica in the 11th century and so it earned the nickname "Church of Gold." On the front facade of the basilica is a golden-winged lion and in the interior, you'll find golden mosaics.

Spain

The Cathedral Basilica Del Pilar in Zaragoza is supposedly the first church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Legend has it that the Virgin Mary appeared to St. James on this very spot, giving him a column of jasper and telling him to build a church in her honor. The chapels were built around the pillar, then churches, and finally the lovely basilica that stand there today. The exterior has four towers and a tiled roof designed in the regional Mudejar style.

Malta

St. John's Co-Cathedral in the capital of Malta, Valletta showcases the importance of Christianity in the country. This 16th-century cathedral was renovated in the 17th century with opulent Baroque decor with lots of frescos, marble, and gold. It is home to two artworks by famed Italian painter Caravaggio, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Jerome Writing.

Georgia

Gergeti Trinity Church near the village of Gergeti and was built in the 14th century. It is the only cross-cupola church in Khevi province. The church is located on a steep mountain and is often visited by mountain trekkers.

Russia

Saint Basil's Cathedral is a famous church located in the capital of Russia, Moscow. It has nine chapels all built on one foundation. The interior has a maze of galleries winding from chapel to chapel with narrow stairways and low arches. It is one of the most prominent and colorful churches in the world. It is a valued part of the Russian Orthodox religion.

Church of the Transfiguration is located on Kizhi Island in Russia. The church is in the rural countryside of western Russia on an island lake. The wooden church dates back to the 18th century. Across the roof of the church are 22 separate domes. The entire historical complex on Kizhi Island along with the church is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Turkey

Hagia Sophia has been a Greek Orthodox Church, a Roman Catholic Church, a Mosque, and is now a national museum. It is one of the most famous churches in the world. Located in Istanbul it overlooks the crossing between the continents of Europe and Asia. Completed in 537 it was a Christian place of worship for close to 1,000 years before its conversion.

Asia

Israel

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is also known as the Church Of Resurrection. It was supposedly built on the land where Jesus was crucified and then resurrected. It is located in the Old City of Jerusalem in Israel. It contains two holiest sites in Christianity - one where Jesus was crucified called Calvary and the other the empty tomb where Jesus was buried and resurrected.

Palestine

Church of the Nativity is a basilica in Bethlehem a Palestinian city believed to be the birthplace of Jesus. It is one of the most famous churches in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site, It was completed by Roman Emperor Constantine in 333 but destroyed in a revolt and rebuilt in 565.

Africa

Ethiopia

Church of St. George in Lalibela in Ethiopia is a rare church that was rock-hewn. The church digs down below ground level and was carved out of the volcanic soil of Lalibela. It stretches 12 meters down from the surface.

The church forms the shape of a Greek cross and is believed to date from the early 13th century.

North America

USA

New York

St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, New York is one of the most beautiful churches in the US. It has become an iconic landmark located in Midtown Manhattan opposite Rockefeller Center and the Atlas statue. The cathedral was finished in 1878 and built in the Neo-Gothic style.

Arizona

Chapel of The Holy Cross just outside of Sedona in Arizona was completed in 1957. This is a modern church with an angular appearance making it stand out against the rugged landscape. Its most notable feature is the 27-meter high cross that sits in front of the colored glass at its southwestern end.

Canada

Montreal

Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal, Quebec, Canada was finished in 1829 and designed in the Gothic Revival Style. The outside is impressive but the inside really stands out with decor in deep blues, reds, and gold. There is a lovely vaulted ceiling and many wood carvings.

South America

Brazil

The Cathedral of Brasilia in the capital of Brazil, Brasilia was finished in 1970 with 16 concrete columns that bend into the center of the cathedral, leaving space for a glass roof that is decorated with stained glass patterns. The roof gives plenty of light inside of the cathedral and there are three angel sculptures suspended in mid-air.

Columbia

Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira in Columbia is a Roman Catholic Church built in the salt mines about 200 meters underground near the town of Zipaquira. It is one of the most visited sites in the country and a place of pilgrimage. The cathedral stands by the border between Columbia and Ecuador and was built inside a canyon on the Guaitara River.

The cathedral fits into the dramatic landscape with its bridge crossing over the 50-meter drop down to the canyon floor.