Marvel at the Masterpieces: Exploring Europe’s Most Breathtaking Cathedrals

Marvel at the Masterpieces: Exploring Europe's Most Breathtaking Cathedrals - Scale the Heights of Cologne Cathedral

Standing over 500 feet tall with twin spires that seem to pierce the heavens, Cologne Cathedral is a soaring Gothic masterpiece that dominates the Cologne skyline. Construction on this impressive house of worship began in 1248, but it would take over 600 years to complete. Despite the challenges posed by multiple stoppages and restarts, the commitment to finishing this ambitious project never wavered. Today, Cologne Cathedral stands as the largest church in northern Europe and the living legacy of those determined medieval builders.

One of the best ways to appreciate the grandeur of this UNESCO World Heritage site is to climb the 509 steps to the top of the south tower. Prepare to get your heart pumping on this thigh-burning ascent up narrow spiral staircases, but take breaks along the way to catch your breath and take in views of the cathedral's exterior from new angles. Emerging at the top, you'll be rewarded with a bird's eye panorama of Cologne and the surrounding countryside. Gaze out across the jumbled rooftops, trace the meandering course of the Rhine River, and pinpoint the spires and towers of other local landmarks. Don't forget to pay your respects to Dirk the Tower Keeper, whose bronze statue honors a real-life watchman who once lived in the south tower over 500 years ago.
For even more sweeping vistas, head over to the north tower, which stands just over 5 feet taller than its southern twin. While the south tower houses the cathedral's bells, the north tower is home to the largest free-swinging church bell in the world, the Petersglocke. Cast in 1923 to replace an earlier bell, this massive bronze beast tips the scales at over 24 tons! While it no longer rings due to concerns about structural integrity, visitors can view the Petersglocke and imagine its earth-shaking voice.

What else is in this post?

1. Marvel at the Masterpieces: Exploring Europe's Most Breathtaking Cathedrals - Scale the Heights of Cologne Cathedral
2. Marvel at the Masterpieces: Exploring Europe's Most Breathtaking Cathedrals - Behold the Spires of Milan Cathedral
3. Marvel at the Masterpieces: Exploring Europe's Most Breathtaking Cathedrals - Marvel at the Flying Buttresses of Notre Dame
4. Marvel at the Masterpieces: Exploring Europe's Most Breathtaking Cathedrals - Gaze Upon Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Familia

Marvel at the Masterpieces: Exploring Europe's Most Breathtaking Cathedrals - Behold the Spires of Milan Cathedral

Rising above the hive of activity in Milan's main piazza, the fantastical spires of the city's Gothic cathedral have been mesmerizing visitors for centuries. Though construction on Milan Cathedral began in 1386, the final soaring details were not completed until Napoleon's conquest in 1805. Over 400 feet tall and studded with over 3,400 statues, the roofline of the Duomo di Milano dazzles from both near and far.

Approaching the cathedral through the grand portico, pause a moment to appreciate the intricacy of the facade. 135 spires and pinnacles adorn the exterior, each unique in their filagreed details. Look closely to spot grotesques peering out from stone tracery, fantastical creatures flanking saints and martyrs. The sheer extravagance of the ornamentation is breathtaking.

Yet nothing prepares you for that vertiginous vista from the rooftop terraces. Buy your ticket in the Duomo and take the stairs or elevator up; then step outside into the open air. From the roof's edge, Milan sprawls out picturesquely, a sea of terra cotta roofs lapping at the foot of the Alps. The marble spires rise around you, capped with solemn statues keeping perpetual watch over the city. On a clear day, you'll swear you can see the entire Lombardy plain.
Wandering the roof's ramparts, note how diverse each of the 135 spires becomes the closer you inspect it. Many are topped by saints or important local religious figures like archbishops and bishops. Sculpted foliage and animal motifs decorate the shafts and bases. In the evening, the lowering sun bathes the tips in molten gold.

For bird's eye views of the cathedral interior, brave the tight confines of the spiral staircases within the spires themselves. The South Spire contains the stairs to ascend; be sure to purchase a ticket for access. The rewarding climb takes you 215 feet above the cathedral floor, allowing glimpses straight down the towering nave. Dizzying heights aside, it's the only way to view the cathedral's ornate vaulting from such a unique perspective.

Marvel at the Masterpieces: Exploring Europe's Most Breathtaking Cathedrals - Marvel at the Flying Buttresses of Notre Dame

Constructed over the course of two centuries starting in 1163, Notre Dame Cathedral dominates the Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris. This High Gothic masterpiece revolutionized architecture with its use of external flying buttresses—graceful, arching supports that transfer the weight of the roof outward, allowing the walls to be pierced by unprecedented expanses of stained glass. Wandering around the cathedral's exterior, one can't help but be captivated by the beauty and elegance of these external supports.
Though damaged by time and desecrated during the French Revolution, the flying buttresses remain one of the most iconic architectural features of Notre Dame. Viewed from the square or gardens behind the chevet (the east end), they form a breath-taking backdrop, framing the apse and radiating chapels.

Approaching the side of the nave, one can admire their structural details—the sloped roofs that protect the curved masonry from the elements, the striking symmetry and repetition. Look closely and you'll note the difference between the upper flying buttresses and lower, thicker buttresses reinforcing the aisles and choir.

For a true sense of their scale and height, view them from the interior. Enter the cathedral through the west doors and walk towards the crossing. Suddenly, the vaulted ceiling seems to dissolve as your eyes are drawn upwards to the arched windows high above—each one framed and supported by an exterior flying buttress. The soaring verticality is dazzling, as if the walls themselves have vanished.

Likewise, the interior allows you to grasp their functionality. Gaze up at the ceiling and note each junction where the bays of the ceiling intersect. Follow the ribs outward until your eyes meet those graceful outside supports. It soon becomes clear just how revolutionary this design was for its time.

Marvel at the Masterpieces: Exploring Europe's Most Breathtaking Cathedrals - Gaze Upon Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Familia

Rising from the Eixample district in Barcelona, Antoni Gaudí's fantastical Sagrada Familia basilica resembles an otherworldly stone quarry wrought by nature itself. Gaudí devoted over 40 years of his life to the project until his death in 1926, modeling the exterior walls and towers to evoke images of holy caves, forests, and bible stories carved from stone. Though still under construction 140 years later, the Sagrada Familia stands as a testament to Gaudí's revolutionary vision and organic architectural style.
Approaching the basilica for the first time is an awe-inspiring moment, as its towering spires seem to erupt like stalagmites from the urban terrain. Eight spires representing the apostles soar above the Nativity Facade, encrusted with surreal sculpted scenes from Christ's early life. The Passion Facade rises opposite, harsher and more angular, with emotive sculptures depicting Christ's last days. Gaudí envisioned an eventual eighteen spires to honor figures like the Virgin Mary and represent concepts like the Eucharist.

Yet nothing prepares you for the experience of stepping inside the otherworldly interior. As your eyes adjust to the dim, cave-like lighting, you'll swear you've entered theyawning mouth of a stone beast. Great slanted columns spread like the ribs of a leviathan to support distant vaulted ceilings. Kaleidoscopic shafts of color from stained glass dance across rough-hewn surfaces. You can almost feel the slow drip of mineral-rich water, smell the cool dampness of underground air.
Tilting your head far back, it seems impossible that this mountainous space could exist without the laws of gravity collapsing it. But Gaudí executed wonders of engineering unseen before his time. The columns tilt ingeniously to bear the weight through tension and compression. Their branched capitals spread like the trees Gaudí observed supporting tremendous loads in nature. He built models inverted by wires to craft structures capable of standing on their own.

As you traverse the interior, note how diverse each column becomes—some polygonal, others star-shaped or elliptical. Gaudí took his inspiration from the variation he perceived in natural forms. He sculpted to avoid straight lines, wishing to reflect creation's sublime curvature. Even the uneven floor undulates subtly underfoot like the forest floor.