Be Inspired

Europe is a diverse and inspiring continent, full of fascinating details, places, people and events. Our religious heritage is not only a window into this past, but also provides enjoyment and inspiration for its architecture, its beauty and its splendour. These lists show some of the ways that Europe's religious heritage can be enjoyed today.

6 buildings

Wikimedia Commons/Patrick

Europe’s most beautiful stained-glass windows

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.

10 buildings

Ten churches featured in films

Whether to convey a solemn, mystical or calm atmosphere, churches are recurrent in films, they are part of all cinematographic genres. The following list, as incomplete as it is eclectic, is proof of the diversity of the use of sacred places in cinema.

6 buildings

Wikipedia/Nikkul

Hindu temples in Europe

Despite the dominance of churches, synagogues and mosques throughout Europe, other religious communities have taken root in the continent. The Hindu community has more than 100 temples, some of which are marvellous monumental and vivacious constructions built by Tamil emigres between the 90s and 2000s. Have a look at these precious examples of Dravidian architecture on European territory.

7 buildings

Moorish Mosques of Spain

Present on the Iberian Peninsula from 711 to 1492, the Moors, who came from North Africa, left their mark on their passage through culture and architecture. Witnesses of this period are the mosques, which are rare survivors that were spared because they were converted into churches.

8 buildings

Religious buildings that can be visited virtually

Sacred buildings are places to visit for their atmosphere, but the period of confinement in which we currently find ourselves deprives us of this experience. We can, however, still admire these places... online. We have selected for you eight sacred places that you can visit from the comfort of your own home.

13 buildings

Ottoman Mosques of the Balkans

The Spanish Reconquista compromised the preservation of Muslim heritage in Western Europe, but the withdrawal of the Ottoman Empire from Eastern Europe in the 18th century did not lead to the systematic destruction of the surviving mosques in the Balkan Peninsula, where many Muslims still live.

13 buildings

Wikimedia Commons

Jewish Heritage of the Netherlands

The modern Jewish community was established in Amsterdam in the 16th century. Many of these were Sephardic refugees from Spain and Portugal. Ashkenazi Jews from Central and Eastern Europe began to arrive following 1630. It was not until the 18th century that Jews began to settle outside Amsterdam. Since then, numerous new Jewish communities were established in the first half of the 19th century. Overall, nearly 200 Jewish communities are known to have existed in the Netherlands. In this Religiana list, we'll explore the top Jewish heritage sites of the Netherlands.

5 buildings

Wikimedia Commons

Wooden Churches of Sweden

Even today, much of the landscape of Sweden is covered in woodland. While the traditional style of Stave churches is more abundant in neighboring Norway, Sweden also has a number of religious heritage sites made of wood. Not all of these wooden churches are "true Stave churches", however, many of them stem from the 12th century giving way to a number of wooden church building techniques that inspired several other sites across Europe.