Top 10 Most Beautiful Cathedrals in Europe That Are Worth Visiting

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Walk into almost any major European city and you will find a cathedral standing at its heart. It is no surprise that some of the most beautiful cathedrals in Europe have become the most visited places on the continent. These buildings were not just places of prayer. They were the tallest, most expensive, and most important structures a city could build.

Construction on some of them started in the Middle Ages and ran for hundreds of years. Entire generations of architects, stonecutters, and craftsmen worked on the same building without ever seeing it finished. The results, however, have lasted far longer than anyone who built them.

In this article, we have selected ten of the most beautiful cathedrals in Europe that are worth visiting. Let's check them out.

Standing in the center of Milan, this cathedral took nearly six centuries to finish after work began in 1386. It is one of the largest churches in the world. It is also one of the best examples of Gothic architecture you will ever see, with hundreds of tall, pointed spires rising toward the sky. The outside is made of white marble and covered with more than 3,400 carved statues. Visitors can walk up to the rooftop for a clear view of the city and the mountains in the distance.

No other church in the world carries the same importance as this one. Located in Vatican City, the smallest country in the world, St. Peter's Cathedral is the main church of the Catholic faith. It can hold up to 20,000 people at one time. It was built in the 16th and 17th centuries and involved some of the greatest artists of that era. These include Michelangelo, who designed the large dome, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who created the open plaza in front. The size of the interior is difficult to put into words until you stand inside it.

Most people recognize this building the moment they see it. Located at the edge of Red Square in Moscow, St. Basil's Cathedral was built between 1555 and 1561. It was ordered by Tsar Ivan the Terrible to mark a major military victory. Its eight brightly colored domes each have a different shape and pattern. Together, they make the building look unlike any other church in the world. It now works as a museum, but its image has become a symbol of Russia itself.

Tucked inside the old city walls of York, this cathedral has served as a place of worship for more than 1,000 years. It is one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe. The building is especially known for its stained glass windows. Together, they cover about 2,000 square meters and show scenes from the Bible in rich color. The building was mostly constructed between the 13th and 15th centuries. People who climb the central tower can see far across the rooftops of York and the surrounding countryside.

This famous church in Venice was first built in the 9th century to hold the remains of St. Mark. He was one of the four writers of the Gospels in the Bible. Located in the well-known Piazza San Marco, this cathedral mixes building styles from both Eastern and Western traditions. This reflects Venice's long history as a center of trade between Europe and Asia. The ceilings and walls inside are covered in golden mosaics that catch the light and bring the space to life. It is a clear sign of how rich and connected Venice once was.

Few cathedrals have received as much world attention as this one. Sitting on a small island in the middle of the Seine River, Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the best known examples of Gothic architecture in existence. Work on it started in 1163 and took close to 200 years to complete. In April 2019, a large fire broke out and destroyed the roof and the famous spire. The event shocked people all over the world. After years of repair work, the cathedral opened again in December 2024 and is once again welcoming visitors.

What the architect Brunelleschi built in Florence in the 15th century is still hard to believe even today. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, often called the Duomo, is known for its giant red brick dome. It was built without the use of a temporary wooden frame. Nothing had been done at that scale before. The outside of the building is covered in sections of green, white, and pink marble. This gives it a look that stands out from almost every other cathedral in Europe. The dome remains one of the largest brick domes ever built.

In 1666, a great fire burned through London and destroyed the original cathedral. Architect Sir Christopher Wren was then asked to design a new one. The result was St. Paul's Cathedral, finished in 1710. It has since become one of the most recognized buildings in the city. Its large dome is one of the biggest in the world and can be seen from many streets across London. Inside, the Whispering Gallery is a popular stop for visitors. A quiet word spoken against the curved wall can be heard clearly on the other side of the room.

Right on the seafront of Palma, the main city of the Spanish island of Mallorca, La Seu is one of the best-placed cathedrals in all of Europe. It was started in 1229 after King James I of Aragon took control of the island. The building continued to grow over the following centuries in the Gothic style. Inside, tall stone columns create a wide open space. That space fills with colored light when the sun shines through the large rose window. From outside along the water, the view of the cathedral and its reflection is hard to forget.

Few churches in Europe are as tied to their city as this one. Notre-Dame de la Garde sits on the highest hill in Marseille and can be seen from almost every part of the city. The hilltop location also offers a wide, open view of Marseille and the Mediterranean Sea. Built in the mid-19th century, it follows a Roman-Byzantine style with richly decorated interiors full of colorful mosaics. Locals call it "la Bonne Mère," meaning the Good Mother, because they see it as the guardian and protector of their city.