Notre-Dame de Paris, France
One of the most famous Gothic cathedrals of the Middle Ages, the gargoyle-topped Notre-Dame de Paris was constructed over 850 years ago in the birthplace of Paris—Île de la Cité. Climb the 387 steps to the top of the 13th-century bell tower, or stroll through the treasury to admire precious relics like the Holy Crown of thorns, believed to be worn by Jesus.
Kamppi Chapel, Finland
The wooden, funnel-shaped Kamppi Chapel was built in one of the busiest squares in Helsinki, but thanks to its sound-proof ceiling (and window-free facade), it has earned the nickname “Chapel of Silence.”
Hallgrímskirkja, Iceland
The shuttle-shaped Lutheran tower is a must-see landmark in Reykjavík. Designed in 1937 (and completed in 1986), the national sanctuary’s design nods to Iceland’s landscape, taking inspiration from the form lava takes when it cools.
La Sagrada Família, Spain
Antoni Gaudí’s Roman Catholic basilica in Barcelona—one of the tallest religious buildings in the world—is just as famous for its ornate, nature-themed Art Nouveau architecture as its unfinished design. After being under construction for over 130 years, the church and its 18 intricately carved towers will debut in 2026, a century after the Spanish architect’s death.
St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Bulgaria
Composed of marble from Munich and mosaics from Venice, the neo-Byzantine cathedral is one of the most symbolic buildings in Bulgaria—and one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world.
San Bernardino alle Ossa, Milan, Italy
Nearly 3,000 skulls and bones line the walls of the ossuary, built in 1210 to store skeletons from the nearby Brolo hospital.
Cologne Cathedral, Germany
The Gothic cathedral’s foundation was first laid in 1248, but Christian churches have sat on this site since the fourth century. Twin towers spiral 515 feet high, dominating the city’s skyline, but the real draw is the gold-encrusted Shrine of the Three Kings, said to hold the bones of the biblical Magi.
Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, Spain
The Moorish mosque, known for its characteristic red-and-white-striped horseshoe arches, was once one of the largest in the Islamic kingdom before being converted to a cathedral in the 13th century.
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Italy
It took nearly two centuries to complete the pink, white, and green-coloured marble facade of Florence’s domed cathedral, inspired by Rome’s Pantheon.
Duomo di Milano, Italy
The largest—and most complex—Gothic-style structure in Italy, Milan’s magnificent Duomo took nearly five centuries to complete.
Heddal Stave Church, Norway
Crafted from cured pine sourced in the surrounding woods, the 12-pillar church was designed using Viking shipbuilding techniques and decorated with a mix of pagan carvings and Christian motifs.
Mont-Saint-Michel, France
Located off the coast of Normandy, the fortified Mont-Saint-Michel and its island monastery have served as a major pilgrimage destination in Europe for centuries, drawing 2.5 million visitors per year.
Notre-Dame de la Garde, France
The neo-Byzantine basilica towers over Marseille’s Vieux Port from its perch on the city’s highest hill. The 360-degree vistas are worth the trip alone—especially at sunset—but so are the sailors’ gifts of gratitude: model ships dangling like dreamcatchers from the ceiling.
Sainte-Chapelle, Paris, France
Commissioned by King Louis IX as a chapel for the royal palace, the 13th-century Gothic beauty was designed to house one of Christianity’s most revered relics, Christ’s crown of thorns, now displayed at neighbouring Notre-Dame. The UNESCO World Heritage site still boasts plenty of priceless art in the form of 6,000 square feet of stained-glass windows, painted with more than 1,000 biblical scenes.
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
The Camino de Santiago pilgrimage routes culminate in front of the Romanesque Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela, where the tomb of Saint James the Apostle lies beneath the main altar.
St. Stephen's Cathedral, Austria
Vienna’s symbolic, 700-year-old cathedral is topped by four towers, the tallest of which stretches nearly 150 metres high and took 65 years to build. Even more impressive is the colourful, diamond-patterned tile roof emblazoned with the Austrian eagle.
Church of Saint Sava, Serbia
Visible from almost any spot in the city of Belgrade, the Church of Saint Sava is the largest Serbian Orthodox church, topped by a 4,000-ton dome, 18 gold-plated crosses, and 49 bells that chime daily at noon.
St. Vitus Cathedral, Czech Republic
Prague Castle’s French Gothic-inspired cathedral, where Czech coronations took place, follows a succession of churches (including the original Romanesque rotunda) and took 600 years to construct, debuting its finished design in 1929.
St. John's Co-Cathedral, Malta
In an effort to rival the magnificent cathedrals in Rome, the Knights of Malta built the Baroque beauty in the 16th century as the centerpiece of the fortified capital city of Valletta. Admire Caravaggio’s painting, “The Beheading of St. John the Baptist,” and watch where you step—inlaid marble tombstones of the knights of the Order of Malta tile the floor.
Ciuflea Monastery, Moldova
Constructed in the mid-1800s, the monastery of Ciuflea became the head of the Moldova Church after the main church of Chișinău, the Nativity Cathedral, was transformed into an exhibition centre during the Soviet period. Over time, the monastery has accumulated many relics of the saints and icons considered to be miraculous.
