I agree with Kate that St. Peter's is overwhelming. Everyone should see it in their lifetime.

Like Leslie, I went to Barcelona without any preconceptions of La Familia Segrada. It is a definite WOW! I will go back to Barcelona just to see it again. I put it at the top of my list.

1maroc

I saw only two brief mentions about St. Denis, in Paris (on the Metro). I've seen a good number of cathedrals/churches, and this so far is my favorite for its beauty, history, and lack of crowds. This is the place where Romanesque gave way to Gothic (in the same building one can see both styles). As the first church to use the Gothic style, it is a must-see. The crypt (yes, one can visit it) contains tombs of many French kings. At various times it has been an abbey church, a basilica, a parish church, and (I think) a cathedral.

This is worth the long ride to the end of the Metro. In many ways, I prefer it to Chartres and Notre-Dame.

Neat book you all might enjoy....

How to Read a Church: A Guide to Images, Symbols and Meanings in Churches and Cathedrals
by Richard Taylor

I found it on Amazon.co.uk, but not on Amazon.com.

Hi Kate - My partner and I share the same passion for cathedrals. About 7 years ago we made a decision to "collect" the great athedrals of France. Ou collection is one of memories (and photos)....it's a fun way to see the country and have a goal at the same time. Ther many good ideas in the postings. Make a list, do one or two at a time....stick with the motto that there is always a next time. Some to consider are: the cathedrals of paris, Chartres, Riems, Lourdes etc.....have fun with it!!!

I stumbled upon this post and have really enjoyed reading it. I haven't been very many places in Europe but I loved:

Westminister - for the stained glass and all the famous people buried there
Dom zu Salzburg - for the Baroque architecture
Canterbury - amazed that 13th century tapestries are still around
Mondsee (austria) - don't remember the name of the church--it was where "Maria" in the Sound of Music got married, beautiful gold alter especially with the afternoon sunlight streaming through the stained glass.

#2- Lichen, Poland

1. St Isaac's Cathedral, St Petersburg. You can see the guilded dome of this stunning baroque cathedral from any point in the city. The interior, lavishly decorated with gold, enamel and lapis-luzi, will definately be the highlight of any trip to Russia.

2. Blue Mosque, Istanbul. I know, its not really a church, but this mosque should be included because it's so serene and graceful.

3. Great Church, Stockholm. This unusual, pink church is the oldest building in central Stockholm, dating from the 13th Century. It' Sweden's answer to Westminster Abbey.

4. Mont St Michel, Normandy, France. The setting of this romanesque cathedral is spectacular. This is one you won't forget.

5. Cathedrale de St Pierre, Antwerp. I like this one mainly because of its beautiful tower. The interior, particuarly the lovely stained glass windows, are also delightful.

TTT

Having returned from a trip to France (Thanksgiving Week), my husband and I were quite impressed with the Cathedral in Rheims. There is an ongoing agressive campaign to reconstruct this Cathedral, one of the most significant monuments in French history. While at the Cathedral we learned that at one point this Cathedral was in such tremendous state of disrepair, people weren't even allowed to go in. Who funded most of its reconstruction? Not any French institution, but John D. Rockefeller.

In England, Wells and Canterbury. In France, Chartres, Vézelay, Autun and St.-Denis, the latter because of the fusion between Norman and Gothic architecture.

This post, more than any other, proves that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. And since no one has ever "beheld" all of the places mentioned, there is no way to identify the "greatest cathedrals." We all use our own standards.

Though I cannot comment of the cathedrals of Spain, Portugal, and Turkey, I must say I have seen most of the others mentioned. That is because my primary goal in visiting Europe is to experience the feeling and the beauty of its numerous cathedrals.

If you are looking for the most cathedrals per square inch, Venice wins hands down, with some 70 or more within its tiny borders. But "greatest" to me doesn't mean largest, or oldest, or most elegant, or most architecturally beautiful. What overwhelms me most is to find a lovely cathedral in an out-of-the-way place that most of us don't visit. I've found dozens of these in nice little villages throughout the countries I've visited, and surprisingly only one or two of them have been mentioned on this thread so far.

But to end this long-winded monologue, I'll tempt the readers with two of my favorites in rather out-of-the-way locations: the cathedral of Gurk, Austria and the amazing cathedral of Esztergom in Hungary. Not that either is unknown, but their very location keeps them from being big tourist draws. I could name a few dozen more that everyone knows, but I won't repeat the obvious.

Not all are cathedrals, but:

1) Chartres is my very favorite and I've only missed it on one trip to France. I love the floor. You look at it and know people have walked on it for hundreds of years. It is worn and shiny with age. The windows, of course, are magnificent. The labyrinth is fascinating. We were there one day when two women were walking the labyrinth barefoot.

2)Vezelay is another favorite. It is dramatic in approach since it sits at the top of the hill and can be seen for miles around, but the inside is so striking because of the juxtaposition of dark and light stone.

3) Bourges is amazing for its windows and its size. It looks particularly large because the town is cuddled up so close to it. The view from the gardens in back is wonderful.

4) Quimper because I don't think I've ever been in a cathedral that had a curve in the main aisle. It is really noticeable when you step inside . . . a bend in the road, so to speak.

5) I don't think anyone mentioned Mont St. Michel which is absolutely dramatic. Of course it's not a cathedral, but neither are several other churches mentioned above.

6) Reims is beautiful both outside and in. The Chagall stained glass window in the back of the church seems almost liquid. If you don't know it's there, it's a complete surprise too.

7) The cathedral in Dijon isn't particularly appealing but it's fun to rub the little owl on the side of the church so you can come back . . . if you're superstitious anyway!

8) The light in Bayeux (at least when the sun is shining) is transfixing.

9) St. Ouen's Abbey in Rouen is similar . . . very light with the sun making stained glass reflections on the church floor.

10) The Corbusier chapel at Ronchamp is starkly dramatic on the outside and oddly quiet on the inside. We're used to tourists chatting and popping flash bulbs in churches and when we were at Ronchamp, it was absolutely silent inside. Cameras are forbidden, but the people there seemed not to talk or to talk in very low whispers. It was a very different experience and we loved it. The side chapels are designed so the light seems to come directly from Heaven.

This is a wonderful thread.

I'm surprised that among all the wonderful cathedrals, churches, basilicas, chapels and abbeys, nobody seems to have mentioned Christopher Wren's masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

Chartres,but was diasappointed the day I was there Malcolm Moore did not do the tour as it was a religious holiday with many young people marching up to the cathedral for a special religious holiday. St Vitus in Prague-those beautiful stained glass windows.
Can't wait to get to Italy to see cathedrals there.

ttt (selfishly)

Over the past twenty years, I have made a number of extended visits to France. I have a particular interest in cathedrals, in both an historical and an architectural sense. Here's my list, in order of preference, of the major cathedrals I have visited in:
1. Coutances
2. Strasbourg
3. Amiens
4. Bourges
5. Chartres
6. Rouen
7. Reims
8. Rodez
9. Sens
10. Albi
11. Beauvais
12. Paris
13. Autun
14. Laon
15. Noyon
16. Metz
17. Auxerre
18. Toulouse
19. Troyes
20. Soissons
21. Le Mans
22. Evreux
23. Nevers
24. Dijon
25. Angers
26. Toul
27. Le Puy-en-Velay
28. Senlis
29. St Nicolas-de-Port
30. Bayeux
31. Quimper
32. Colmar
Even the last on the list is certainly worth a visit: Many of the others are worth a special trip (But that is NOT an original proposition: The Green Michelin Guides got in well ahead of me!)

For SalB
Two other French cathedrals with a curve therein; St Nicolas de Port, near Nancy, and Evreux Cathedral

I love this thread, it brings back wonderful memories and caused me to think about all of the beautiful cathedrals and other churches we have seen and admired. My favorite is Ste. Chapelle - I never visit Paris without spending time there. Chartres is a masterpiece and my favorite cathedral, inside and out. The Cathedral in Monreale, Sicily, is especially interesting as it reflects many of the cultures that have influenced Sicily. The mosaics are spectacular and the cloisters, with its Islamic influence, is very beautiful.

Marking for reference. Thanks to all!

Question could be: Greatest Cathedrals in Western Europe. Europe by definition includes all of EuroAsia continent as far East as the Ural Mountains. Nothing in Moscow?