Unveiling the Gothic Splendor

At the heart of the Catalan capital lies the Barcelona Cathedral, or La Seu, a prime example of Gothic architecture that will have you questioning if you’ve stepped onto the set of a medieval film. Construction began in 1298 and wasn’t completed until 1913—talk about a real estate project that took its sweet time! This magnificent edifice showcases stunning spires that pierce the sky and a facade that might just leave you slack-jawed.

As you wander through this architectural marvel, don’t forget to visit the cloister, which houses a gaggle of white geese. Yes, geese! Legend has it that they symbolize the saintly devotion of the cathedral’s namesake, Santa Eulalia. Who knew that divine protection came with a side of quacks?

All that Glitters is Not Gold

Next on the list is Santa Maria del Mar, a church that’s often overshadowed by its more famous cousin. Yet, this hidden gem in the heart of the Born district boasts a streamlined beauty that’s nothing short of breathtaking. What’s even more impressive? It was built in just 55 years by the hardworking citizens of the neighborhood—the ultimate DIY project, if you will!

The interior is characterized by sweeping columns and ethereal stained glass, creating a peaceful atmosphere that invites contemplation. Rumor has it that the church inspired the best-selling novel “Cathedral of the Sea,” which is a testament to its captivating allure. Why not grab a local pastry and grab a seat in a nearby café after your visit? You deserve a treat for your architectural pursuits!

Serenity in the Shadows

As you explore, you’ll definitely want to make a pitstop at Santa Maria del Pi, a church that literally translates to “Saint Mary of the Pine.” With its stunning rose window and impressive facade, it’ll make you want to shout, “Holy Pine!” as you admire its beauty. Additionally, the Gothic architecture here is accompanied by a warm sense of community, with local artisans often found in the square outside, adding that quirky, Barcelona touch to your day.

But let’s not forget about the local rumors that swirl around this church. Legend says that if you catch a glimpse of the church’s bell tower at sunset, it grants you the ability to eat endless amounts of tapas without gaining a single pound. Just be careful not to hold anyone accountable for that claim—bellyaches can be a serious matter!

Getting Lost in History

If you truly want to immerse yourself in the Gothic spirit, stroll through the winding streets of the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter). Here, you’ll discover small squares and narrow alleyways that seem to whisper secrets of centuries past. It’s like a medieval theme park but without the excess funnel cakes—though you should absolutely indulge in some churros while you wander!

As you navigate the atmospheric paths, keep your eyes peeled for Plaça del Rei, a square surrounded by impressive medieval buildings. It’s here you can imagine kings and queens plotting their next adventure—or perhaps discussing the necessity of more cathedrals.

Let’s Not Forget the Food!

What’s a visit to historic sites without some local cuisine to tempt your taste buds? Barcelona is famous for its vibrant culinary scene, and many eateries sprinkle their menus with a dash of tradition. Grab a pintxos and a glass of vermut while discussing your most profound existential reflections sparked by the beauty of Gothic architecture. Trust us; it’s sure to enhance the experience.

Food tip: If you’re equipped with a good amount of tapas to fuel your quest, consider visiting the nearby Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria. The bustling market is filled with vibrant stalls and vendors selling everything from exquisite cheeses to gourmet snacks that can easily replenish you after a full day of exploration.

Conclusion: Dive Into the Gothic Charm

After all the sightseeing, photographing, and indulging in pleasing delicacies, one can’t help but feel a mystical connection to the past in these Gothic churches. They serve as grand reminders of Barcelona’s rich history and the artistry that spanned centuries. Whether you’re a history buff, a photography enthusiast, or someone simply looking to relax in a serene setting, the Gothic churches of Barcelona promise to deliver a unique experience.

Pack your bags and pin down those travel dates—Barcelona and its Gothic churches await! With a pinch of humor, a hint of history, and a generous serving of stunning architecture, your adventure is bound to be anything but ordinary. Happy travels!

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If you are searching for spots with a beautiful view over Delft in the Netherlands, search no more. Head to the central square and climb the spiral staircase of the tower of the New Church. It is the second highest tower in the Netherlands and the view from above will make you feel like you are some kind of god looking over his possessions. On a clear day, you can see Rotterdam and the Hague from the top of the 85-m (280-ft) tower.

A view from the New Church in Delft, the Netherlands | © Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

History in short – the beggar and the vision

The central square of Delft has two churches facing each other – the New Church (Nieuwe Kerk) and the Old Church (Oude Kerk). The New Church is not that new at all – it was built more than 600 years ago after Symon, the beggar, and Jan Col, a citizen offering him something to eat, suddenly had a vision of a golden church dedicated to Mary. It took Jan Col 30 years to convince the city council to built the church because at the time Delft already had a church, the Old Church. But he did and the citizens of Delft believed it would last forever. They even put a golden apple on top of the tower to symbolize eternity. Little did they know that the tower would be burnt down twice and it would even be struck by lightning.

A view from the New Church in Delft, the Netherlands | © Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

Climb the tower

If you are a bird’s-eye view fanatic like me, you know beautiful views often require (a lot of) effort. Take a bottle of water, stretch a bit and climb the 376 stairs leading to the top of the tower. You will be granted not only a view of the rooftops of Delft, but also a look from inside at the clock mechanism of the tower.

Learn the secrets of the tower

Well, actually you can’t learn that much. For more than 400 years almost every member of the royal family of the Netherlands has been buried in the crypt of the New Church (that makes a total of 46 bodies according to the church’s official website). The crypt is not open to the public out of respect to the royal family and the keys are kept by the mayor of Delft.

Hear the bells

You can hear the carillon on Fridays (from 7 pm to 8 pm), on Tuesdays and Saturdays (from 11 am to 12 pm) and if you are lucky, you might come across a summer night concert.

A view from the New Church in Delft, the Netherlands | © Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

A view from the New Church in Delft, the Netherlands | © Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

Useful information:

Children under 5 years old are not allowed inside the tower, while those under 17 are welcome if they are accompanied by an adult. You can buy a ticket for the church (5 euro), for the tower (4 euro) or a combined ticket for both (8 euro). You can see the opening hours here and keep in mind that the tower closes an hour earlier than the church.

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5 minutes of history

Charleroi was built in 1666 by the Spaniards and the city was named after Charles II of Spain, who came to the throne when he was only 4 years old and generally his entire reign cannot be remember for anything good. Fortunately, the city was not tainted by his bad fame and it was conquered by the French only a year after. Later on Napoleon himself settled in Charleroi on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo.

Comics

Charleroi is considered the capital city of the Walloon (French) comic books – some of the first Belgian stories in pictures were created here. This explains the fact that you often run into statues of popular cartoon characters here and there in the city. Lucky Luke, for instance, is seen at the entrance to the Reine Astrid Park.

The melody of 47 bells

A minute of patriotism. The beautiful building of the Town Hall has 47 bells, which play the tune of the song “Land of Charleroi – It is you I love best” every hour. We guess that the bells regularly remind the mayor and his employees what they should love the most in their life. The Town Hall is situated on Charles II Square (yes, the same Charles II, who reigned the city for one year when he was 4). The dancing fountains and the Cathedral are found here, too.

4 museums

Charleroi has a Glass Museum, which features both exquisite items of modern times and such that gradually bring you back to the past. The museum is located in Bois du Cazier – an abandoned coal mine where one of the severest incidents in the history of Belgium occurred back in 1956. A fire in the mine killed 262 people, half of whom Italians. The mine is no longer functioning and now it shelters an exhibition dedicated to the fire and the mining industry in Belgium (together with the Glass Museum). You can reach Bois du Cazier (in Marcinelle) by bus No 52 from Charleroi-Sud station or by foot for about 30 minutes.

The Town Hall houses the Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux-Arts), while the Photography Museum (Musée de la Photographie) is situated on 11 Paul Pastur Avenue.

Cartier Castle

The castle is a beautiful XVII century building, which is perfectly fitting into Charleroi’s urban architecture. The first floor shelters the city library, while the second – the offices of the administrative services of Wallonia (the French-speaking part of Belgium). There is also a nice garden with benches.

Transport

To reach Charleroi from the airport you should take bus A, which will take you to the city in 20 minutes.

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The stories that follow have one thing in common – they are about temples (some of them 4-5 centuries old), which ended up as lonely isles of destruction. From Macedonia, to Germany, Russia, and Brazil, the construction of dams and reservoirs leaves churches under water. Today, after so many years, these ruins are both eerie and beautiful, which is why they attract travelers with a passion for the unusual.

Here are 7 places to visit, if you enjoy non-mainstream destination and unusual stories.

Mavrovo, Macedonia

The church in Mavrovo, Macedonia

The “St. Nicholas” church was built in 1850 and, for 153 proud years, stood by the Macedonian village of Mavrovo, until it was decided that a dam would be built in the area. There are times of the year, when the church is completely submerged and cannot be seen, but it resurfaces again and again. You are most likely to see it if you visit the region during a dry summer, like the last few ones.

Potosi, Venezuela

The cross in La Honda dam, Venezuela

The only thing left of the church in the Venezuelan city of Potosi, is the cross atop its bell tower. All of the city’s inhabitants fled, after it became clear that the government had decided to build the La Honda dam here. According to those who once resided in the city, in 1985 Venezuela’s president at the time – Carlos Andres Perez, came to the city and simply told the people that if they do not leave their homes, they would be forced out.

Rutland, UK

Rutland Water, UK

Rutland Water is the name of a dam, near Normanton, UK. This strange church is currently halfway under water. This is yet another place, that used to be a settlement, and was submerged due do the building of a dam. This church, however, was saved in an unusual way – its floors were raised with about a meter and, when inside, you realize how weirdly low the windows, ceiling and altar seem… Not only is the church open to visitors, but it is also fully functional and often becomes the ground for wedding ceremonies.

Petrolandia, Brazil

The submerged church near Petrolandia, Brazil

Petrolandia is a city in Brazil, which currently has about 30,000 residents. It is located near the banks of the Sao Francisco River. As is the case with many of the other churches in this list, in the past, a portion of the city was submerged so that a dam could be built in its place. The only remaining structure of what once was a city, is now the half-ruined church. This rundown structure looks unreal, but also spectacularly beautiful – it resembles a huge fish, with its mouth open, awaiting tasty visitors.

Krokhino, Russia

The submerged church in Krokhino, Russia

Once upon a time, this church was of interest because of its beautiful design, but today it has a much different, eerie appeal. The church in Krokhino is located at the border of the Sheksna River and the White Lake. The temple was built in the 15th century but during the 1980s the socialist government decided to construct a hydroelectric power station in its place. Today, what remains of the church has been turned into a tourist attraction, normally visited by boat. There have been several campaigns, whose mission is to save what is left of the building from full devastation.

Kalyazin, Russia

The Belfry in Kalyazin, Russia

Ever since 1939, the belfry of the church in Kalyazin has been casting its shadow on the waters of the dam of the Volga River. This is the year when Stalin ordered the entire region, along with the monastery and the village next to it, to be submerged under water. Gradually, however, especially in the last few years, the location is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination (not only for Russian visitors, but also for international ones), which is why the government decided to strengthen what is left of the bell tower, and add a small pier for the visitors boats.

Reschensee, Italy

The bell tower in Curon Venosta, Italy

At the bottom of the man-made lake Lago di Resia (Reschensee in German) in Italy, you can see a submerged church from the 14th century. Today, the only part of the structure above water is its bell tower near the town of Curon Venosta. In the winter, when the lake freezes over, you can reach the bell tower by foot. According to the legend, sometimes, during the winter, you can hear the church bells ringing. However, that’s somewhat doubtful, since the bells were removed in 1950, when the main part of the church was demolished and a dam was built a week later.

Discover:  7 more secret places in Italy

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There are many submerged villages in Bulgaria. During socialism, many reservoirs were built above towns and villages, literally and figuratively. Only one of these submerged villages, however, has its own chapel, which is more than 600 years old and rises like a gravestone on a rock above the reservoir.

Legends and contemporary graffiti

Legend has it that the chapel of St John Letni was built in 1350, a timeline confirmed by the inscription on a contemporary stone at the chapel’s doorstep. The chapel’s door can be closed, but it doesn’t lock, meaning that anyone can go inside and light a candle.

The scene inside is rather sad, with more and more of the chapel’s frescoes fading thanks to the ravages of time, and the eyes of the Virgin Mary gouged out by vandals. Back in socialism, known and unknown graffiti artists drew a contemporary layer of “frescoes,” describing who was here, when they were here and who was with them.

The submerged village

The chapel offers a beautiful panoramic view of Pchelina reservoir. You can stay all day on the rocks at the edge, visualizing the village of Pchelintsi, which became submerged in the 1970s and now lies on the bottom of the reservoir. Houses were destroyed, forcing residents to move to neighboring villages and the town of Radomir. The only thing that wasn’t erased was the village’s name – it is preserved in the name of the reservoir.

Useful information

To get to the chapel of St John Letni, take the road from Sofia to Kyustendil, and after Radomir pass through the village of Priboy (Прибой). You’ll soon see an exit on the right to the village of Potsarnentsi (Поцърненци). In the center of the village there is a store – turn left after you pass it. From here, drive straight. The paved road becomes a dirt road, but quite an even one; usually you can drive to the end of the road. The road branches off several times, but you should stick to the main road (or the one that seems more even, nicer or more like a main road). You will pass through several neighborhoods before you finally see Pchelina reservoir. A dirt road on the right leads to the chapel. The chapel can be seen from afar on the hill, so you won’t have any difficulty reaching it. It is about 5 km from the center of Potsarnentsi to the chapel, and the track is perfect if you like offroad biking.

GPS coordinates: 42.521912, 22.863476 or 42°31’18.9″N, 22°51’48.5″E

All photos: © Maria Angelova/203challenges

Discover more unusual and amazing places in Bulgaria!

Read more: 7 submerged churches around the world to amaze you

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You are a seasoned traveler. You have pitched your tent all over the world – beaches, mountains, forests, campsites… But have you spent the night in an ancient church? And you don’t have to be Christian or even religious!

All Saints, Langport/JosephCaseyPhotography.com

What’s champing?

When the last prayers have been said and the church’s door is locked for visitors… then you can have the church all to yourself for the night. That’s a new way to see camping, invented by the Churches Conservation Trust in England as a way to provide additional funding for the small rural churches.

They call it champing = church camping.

As for 2017, 12 churches in different English towns and the Orkney Islands offered tourists to spend a night in a time-capsule with centuries of history to explore. New churches join the project every year.

St Cyriac & St Julitta Swaffham Prior/JosephCaseyPhotography.com

What is it like to spend the night in a medieval church?

The experience is closer to camping than to a hotel room. Most of the participating churches have no running water, modern toilet or heating. But you have fold-out camping beds, electric candles, bottled water, light snacks, camping chairs, cushions etc. You can also enjoy a full breakfast delivered in the morning, made using local produce.

St Katherine, Chiselhampton/Joseph Casey Photography

Maybe you wonder if you will have to share the church with strangers?

Absolutely not (unless you consider some people in your party to be strange, but that’s something you should take care of). It will be all yours, for you and yours alone.

Or if you can drink alcohol inside?

“Yes, don’t be silly”, says the Champing official website. Ok, now we really love the idea!

St Mary Church Longsleddale/Jenny Woolgar Photography

St Mary Church Longsleddale/Jenny Woolgar Photography

It gets even better

The champing churches are with stories that can be traced back as far as the Saxon period, and centuries of history to explore. They are the perfect setting to explore England’s culture, heritage and craftsmanship throughout the ages. Alongside the standard champing break, you can also include in your schedule activities such as leisurely walks, canoeing adventures, storytelling and meditation. You can bring your dog to the adventure too. 

The champing season 2018 is open from March 31 to September 30, 2018. 

More information here.

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#1 The construction of the Sagrada Familia started in 1882 and is expected to be finished by 2026 (144 years), which means it will have taken five times as long as it took to build the Egyptian pyramids or the Taj Mahal.

#2 Gaudi believed that a human’s work should never exceed the work of God, which is why the Sagrada Familia is projected to be a foot shorter than the highest natural point in Barcelona.

#3 It was built entirely on donations. And that’s the reason why Gaudi wanted it built one part at a time, so that people could actually see how it would look and be inspired to give more donations.

Sagrada Familia stained glass – Jim McDougall/ flickr

#4 The Sagrada Familia currently has eight towers. However, by the time it is finished, it will have 18 – the tallest one representing Jesus, another one for the Virgin Mary, four for the evangelists and 12 for the apostles.

#5 Gaudi’s work was largely inspired by nature. Evidence of this can be found in the columns inside the Sagrada Familia, which are built to look like trees with twisting branches. At the base of one of them there is a turtle, and on another one a tortoise, which symbolizes the balance between sea and land in nature.

#6 To sculpt the faces on “The Portal of Mercy”, Gaudi used death masks of deceased people from Barcelona and models of the workers’ faces. It was his way of paying tribute to them.

Details from the facade of the Sagrada Familia – linademartinez/flickr

#7 The mosaic on the roof of the church is designed to guide seamen back home by reflecting the moonlight, thus turning it into a kind of lighthouse.

#8 During the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Gaudi’s workshop – where the models used to build the church were stored – was bombed. The workers managed to restore the models and use them in construction, but only with the help of an architect who was hired specifically for the restoration.

#9 The two people buried in the crypt are Gaudi and Josep Maria Bocabella – the bookseller whose idea it was to build the Sagrada Familia, having been inspired by the churches he saw in the Vatican during his visit there in 1872.

#10 George Orwell, one the most famous English writers of the 20th century, said that the church is ”one of the most hideous buildings in the world”.

Pin this post if you think Orwell was wrong and feel inspired by the beauty of the Sagrada Familia:

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