One of my favorite churches in Nuernberg. I believe it is also the largest. I'm not going to state…read moreall the history and facts about this church, others have already done so. Just one little anecdote that always amuses me is that the builders could not agree on the style of the towers and this is why each tower is different. A feud that is permanently displayed on the towers of a church no less... Anyway, take a close look at this church both inside and out. There are so many details to see, that even after years coming here, I still seem to discover new details. A must see for sure.

This is the largest church in Nuremberg. To my surprise, I thought I was entering in a Catholic…read moreGothic style church (built circa 1250) to find out it was a Lutheran one. In any case, amazing church with so much art to see in just an hour I spent there (I was with a colleague and did not want to spend the usual amount of time I would do in this type of sacred buildings with so many details and art in every corner). I can't believe it was bombarded during WWII, then rebuilt with great effort. The stained glass art is amazing and I was happy to see that during our visit it was an exhibit about the artist who created all of them originally. It was a very well paid 2 euros visit (I dont like to pay to enter in a church, I am more pro-donations, but still it was worth it). One suggestion is that I would prefer not to have a gift shop inside the church. That devalue both the religious experience and the artistic value, converting the whole thing in a theme park. That is the only part I disliked during my visit as well as the attitude of the young girl that was collecting the money...I got confused of door of our way out and she started yelling at me: no, not there, stop stop...which made me feel weird. Anecdotes apart, a must visit.

The "Obere Pfarre" or Upper Parish Church in Bamberg, dedicated to Our Lady, is well worth the…read moredetour from the cathedral. A church was established on the site, dedicated to St Mary, in the 9th Century. It was followed by a Romanesque church in the 11th century, before the present Church replaced it in the gothic style, being consecrated in 1387. Construction of the High Gothic choir began in 1392. The overall construction was completed in 1535 with the completion of the tower. All of this Gothic wonder is rather hard to find inside, however, as at the end of the 17th, and the beginning of the 18th century, the church was thoroughly redesigned in the Baroque style: pointed arches were replaced with rounded ones and the clerestory windows widened. The interior now is beautifully whitewashed and a riot of Baroque fresco and carving: don't forget to look back at the magnificent organ over the west gallery.

A truly spectacular church in the baroque style, made all the more spectacular by the unassuming…read morecity in which it is found. It is a perfect place to spend some quiet, reflective minutes while escaping the heat of the outdoors or the bustle of nearby Nuremberg.

What a beautiful church! We stumbled across this church as we were driving around looking at the…read morecity. We found parking nearby and decided to wander in. This gorgeous church was built in the 1200s. It was decorated beautifully with trees for Christmas. It was quite cold inside as it was a cool day, and there is definitely no heat. However, that somehow adds to the charm. It is quite interesting that on the site of the church there was a chapel around 1070. It's amazing to know that there has been some type of religious building on this site for almost 1000 years. It puts your time on this planet into perspective very quickly. The church is free to enter, but they do suggest donations and there is a collection bowl near the entrance. If you are close by, I would definitely suggest a visit as it is definitely beautiful.

Amazing church built in the 1200s! You can freely walk inside, but donations are suggested. Amazing…read morelooking structure!

I am not going to go through the history and facts of the church. Clearly another example of…read moreNuernberg's rich history as a medieval city. What makes this church stand out is the fact that it overlooks the main market place with it's many fruit and veggie stands, most with locally grown produce. Of course there are also food trucks and household wares to be had. The market place turns into a giant Christkindl Market and at its opening the Christkindl (which by the way is a Christmas angel - child of Christ) stands atop the church balcony and officially opens the Christkindl Market with a speech and blessings. Definitely worth attending, if you can squeeze in somehow, because be aware that it will be super crowded. Just before 12 noon you will see crowds gather looking up towards the top of the church. They are all waiting for the "Maennleinlaufen" were the figures start moving and the electors turn and face the Roman emperor. There are also musician figures that move as if playing their instruments.

Frauenkirche or " The Church of Our Lady" is an example of brick Gothic architecture, and it was…read morebuilt on the initiative of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor (reign 1346-1378) between 1352 and 1362. The church contains many sculptures, some of them heavily restored. Numerous works of art from the Middle Ages are kept in the church, such as the so-called Tucher Altar (c. 1440, originally the high altar of the Augustinian church of St. Vitus also in Nürnberg). The church was built in the grand market, in place of the former Jewish synagogue, which was destroyed during the Nürnberg pogrom (Jewish persecutions of 1349) which followed an outbreak of Black Death. Charles IV wanted to use the Frauenkirche for imperial ceremonies, which is reflected in the porch with the balcony, and in the fact that the church is relatively unadorned except for the coats of arms of the Holy Roman Empire, the seven Electors, the town of Nuremberg, and the city of Rome, where the Holy Roman Emperors were crowned. Construction of the church continued until the 1360s. Charles IV's son Wenceslas was baptized in the church in 1361, on which occasion the Imperial Regalia, including the imperial reliquaries, were displayed to the people. References to Wenceslaus can be found throughout the sculptural program of the church. Beginning in 1423, the Imperial Regalia was kept permanently in Nürnberg and displayed to the people once a year on a special wooden platform constructed for that purpose. The current west gable of the church dates from 1506-8. Historic images show that this gable was once richly decorated with sculptures which were presumably destroyed in the Reformation. In 1525 the church became Lutheran and galleries were added in the aisles. In 1810, the church was acquired by a Catholic parish which removed the galleries and restored the church in 1816. This restoration involved replacing and repairing surviving sculptures and gathering Medieval art to adorn the church. One of the most notable features of the church is the Männleinlaufen, a mechanical clock that commemorates the Golden Bull of 1356. The clock was installed in the church between 1506 and 1509. The Holy Roman Emperor is shown seated with the prince-electors surrounding him. The clock mechanism is activated at noon when a bell is rung to start the sequence and is followed by the trumpeters and drummer. Then there is a procession of the electors around the figure of the Holy Roman Emperor.

With more than 1,000 years of history, this cathedral is simply magnificent. A "Castrum Babenberg"…read moreexisted on the Domberg (Cathedral Hill) and was mentioned in 902 for the first time. It was founded in 1002 by King (and later crowned as the Holy Roman Emperor by pope Benedict VIII in 1014) Heinrich (Henry) II and consecrated in 1012. Emperor Heinrich II died in 1024, and his wife empress Kunigunde in 1040. With the tomb of the couple, the cathedral contains the remains of the only imperial couple that was canonized. The second bishop Suidger of Bamberg was elected as Pope Clemens II. in 1046. His last resting place in the Bamberg Cathedral is the only preserved tomb of a pope in Germany and north of the Alps. After the first two cathedrals burned down in the 11th and 12th centuries, the current structure, a late Romanesque building with four large towers, was built in the 13th century. The cathedral is about 94 m long, 28 m broad, 26 m high, and the four towers are each about 81 m high. It contains many works of art, including the marble tomb of the Emperor Heinrich II and his wife, the Empress Kunigunde, considered a masterpiece of the sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider, and carved between 1499 and 1513. Another well-known treasure of the cathedral is an equestrian statue known as the Bamberg Horseman (German: Der Bamberger Reiter). This statue, possibly depicting the Hungarian king Stephen I, most likely dates to the period from 1225 to 1237.

Dominating the hillside above the old town of Bamberg is its imposing late Romanesque Cathedral…read more The current building is the third to stand on the site, after the original (founded by Heinrich II and his wife Kunigunde in 1104), and its successor, both burned down. Erected in the 13th Century, the style is a mixture of late Romanesque (particularly the doorways and windows) and early Gothic, best seen in the arcades. The exterior is dominated by four spires and some impressive sculpture in the porches: the interior has some lovely treasures - particularly the late Gothic tomb of its founders, Heinrich and Kunigunde, and the unusual but impressive equestrian statue of the Bamberg horseman. Sadly, the decision to strip away the plaster and wall decoration in the 19th Century does detract from the atmosphere: the bare expanse of stone could do with some colourful banners (or restored plaster and fresco) to enliven it. The cathedral has two crypts, one of which, containing saintly relics, can be visited. The west choir was roped off in my visit but contains the only papal tomb North if the Alps (that if Clemens II).