Visit the Duomo in Pisa -- a romanesque masterpiece of white marble with black detailing and a cathedral filled with art. Admission is free but requires a time-slot reservation ticket. Pisa Cathedral (Cattedrale Metropolitana Primaziale di Santa Maria Assunta or more commonly simply Duomo di Pisa) is best known for its campanile — the famous leaning tower of Pisa. … [Read more...]
Visit the Baptistery in Pisa (Battistero di Pisa)
The Battistero di Pisa is the largest baptistery in Italy and like the famous leaning tower leans at a slight angle. The white marble Baptistery is in many ways the most beautiful building on Pisa’s field of miracles. It combines a round Romanesque base with Gothic upper floors with dainty details. The white of the marble is often offset beautifully by the green … [Read more...]
Visit the Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral in CĂłrdoba, Andalusia
The Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral in CĂłrdoba is one of Spain’s finest Islamic buildings — a top sight to visit in Andalucia. The Mezquita is the top attraction to see in CĂłrdoba and one of the most important Moorish monuments in Andalusia and Spain. Despite now being a consecrated Roman Catholic cathedral, the highlight remains the thousand-year-old prayer hall of the great … [Read more...]
Tips for Visiting the Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral in CĂłrdoba, Andalusia
Opening hours for visiting the Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral in CĂłrdoba are long. Tickets are best bought online but are also sold onsite. The best time to visit is early morning (sometimes free). The Mezquita Mosque-Cathedral in CĂłrdoba is one of the top sights to see in Andalucia. It is one of the most important Islamic buildings in Spain but as a working Roman Catholic … [Read more...]
Visit the Expressionist Brick Grundtvigs Kirke Church in Copenhagen
The expressionist Grundtvigs Kirke combining brick gothic church architecture with modern style elements is a short bus ride from central Copenhagen. The Grundtvig Memorial Church is one of the most famous churches in Copenhagen. It is a rare example of expressionist church architecture designed by Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint and built during the 1920s and 1930s. It … [Read more...]
Visit the Romanesque-Gothic Havelberger Dom and Cloisters in Germany
The Romanesque-Gothic Dom in Havelberg with its mighty westwork is a popular stop on the Elbe Cycling Route and the StraĂźe der Romanik in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. The Havelberger Dom (St Marien) is a large Romanesque-Gothic cathedral church with an impressive fort-like westwork, a triple-nave basilica, and a large monastery-like complex. The origins of the bishopric … [Read more...]
Visit the Gothic St Michael’s Church (Michaelskirche) in Schwäbisch Hall
St Michael’s in Schwäbisch Hall is a late Gothic church with magnificent vaulting and a surprising amount of art for a Lutheran church. The St Michaelskirche is the main church in the picturesque village Schwäbisch Hall in Baden-WĂĽrttemberg in southern Germany. It is a mostly late Gothic church with an impressive choir and elegant vaulting. The interior is filled with art … [Read more...]
Visit the Gothic Marktkirche with Handel and Bach Organs in Halle
The late Gothic Marktkirche Unser Lieben Frauen in Halle has organs familiar to Handel and Bach, art by Cranach, and four towers from two previous churches. The Marktkirche Unser Lieben Frauen (Market Church of Our Dear Lady), or the Marienkirche (St Mary’s), in Halle an der Saale is a late Gothic hall church built mostly between 1529 and 1554. The original idea was to … [Read more...]
Visit the St.-Jakobs-Kirche (St James Church) in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
The high Gothic St.-Jakobs-Kirche (Church of St James) in Rothenburg ob der Tauber is full of art including the Holy Blood Altar by Tilman Riemenschneider. The St.-Jakobs-Kirche (Church of St James) is the largest church in the wall-enclosed medieval city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in northern Bavaria in Germany. This High Gothic church is filled with art in … [Read more...]
Visit the Le Corbusier Chapel in Ronchamp, France
The iconic post-modern Chapelle Notre Dame du Haut de Ronchamp designed by Le Corbusier is a popular site to visit for religious pilgrims and architecture lovers. The whitewashed concrete post-modern Chapel of Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, France, is one of the most instantly recognizable designs of the twentieth century. The small chapel was designed by the Swiss … [Read more...]
Visit the St Petri Dom Cathedral in Schleswig, Germany
The wood-carved Bordesholm Altar and marble cenotaph of Danish King Fredrick I are art highlights in the brick Gothic St Peter’s Cathedral in Schleswig. St. Petri Dom zu Schleswig (Cathedral of St Peter at Schleswig) is one of the most important and most impressive historic buildings in Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. It combines Romanesque and Gothic styles and is … [Read more...]
Visit Saint Ouen – a Huge Gothic Abbey Church in Rouen
The High Gothic Church of St Ouen in Rouen with marvelous stained-glass windows and a magnificent CavaillĂ©-Coll organ is even bigger than Rouen cathedral. The former Benedictine abbey (abbaye) church of St Ouen in Rouen, Normandy, is one of the jewels of Gothic architecture. Many bishoprics would be honored to have such a church as a cathedral but in Rouen, it plays a … [Read more...]