Churches, Tours

A Royal City since the year 1100, Bourges is growing in size and prosperity. In the upper part of the town, the Great Tower, which is the twin of the keep at the Louvre, is the symbol of Royal Power. http://www.ville-bourges.fr/_en/site/cathedral

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, is the most visited monument in France. It was built in the Middle Ages, at the far end of the Île de la Cité. Work started in the 13th century and finished in the 15th century. Badly damaged during the French Revolution, the cathedral was restored in the 19th century by the architect Viollet-le-Duc. Its many visitors come to admire its stained glass and rose windows, the towers, the steeple and the gargoyles. They can also discover the Notre-Dame treasury and have a go at climbing the towers to enjoy a panoramic view of Paris. In 2013, Notre-Dame is celebrated its 850th anniversary. For this occasion, many events were organized and the cathedral renewed its bells with the arrival of eight new bells as well as a new great bell. Road distances from Paris in France are calculated from point 0 on the cathedral forecourt. https://en.parisinfo.com/paris-museum-monument/71475/Cathedrale-Notre-Dame-de-Paris-et-son-tresor

Important pilgrimage centre from the 8th to 18th century, the Benedictine Abbey of Mont Saint-Michel is a remarkable example of medieval architecture which is both military and religious. Visitors will be enthralled by the abbey church, the cloisters, the refectory and the monks' promenade. In summer, see a different facet of the abbey, watching the night fall during a nocturnal visit accompanied by sound and light… http://en.normandie-tourisme.fr/pcu/abbaye-du-mont-saint-michel/le-mont-saint-michel/fiche-PCUNOR050FS000M6-2.html?iDD=6

Located in Dol-de-Bretagne, Cathédraloscope takes you to the time of the cathedrals. Check the box of the architect, decrypt the windows, dive into the heart of the site to the rhythm of the eleven rooms of the museum. Guided tours, introductions to stone, creative workshops, building games, mystery to unravel http://www.saint-malo-tourisme.co.uk/visit-saint-malo/attractions/museums-famous-sites/220820-cathedraloscope

In the heart of the historic city, the cathedral has been the epitome of the development of Gothic art, since the start of its construction in the 12th century on the foundations of a 4th century basislica and an 11th century Romanesque edifice. http://en.rouentourisme.com/religious-buildings/cathedrale-notre-dame-495-en/

Ancient basilica with a beautiful medieval and Renaissance party party. Magnificent altarpiece. Go see behind the English garden to the ramparts, with a lovely view over the port of Dinan and the Rance Valley. https://www.france-voyage.com/cities-towns/dinan-5086/basilica-saint-sauveur-14427.htm

An uncontested symbol of Le Havre’s renaissance, Saint-Joseph church is an extraordinary edifice: impressive dimensions and its trans-Atlantic style disturb traditional religious references, yet also make it one of the most remarkable constructions of the 20th century in France. https://www.lehavretourisme.com/en/discover/most-famous/saint-joseph-church

Inside the cathedral, the famous astronomical clock of Beauvais contains a mechanism composed of 90 000 pieces and 68 automatons. Imposing from the height of its 12 meters, this masterpiece of the nineteenth century presents in its dials information on the seasons, eclipses, etc https://www.visitbeauvais.fr/fr/decouvrir/sites-et-monuments/item/753-horloge-astronomique-de-la-cathedrale-saint-pierre#section-photo

Attached to the Basse-OEuvre, a remnant of the Cathedral of the year 1000, the Cathedral Saint-Pierre de Beauvais dominates the valley of Thérain by its prodigious proportions. Many hazards during its construction, including the fall of the spire in the sixteenth century. only four years after its elevation, left the building without a nave. https://www.visitbeauvais.fr/fr/decouvrir/sites-et-monuments/item/749-cathedrale-saint-pierre-de-beauvais#section-photo

The majestic gothic cathedral soars skywards. It crowns the hill in Clermont’s historical centre.Work began on current-day Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption Cathedral in 1248, under the supervision of architect Jean Deschamps and of the episcopacy of Hughes de la Tour. http://www.clermontferrandtourism.com/discovery/main-sites/the-gothic-cathedral/

Few cities in France can boast of having given a pope to Christianity. Champagne is an exception, with two pontiffs: Urbain II, born in 1042 in Châtillon (Marne), and Urbain IV, born in 1185 in Troyes in a house which disappeared to make way for the Saint-Urbain church. A masterpiece of Gothic art with its superb proportions, its stone lace and its immense canopies, Saint-Urbain is called "the Parthenon of Champagne". The vast portal, covering the entire western part of the building, was completed in 1905, but the tympanum, on which there is a magnificent Last Judgment, dates from the 13th century. Upon entering the church, one is struck by the elegance, the sobriety and the brightness of the place. The surprisingly light transept and choir have retained their magnificent original stained glass windows, dating from around 1270 and restored in 1992 by the Trojan workshops Le Vitrail. The statuary is also admirable, notably the famous Virgin of the Grapes (chapel on the south aisle) whose finesse and meditation are typical of the Trojan School of the 16th century. In 1935, the remains of Urban IV were transferred to the church, which received the title of basilica in 1964. http://www.tourisme-troyes.com/patrimoine-religieux/basilique-saint-urbain-452329

Remains of a medieval castle and church, with UNESCO World Heritage status due to their connection with the Santiago de Compostella pilgrim way. The church houses the striking tombs of the Lords of Folleville in Carrara marble, an example of the Italian Renaissance having spread as far as Picardy. Below the castle is a village where traces of its past and its setting are reconstituted. http://www.visit-amiens.com/tourinsoft/details/en_patrimoineculturel/PCUPIC0800010630/PCU

Built in the 15th and 16th centuries, this church has a remarkable tympan on its Flamboyant façade: a large bas-relief depicting Christ's entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. This beautiful little church is a jewel of the Renaissance period in Corbie. http://www.visit-amiens.com/tourinsoft/details/en_patrimoineculturel/PCUPIC0800010629/PCU

Proof of real technical genius, the Notre-Dame d'Amiens cathedral demonstrates architectural harmony. Built from 1220 to 1288, its size makes it one of the biggest Gothic buildings ever built: 145 m long, 42 m high, and a total volume of 200,000 m3. Its indoor and outdoor statuary is just as remarkable as its architecture. Since it was restored, the polychromy of its Gothic doors has become the main reference. This revelation gave rise to the "Amiens, a cathedral in colours" show, which offers a reproduction of the original medieval colours. http://www.visit-amiens.com/tourinsoft/details/en_patrimoineculturel/PCUPIC0800010896/PCU

Reims Cathedral is recognised worldwide as one of the defining models of Gothic art. Admire the countless statues under the cathedral glow! No wonder this monument was classed by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1991... What gives this building its particular character? Its central role played in the history of France for 800 years. Reims Cathedral is where the kings of France were crowned. The cathedral hosted thirty-three sovereign coronations in just over 1000 years! The cathedral also hosted the baptism of Clovis around the year 498, and so kingdom of the Franks was born. This made Reims the chosen city to crown kings. http://ee.france.fr/en/discover/cathedral-notre-dame-reims-2

North of the town of Le Puy-en-Velay, Aiguilhe is famous for its rock (a dormant volcanic pipe) with an astonishing and magnificent chapel dedicated to St Michael built in the 10th century. This is one of the most important pre-Romanesque and Romanesque monuments in Auvergne. Prosper Mérimée included the building in the first list of Historic Monuments drawn up in 1840. More recently, it came fourth in the list of French people’s favourite monuments in 2014. Godescalc, the Bishop of Puy, and Truannus, the dean of the chapter of Puy Cathedral, commissioned work on a chapel devoted to St Michael in 961. Godescalc was also the first French pilgrim to follow the Way of St James in about 950, inaugurating the "Via Podiensis" trail to Santiago de Compostela. The original oratory in this imposing structure was limited to today’s choir area. It was enveloped in a larger monument in the 12th century, built to follow the outlines of the rock’s summit. The extended chapel was built without foundations, and contains a nave, an ambulatory and a tribune, along with a remarkable polychrome and trefoil-shaped facade. https://www.lepuyenvelay-tourisme.co.uk/monuments-puy-en-velay/rocher-et-chapelle-saint-michel-daiguilhe/

The Puy-en-Velay Cathedral, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998, ranks as the 2nd favorite monument of the French in the show presented on France 2 by Stéphane Bern in 2015. After a first church built in the fifth century, the cathedral was built on Mount Anis. In the twelfth century, the influx of pilgrims led to sit four spans above a vaulted porch, to compensate for the slope of Mount Anis. The entrance was made by a staircase which opened in the middle of the central nave. In the nineteenth century, the building was considerably transformed, but the six cupolas and beautiful painted decorations were preserved. From 1994 to 1999, an overall restoration allowed the restoration of the central staircase closed in the eighteenth century, the repair of interior facing and the winding of the organ with its double-sided buffet of the seventeenth century. A new altar was placed at the crossing of the transept, while the altar of the "pilgrims", against the wall, carries the "Black Virgin" who replaced the primitive statue, burned to the Revolution. https://www.lepuyenvelay-tourisme.fr/monuments-puy-en-velay/cathedrale-notre-dame/

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is a vital part of the Lyon cityscape and you’d be a fool not to go up there. Mr Mayor, Gérard Collomb, even calls it a “treasure of humanity”. With one of the best views over the entire city, it understandably draws in busloads, who all load off to celebrate Mary and the paraphernalia of Christianity. Then you have those who hike up there for a brisk morning walk to lord it over the panoramic view and feel regal. The beautiful white Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere, known by locals as the upside-down elephant, sits on the top of Fourvière hill, aka the ‘praying hill’, in Lyon’s 5th district, where the world of Catholics rubs shoulders with vestiges of Ancient Rome. From its dominant position, looming over the city below with vantage points aplenty, Fourvière has become a symbol of Lyon, attracting over 2 million visitors annually. Designed by Pierre Bossan, Fourvière basilica draws from both Romanesque and Byzantine architecture, two non-Gothic models that were unusual choices at the time. It’s actually one church on top of another. https://thisislyon.fr/things-to-do/historical-monuments/basilica-notre-dame-de-fourviere-treasure-lyon/

The village of Locronan, its church and the chapel of Penity, its old houses and its well, everything here is wonder and historical monuments. http://www.penhars-infos.com/article-l-eglise-saint-ronan-de-locronan-117115619.html

So many adjectives that describe Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai, a true jewel of medieval architecture. The only Belgian Cathedral listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, this masterpiece of Western art draws the scenery of the country for miles around. A must-visit in your discovery of Tournai! 134 m long including 58 m for the only choir, 67 m wide for the transept, 83 m high for the tallest tower. The proportions of Notre Dame Cathedral are gigantic. The nave and transept built in the 12th century are Romanesque. The choir, completed in 1254, is of Gothic style. This combination of stones gives it an undeniable originality and the 5 towers that dominate the city make it a unique building of its kind. Discover an exceptional treasure room with the presence of major works: the two large reliquaries of Notre-Dame and Saint-Eleuthère, precious ivories, goldsmiths' pieces, a 14th century Arras tapestry. Since 2006, a vast restoration project is at work: stabilization of the Gothic choir, replacement of roofs, cleaning stone walls, restoration of stained glass windows ... The building site is constantly evolving and completely renovated parts appear over the days. http://www.visittournai.be/a-voir-a-faire/top-10/la-cathedrale/article/la-cathedrale-447?lang=fr

The construction of the present collegiate church began in 1450 with the chancel, which was finished around 1506. The transept was completed in 1527, and work on the nave lasted until 1621. Laid out in the form of a Latin cross with 29 chapels around the main nave, transept and chancel, this building is recognised as a leading part of Wallonia’s heritage. It was the private and personal church of the Saint Waltrude canonesses, who had dreamt of crowning the west face of their collegiate church with a 623 ft high tower. This tower, of which the first stones were laid around 1549, was never finished, and work on it was finally abandoned between 1686 and 1687. Do not miss the Treasury: one of the most beautiful collections of religious jewellery in Belgium. You can see the reliquary of St. Waltrude: one of them (la châsse) contains the body of St. Waltrude and the other (le chef) contains her head; The oldest stained-glass windows: especially the five windows of the apse, done by a master glassblower from Mons and given to the church by the Emperor Maximilian of Austria in 1510-1511; The sculptures: especially the statues in white stone of St Michael thrusting down Satan (15th century) and of St. Waltrude (16th century) and The Golden Coach: wooden vehicle painted and gilded in Louis XVI style (1780/1781), used each year for the annual Procession of the Trinity (Doudou). https://www.visitmons.co.uk/see-do/attractions/st-waltrude-s-collegiate-church-537128

The Cathedral Saint-Apollinaire is a monument in the municipality of Valence (Drôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alps). It is an attraction for holidaymakers staying in the region. https://www.france-voyage.com/cities-towns/valence-7592/cathedral-saint-apollinaire-14577.htm

The largest church (115 metres in length), a jewel of Roman art begun in 1075 and consecrated in 1096. Pilgrimage church, designed to receive the crowds of pilgrims walking towards Compostela, and to shelter a religious community. One of the symbols of Toulouse, this basilica of brick and stone is certainly imposing. Majestic and luminous, it was built between the XI and XIV Centuries in honour of St Saturnin (or Sernin), the first bishop of the city. An important stop along the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, it inspires reverence and its vast proportions are ideal for strolling past the numerous reliquaries. https://www.toulouse-visit.com/la-basilique-saint-sernin/toulouse/pcumid031fs000a1

Experience a spiritual moment in Rochester Cathedral and visit a church that has been celebrating Christian worship since 604AD. The history and heritage of Rochester Cathedral is boasted in its stunning architecture. Its walls hum with the prayer of thousands of years. https://www.visitmedway.org/rochester-cathedral/

The great keep of Rochester Castle towers over the River Medway, dominating the skyline together with its striking twin, the magnificent cathedral. https://www.visitmedway.org/rochester-castle/

Built between 1922 and 1930, the Basilique de la Visitation is the chapel at the Visitation monastery and the place housing the tombs of Francois de Sales (1567-1622) and Jeanne de Chantal (1572-1641), co-founders of the religious order. https://en.lac-annecy.com/cutlural-heritage/1/154705-basilique-de-la-visitation.html

Built between 1220 and 1552, it is the product of the unification of two distinct churches. With its 42 metre high vaults, it is one of the highest Gothic edifices in Europe. With its 6,500 m² of stained glass windows, the nickname “God’s lantern” is well merited. http://www.tourisme-metz.com/en/sites-and-monuments/st-stephen-s-cathedral_s.html#.WieZ1rT1UWo

At the heart of the old town, the majestic Lausanne Cathedral overlooks the city. Seen as one of the most beautiful gothic art monuments in Europe, it attracts more than 400,000 visitors every year. https://www.lausanne-tourisme.ch/en/P10661/lausanne-cathedral

The 115.5 metres high brick tower of the Church of Our Lady is a perfect illustration of the craftsmanship of Bruges’ artisans. The church displays a valuable art collection: Michelangelo’s world-famous Madonna and Child, countless paintings, 13th-century painted sepulchres and the tombs of Mary of Burgundy and Charles the Bold. Useful to know: at the moment, large-scale renovation works are still being carried out, so the church is only partially accessible and many works of art cannot be viewed. The choir was renovated in 2015 and the remarkable church interior can now once again be admired in all its splendour. https://www.visitbruges.be/en/onze-lieve-vrouwekerk-church-of-our-lady

The Basilica of the Holy Blood is a Roman Catholic basilica in Bruges. The church houses a venerated relic of the Holy Blood allegedly collected by Joseph of Arimathea and brought from the Holy Land by Thierry of Alsace, Count of Flanders. The double church, dedicated to Our Lady and Saint Basil in the 12th century and a basilica since 1923, consists of a lower church that has maintained its Romanesque character and a neo-Gothic upper church, in which the relic of the Holy Blood is preserved. The treasury, with numerous valuable works of art, is also worth a visit. https://www.visitbruges.be/en/basiliek-van-het-heilig-bloed-basilica-of-the-holy-blood

This church in Tournai bluestone is one of the most beautiful examples of the Scheldt Gothic style. One of its unique elements is that the tower is not above the entrance but above the crossing of the nave and transepts. It functions as a sort of natural lantern as the light shines into the transept from the tower. https://visit.gent.be/en/see-do/st-nicholas-church

This magnificent sight on Sint-Baafsplein in Ghent is a proud old lady: don’t just walk past her on your city trip. St Bavo’s Cathedral is the oldest parish church in the lively heart of Ghent. It stands on the site of a 10th century church and a 12th century Romanesque church. The latter was dedicated to St John the Baptist. In the Middle Ages, Ghent was a rich and powerful city that had the means to commission ever-larger and more opulent churches. So the Church of St John the Baptist was converted during the 15th and 16th centuries into the imposing Gothic St Bavo’s Cathedral. St Bavo’s Cathedral has a rich history and it is also filled with art treasures that make many an art-lover’s mouth water: from the baroque high altar in white, black and red flamed marble, the Rococo pulpit in oak, gilded wood and marble, to a masterpiece by Rubens: Saint Bavo enters the Convent at Ghent, and the Calvary Triptych by Justus van Gent, the Gothic chandelier/sanctuary lamp, the opulent tombs of the Bishops of Ghent – and of course the world-famous Mystic Lamb. https://visit.gent.be/en/st-bavos-cathedral-0?from_category=3332&context=tourist

Take in the splendour of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, the setting for the marriages of Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle and HRH Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank in 2018, the burial place of 10 monarchs including Henry VIII and Charles I and one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in England. St George’s Chapel is regarded as one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings in England and is characterised by large windows and tall, slender pillars giving the impression of grace and elegance. The chapel features remarkable examples of medieval woodwork and ironwork. The magnificent Sovereign’s Stall, used by The Queen today, dates from the late eighteenth century. https://www.windsor.gov.uk/things-to-do/st-georges-chapel-p45153