My Top 10 European Churches
Everyone has something they have to see or do when they go on trips: old ruins, local cuisine, famous landmark, or things like that. Me, I'm a steeple chaser. I love cathedrals! The architecture, the stories, the feeling I get every time I walk into a holy place, it never gets old for me. Below are the Top Ten Churches I have seen on my travels in Europe. This is not a ranking, just a list, because, for me, no church is better than another; each has a great story, and is beautiful in a different way.
1. Notre Dame
Paris, France
Team Amplify were some of the first visitors Swags and I took to see Notre Dame. Thank you to Victor Hugo for saving this Parisian gem.
2. Sagrada Familia
Barcelona, Spain
3. Basilique St. Sernin
Toulouse, France
Beautiful symmetry and use of bricks for this Romanesque style church.
4. Berlin Cathedral
Berlin, Germany
Not usually a must see for people that visit Berlin, but for me it was the first sight that I sought out. Awesome domes!
5. Mont St. Michel
Bretagne, France
Built on a sand bar and only accessible when the tide goes out, this is a must-visit when exploring the Brittany region of France.
6. Westminster Abbey
London, United Kingdom
The most famous of English cathedrals did not disappoint, and is easily one of the best kept of the old cathedrals in Europe.
7. St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral
Nice, France
A throwback to the days when Russian royalty would vacation in southern France, it is the largest Russian Orthodox cathedral in Western Europe.
8. Temple Expiatori Sagrat Cor
Barcelona, Spain
A newer cathedral, but its location and unique structure - built on a crypt - make it one of the coolest churches I have visited.
9. Notre Dame de l'Assomption
Sainte-Mère-Église, France
Around 13,100 paratroopers of the U.S. 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne Divisions took part in the D-Day invasion. One unfortunate soldier got stuck on this church.
10. Saint Peter's Basilica
Rome, Italy
The Vatican, if you like churches, is the Holy Grail of sacred places. While St. Peter's is technically not a cathedral, it definitely deserves to make my list, anyway!