Top 5 Cathedrals to Visit in Europe

Top 5 Cathedrals to Visit in Europe. Plus a Bonus One!

Europe has so many beautiful places to visit, especially the old and imposing Cathedrals which are so amazing that we could definitely do a top 10 article. I prefer a shorter one, though, to show you only 5 of them. I also added one that could not miss from this list, although now it is not a religious destination anymore but a museum. A subjective top, of course, of the ones we have already visited. A top with no number 1 or number 5 because they could all be number one. Let’s start the list with the first one:

1.Sagrada Familia

From my point of view this is one of the most beautiful Cathedrals in the world. Probably one of the most beautiful constructions on Earth! All these words are too modest to describe this wonder. The construction started in 1882 and the completion year is set to be 2026 but it is relative because time for Sagrada Familia is relative. Guadi – the genius architect of the Cathedral said “my client is not in a hurry” and he even died a long time before its completion. But this means nothing because his plans are still alive and are respected with every detail. With its 18 towers that will guard Barcelona in the end, with the 12 apostles and the 4 evangelists, with Virgin Mary and Jesus on the main tower, which will reach 170 m tall, Sagrada Familia will become one of Christianity’s centers. You can contribute to the construction of the Cathedral because most of the money used to build it originate from entry tickets and donations. Take a look at what might be the final result in 2026.

2. The Cathedral in Koln

It is one of those Cathedrals that cannot be confused. 157 m tall with black walls, it has been looking over the Rhine for hundreds of years. Apparently it is the tallest and most known gothic Cathedral in Europe. It is hard to take a picture in front of it and capture it in its entirety since it’s very tall. And its position is the one that gives it even more aesthetic value, as it is next to the river and at the bottom of the bridge. A bridge that has probably doubled its weight because of couples putting love locks on it. The entrance in the Cathedral is free and the most beautiful story about it is when Koln was bombed by the aviation of the allies that almost completely destroyed the city but the Cathedral remained standing. Luck or a miracle? Who knows?

3. Saint Paul – London

London is on this list with the Saint Paul Cathedral. A huge Cathedral in the middle of the city, which through its height is on the same level as skyscrapers in the same city. It is huge and if we remember it has the form of the middle of the 17h century, we will treasure today’s skyscrapers less than the Cathedral.

In the Dom upstairs, there are some small holes and if you whisper something in the all you will hear it on the other side. Interesting. In addition, the panorama from the top is impressive.

The basement hosts the bodies of some of the most important people in Great Britain.

4. Notre Dame – Paris

A well-deserved spot in this list is occupied by the most known Cathedral in France. Notre Dame is without a doubt the heart of the French church dating back from the 14th century. Built on the spot of an old Roman temple, it is a pilgrimage place and a tourist attraction.

It is absolutely huge, it can host over 10,000 people for service and the two towers, both 69m tall, offer even more grandeur to the construction.

I really thought the way the light “sneaks in” the Cathedral is impressive. Although it seems dark inside, the construction workers found amazing solutions to make the natural light sparkle.

Even know, with today’s technology, I suppose it wouldn’t be easy for an architect to project such a place

5. St. Peter Basilica – Roma – Vatican

I told you it’s not a top from 1 to 5 but rather a random order. The St. Peter Basilica in Rome, the foundation of Christianity, the place for coronation of the world’s kings, could not be on place 5. The resting place of the first ever pope in history – St. Peter who rests here, along with other famous popes.

The center and the heart of Vatican usually has a waiting line of thousands of people that want to go inside and visit it.

With a surface of 15,000 square meters and a height of 119 meters, it is the biggest church in the world and it has an access to the small balcony in the top which offers a panorama of Rome. That is wonderful. I went up and I have to warn you that it is not easy to get to.

This is the place where every holy holiday, the little window on the right of the Cathedral opens and the pope addresses the people.

Humanity would be poorer without this Cathedral, as for hundreds of years it has been bringing hope and faith to people all around the world.

Because I promised you a bonus one.

Because everything has a start, I cannot miss this one from the list. All of the above were built after this one and somehow they copied maybe its architecture, maybe the interior.

St. Sophia in Istanbul

A huge cathedral with such a tragic destiny sometimes. Fires, earthquakes, and conquests that have transformed it into a mosque. These are the things in history that have been destined for it. After 900 years it became a church, then almost 500 years later it became a mosque, from 1934 it has become a museum because of the founder of modern Turkey, Ataturk. Maybe it is the best thing it could’ve happened for this place. A religious place that belongs to the world, not only to one religion. The interior is full of Arab signs and golden Christian mosaics.

There are many legends about St. Sofia and I will tell you about one of them.

It is said that when the turks entered the church, in 1453, while the priests were holding their last service, a group of soldiers supervised the attack and ran through tunnels, being followed by enemies. Not having a way to escape, they prayed to God to not fall in the hands of the enemies and God turned them into stone. One of them had his hand turned into a stone on the handle of the spade and taken out of its cover as much as the length of a hand. It is said that when the spade will be taken out of its cover, the end of the world will come. And the ones that know the statue say that it only has the length of one hand to be completely out.

What Cathedrals have you visited? What is your top?