Be Inspired

Stained glass is a fine art that has decorated sacred buildings since the Middle Ages, creating a captivating scene of light and colour to which it is difficult to remain indifferent. Those who pay enough attention will discover the story and mysteries of Christianity written in them. Check out this list of European stained-glass masterpieces which will take your breath away.

From Greece to France, these 10 lake sites set in stunning mountainous regions of Europe will make you combine the discovery of beautiful architecture with outdoor activities!

To save you from spending a day in the subway, we have put together an eclectic sample of churches that can be visited in 1 day on foot!

In order to ensure financial independence, some French monasteries have dusted off old recipes and resumed the art of distillation. These monasteries, often located in wilderness areas, produce herbal liqueurs, some of which have acquired an international reputation.

Very few buildings, only 38 in total, bear the European Heritage Label. This label was created by the European Commission in 2007 to celebrate places of remembrance, witnesses of European history and heritage. The following places are or include places of worship, underlining their importance in European heritage.

The Tatars are a Turkish people who, after the collapse of the Mongol empire (1206-1368), formed a number of khanates in its western part, which is part of present-day Russia and Ukraine. The Tatars converted to Islam as early as the 14th century and built beautiful mosques that can still be found in north-eastern Europe, which is still home to a Tatar minority.

The territory of present-day Germany was the epicentre of the face-off between Catholics and Protestants from the 16th century onwards. This led not only to a division of the region but also to divisions within the towns themselves, in which the churches regularly changed denominations. The “Simultaneum”, a form of religious tolerance that allowed Protestants and Catholics to share a church, became attractive to the leaders of these territories where consensus seemed impossible. The "Simultankirchen" (shared churches) are the descendants of this period, and of the unrest that followed; they constitute a unique heritage in Germany.

Within a country, a region, and sometimes even within a city, rivalries have arisen around religious buildings, long centres of power. Today these rivalries are anecdotal, but they have the merit of connecting these buildings to a broader history.

Throughout Europe's history there have been numerous conflicts and eras of turmoil. Religious buildings were often the largest and strongest buildings in urban areas, which meant that people often used them as shelters when problems arose. These 10 fortified sites are outstanding examples of the intersection of defensive and sacred architecture

Today, monarchies in Europe are few, but centuries of reign have left lasting traces on our heritage, especially churches since European monarchies were legitimised by their proximity to the divine. These 10 churches, closely linked to European monarchies, are important to understand the traditions and beliefs of our ancestors.