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A huge, hulking presence in downtown Casablanca, it's more like a 'block' than a building. The architect, Paul Tournon, carries on his lifelong love affair with reinforced concrete here to inspiring effect. It's free to enter (when it's open), but you have to part with a few dirhams to see upstairs.
The ground floor is amazing enough, though. If you'd ever wondered what a cathedral looked like with all the ornamentation taken out, this is the place for you. In a city short on sights (discounting Hassan II Mosque), it's well worth a detour.
Google map: bit.ly/b1DPeu
Iconic but still accessible cathedral - historic but with meaning for the every day person. Just follow the spires.
www.canterbury-cathedral.org/
wayfarersall.net/2009/07/22/canterbury-cathedral
Google map: tinyurl.com/3y6mc4a
Forget forking out for the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, this cathedral is free to visit and is just as much of an architectural jumble.
Work started on the cathedral in 1262, resulting in a building that ranges from Romanesque to Gothic, so it's a fascinating place to wander around. Take a trip up the Miguelete Bell Tower, a city landmark, or check out the a cup believed to be the Holy Grail.
The cathedral in Beauvais is extraordinary. It remains unfinished; having been started in 1227, the work stopped in 1578. Had it been completed on the scale originally proposed it would have been the largest Gothic cathedral in the world.
The chunk which was built measures 72m long and nearly 50m high. The choir alone is 37m long, and when you stand inside gazing upward you grasp the enormous scale of the existing building and sense what might have been.
The builders had terribly bad luck (or weren't very good) because right from the start bits kept falling down, and the 153m high spire collapsed in 1573.
Beauvais centre was destroyed by incendiary bombing when the Germans invaded in 1940 and consequently lacks any old buildings. But the cathedral survived and is well worth visiting. The modern town has attractively laid out streets and squares, with many good places to eat and drink. Fans of French cathedrals could see Beauvais, Amiens and Rouen easily over a couple of days. All three (cathedrals, not fans - there must be more than that surely) are extraordinary and beautiful.
Beauvais is halfway between Abbeville and Paris, off the A16, and south of Amiens.
The cathedral of Order of the Knights Hospitaller of St John.
Trust me. If you go nowhere else in Malta then go here.
From the gravestones on the floor to the gilt ornamentation of the chapels. It is absolutely awesome. On a par with St Marks.
There is a chapel for each country in the order (other than those countries that adopted the Protestant faith).
And then there is The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (1608) by Caravaggio.
Fantastic.
Norwich cathedral (well worth a look in itself - second tallest spire in the England) sits in a very lovely and quiet "close", with grassy areas dotted with trees and a rich mix of architecture in the surrounding buildings - an oasis so close to the city centre.
Turn left with the main (west) door behind you or walk straight ahead from St Ethelberts Gate and take the path away from the city centre, straight down to the river Wensum. You'll reach the picturesque spot known as Pulls Ferry. Then turn left to walk beside the river for a few minutes to Bishop Bridge and the Red Lion pub (outdoor seats by river). Keep to the river walk that diverts briefly behind the pub, to reach Cow Tower, (ruined 14th century fortification) and continue by the river for a short while until the pathway forks. Take the left fork, away from the river to reach the Adam and Eve - oldest pub in Norwich (also has outdoor seating but not much of a view).
Reaching the road just beyond, turn right and follow it until you reach the junction with Whitefriars and Palace St. Keep left along Palace St and you'll find the Erpingham Gate leading to the cathedral just inside.
A pretty and restful walk just a few minutes from the market. It takes only 30-40 minutes - without pub stops!
Starting from Norwich Cathedral, NR1
Just 16 miles away from Belo Horizonte is the small town of Sabara, which is also worth a visit for its celebrated cathedrals and Elizabethan theatre, the only one of its kind in South America.
The cathedral of Our Lady looks rather plain from the outside as it doesn't have the spires or the gothic façade which make it resemble a cathedral, but don't be put off by this - inside there are magnificent chapels with colourful and striking paintings and altars.
Cathedrale de Notre Dame is a 20 min walk from the train station
The gem of this town is of course the Town Hall Square, or Piazza del Comune: the cathedral, the comune and the battistero are all located there, and I think it's one of the most beautiful squares in Italy, even if it's not famous.
This is the centrepiece of Yaroslavl, a 16th century monastery which as well as an impressive cathedral and bell-tower also now houses a museum of local history. They also give impressive bell ringing demonstrations, the bells are hung from a free standing frame and worked by an impossible looking set of strings.
25, Bogoyavlenskaya square
Also known as St Mungo's Cathedral, Glasgow cathedral is situated in Cathedral Square at the north end of the medieval High Street. It's the only surviving mainland pre-reformation cathedral in Scotland and dates mainly from the 13th century. It's still in use. Architectural highlights include the lower church or crypt and the rare plate tracery windows. Entry is free.
Glasgow Cathedral, Castle Street, G4
www.glasgow-cathedral.com
nearest railway station - High Street
When I visited St. Paul's Cathedral in London I was bowled over by the beauty and size of the building. I thought it was impressive from the outside looking up at it, but when i entered the cathedral I was fascinated.
In the huge hall were paintings, statues and candles and I was amazed by the domed ceiling. It went up and up and up, and it had a huge painting of some baby angels and what could possibly be Cupid in a cloudy sky. I walked around the walls gazing in awe at the paintings. Lots of them were of Jesus, Jesus on the cross, Jesus with his Disciples, Jesus with a crown of thorns on his head. There were a few like the giant ceiling, with angels and clouds, and all of them were very beautiful. After the hall we climbed up a load of stairs into the Whispering Gallery.
The Whispering Gallery was a sort of balcony, going round the circular walls, and when you looked down from the railings you could see all the people walking down in the hall below. The interesting thing about the Whispering Gallery was that if you told a friend to go to the opposite side of the balcony, and hold their ear to the wall, and if you whispered something into your side of the wall, they could hear your voice coming out of the wall! This was great fun, and everyone (as I was on a school trip with my classmates) got the giggles.
After the Whispering Gallery everyone climbed up some more stairs, flight after flight after flight of stairs, until we reached the actual top of the dome. There was another balcony here, but this balcony was on the outside of the walls and if you looked down you could see the whole of London, Big Ben, Buckingham palace, and all the tiny ant people walking down below. The walk up all the stairs was tiring, but for this view, it was definitely worth it. There were no words to describe this, except for the biggest meaning of overwhelming ever.
This was probably one of my favourite school trips and I highly recommend it as as well as being an educational trip of London's history, it is fun and very interesting.
Lena Wigfall (age 9).
Tube: St. Pauls (central line)
Avila's 12th century cathedral is not widely renowned for its magnificence as it remains unfinished, the historical aspect of the building is interesting though as the cathedral acted as a fortress when the city was under attack from religious armies. There is also an eclectic mix of Gothic and Romanesque building styles which adds a hidden beauty to the building.
Plaza de la Catedral
Entry fee is 3 euros.
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun noon-7pm (summer)
I recommend this area because it is full of things to see and to experience too.
Let's start from the Basilica of Saint John in Lateran, the cathedral of the Pope, the main Basilica in the world for Catholics.
This is unique because there are different styles and the result is perfect. In case you want to know more about the complex, you can get an audio guide at the information point which is beside the statue of Constantine in the main porch.
Other interesting sights include; the 12th century cloister; the Baptistery (the Basilica and the Baptistery were the very first Christian sites in Rome); the Scala Santa that was walked on by Jesus on his way to trial by Pontius Pilate and brought from Jerusalem in the 4th century by Emperor Constantine’s mother, St. Helena; the Sancta Sanctorum, the private chapel of the Popes and the Triclinium where you can see the very first flag of the Vatican State.
You need to spend at least 2 days within this area because nearby you can visit the Basilica of the Holy Cross of Jerusalem, the small and cosy church of the SS 4 Coronati and its cloister, visit the Villa Celimontana Park, the church of SS Giovanni e Paolo, the very well preserved Roman houses of the Celio, they are located just beside the church.
Remember, just in front of the Basilica of Saint John in Lateran you can get the bus 218 (blue one) that will take you directly to the Catacombs.
Metro Linea A-B and Bus N. 16-81-85-87-117-186-218-650-714-850.
The 16th century cathedral in Almeria is unique because of its appearance as a fortress built to defend the city against raiding Turkish and North African pirates. Its corner towers once held cannons. The interior is just like the inside of any other cathedral though - but is no less disappointing for that.
Plaza de la Catedral
Entry fee is 2 euros.
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am-4.30pm, Sat 10am-1pm
One of the entrances to Cathedral La seu is through the cloistered courtyard. It’s a wonderful space, stone flagged floors, arched recesses, gothic columns and lush green foliage. One can easily imagine walking slowly around the cloisters in quiet contemplation. Ah, except for the interruptions of the geese which share the space.
There are 13 geese, each representing one-year of the life of the martyred Santa Eulalia, the patron Saint of Barcelona. One does get the sense that the geese feel they are the real owners of the courtyard; everyone else is just an interloper. And they are probably right.
Inside the beautifully cool interior are some wonderfully ornate side chapels, paintings and gilding. The high ceiling has carved round plagues at each axis and the patches of weathering on the roof rather than detracting from the decoration actually add to the feel of the place, giving a sense of history and continuity.
The choir stalls are handsomely decorated with coats of arms and all through the cathedral are wonderfully rich colours and decorative flourishes. It is an incredibly impressive building, a focal point for the area and community, imposing yet also welcoming and peaceful.
A lift takes you to the roof and a walk along the bouncy steel walkway not only gives you fantastic views over the city but also allows you to see up close the architecture of the cathedral itself.
Plaça de la Seu
Barri Gotic. Metro: Lines 1 and 3 (Catalunya Station) and Lines 2 and 4 (Urquinaona Station.)
www.catedralbcn.org
Jaén is not the most spectacular provincial capital of Andalucía but it does have some beautiful attractions which are worthy of a day trip from nearby Granada or Córdoba. The most inspirational monument is the city's cathedral. There is also the Baños Arabes and the Museo Provincial.
Jaén lies 98km to the north of Granada just off the N323 motorway to Madrid. 12 buses depart daily from Granada. The journey takes 2 hours - look out for the famous olive groves creeping down the mountains alongside the motorway.
It looks equally amazing from the outside, with its facade and obelisk, or the inside, especially the ornate ceiling. You're unlikely to have to queue to get in, in contrast to another cathedral in town. It's also the Pope's own church.
Near the San Giovanni Metro, or a ten minute walk from the Colosseum.
Rising above the city on its own island is the stunning cathedral of St Etienne with its celebrated stained glass windows and peaceful atmosphere.
Architecturally, the finest cathedral in the UK, in my own opinion (if you like flying buttresses...) Also containing the oldest (as far as I know) working mechanical clock in the world, and some amazing works of art, such as the Sleeping Knight. I can't actually remember who he was though, off hand.
The Close Salisbury SP1 2EJ. But you can't really miss it with a 404 foot spire...
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