The 8 Most Beautiful Churches in the World

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The architecture of divinity lends itself to beauty. When a structure is built to accommodate worship, the builders often want it to do more than merely house worshipers—they want it to point to, and honor, what is being worshiped.

This is why churches—from the grandest cathedrals to the smallest house of worship—often have distinctive designs. Whether this unique aesthetic is laid out in intricately carved stone pillars or thrust into the air in the form of a simple, wooden steeple, God-inspired design simultaneously shows a church’s purpose, and draws people in through an appreciation of beauty.

Places of worship are some of the grandest buildings ever created by human hands, but even among these, a handful stand out as some of the most majestic. Located all over the world, these exceptional churches draw enormous crowds, awing them with architectural beauty that cannot be matched.

If you’ve ever wanted to see these iconic structures, but don’t quite have the time or the means to reach them, we’ve got you covered. Read on, and let’s take a look at 8 of the most beautiful churches in the world so that you can feel inspired, awed, and informed by these magnificent structures.

St. Basil's Cathedral

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Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat, more commonly known as Saint Basil’s Cathedral, is an iconic Russian church that is also one of the most unique structures in the world.

Now functioning as a museum rather than a place of worship, it was ordered by Ivan the Terrible in 1552, commemorating the capture of Kazan from Mongol forces. Completed in 1560, not much is known about its builders, Barma and Postnik Yakovlev, but legend has it that Ivan blinded them so that they could never again create something so beautiful for anyone else.

Dubious legends aside, this cathedral, known for its diverse array of vivid colors, was once all white, featuring golden onion domes. Many additions have been made to the building in its long history, including a new bell tower build in the 17^th century, new roofing, and decorated domes. Finally it was 1860 that saw the cathedral’s re-painting, creating the visual splendor we see today.

Las Lajas Sanctuary

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One look at Las Lajas Sanctuary, and you might begin believing that fantasy is real.

Inspired by a miraculous event in 1754, wherein the Virgin Mary appeared in silhouette during a flash of lightning after calling to a young girl, this neo-Gothic church is one of the most fantastical and beautiful buildings in the world. Originally a simple shrine, the current incarnation of the building was begun on 1916, with construction completing in 1949.

Mysteries abound at this church. No one, for instance, knows where the image of the Virgin Mary, which sits at the end of the church, came from.

Located in southern Colombia, Las Lajas Sanctuary sits atop a 130-feet tall bridge built over the Guaitara River, giving its many tourists an awe-inspiring view of the valley below. Another legend revolves around the girl who saw the original apparition of Mary—when the girl later died, she was revived when her mother prayed to Mary for her daughter’s soul.

Whatever you might believe, this is a fairy tale place of beauty that’s worth a future visit.

King's College Chapel

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Often considered the finest example of late Medieval English architecture in England, King’s College Chapel has some distinctive architectural features that make it stand out from your everyday cathedral.

Build by a succession of English kings from 1446 to 1515, King’s College Chapel resides at the University of Cambridge, and has, fortunately, survived numerous wars undamaged.

One of its most notable features is its fan vault, which is the largest in the world. A fan vault consists of the intricate array of stone ribbing that can be seen on the ceilings of many Gothic-style cathedrals. Looking up within its confines, a viewer is treated to a beautiful array of concentric lines.

The great windows of this ancient chapel are similarly unique, and are some of the best of their era. There are 12 tall, arched windows on each side of the cathedral, each filled with colorful stained glass. Any one of these windows is so large that a viewer will feel dwarfed standing beneath it.

Still used as a place of worship to this day, King’s College Chapel is one of the most notable and well-made cathedrals in the world.

Hallgrímskirkja

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If you’ve something a little different in mind, Iceland’s Hallgrímskirkja is one of the most unique—and beautiful—churches in the world.

The construction of this Lutheran church began in 1945, in the city of Reykjavík, and was completed 40 years later, in 1986. Built to resemble the native landscape of Iceland, it is one of the tallest structures in the country, making it visible throughout the city. It was, in fact, originally meant to be a shorter structure, but the leaders of the Church of Iceland wanted a spire which would dwarf the cathedral of the Catholic Church in Iceland.

Hallgrímskirkja owes its unique aesthetic to the expressionist architectural movement—it is one of very few churches in the world built in this style. Its tall steeple and sweeping wings are an awe-inspiring sight, so if you ever find yourself in Iceland, make sure you pay this church a visit.

Notre-Dame Basilica

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On the outside, it may look like your run-of-the-mill cathedral—if there is such a thing—but make no mistake. Step inside, and you’ll find that this is one of the most beautiful churches in the world.

The Notre-Dame Basilica is located at 110 Notre-Dame Street in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, and features a highly-decorated interior. Within, visitors will find a sanctuary resplendent with purples, reds, azures, blues, gold, and silver. Looking up at the ceiling of this Roman Catholic church truly feels like gazing into the heavens. Apart from the coloration, this cathedral is also home to some truly splendid woodwork, and a massive Casavant Frères pipe organ.

Interestingly, the windows of this cathedral don’t depict the usual Biblical scenes—instead, they depict moments from Montréal’s religious history.

Still used for worship, this cathedral is also the site of various musical productions, including an annual performance of Handel’s Messiah, as well as a sound and light show depicting the history of the church, so don’t hesitate to visit if you head up north.

Church of the Transfiguration

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On an island on Russia’s Lake Onega, there lies an 18^th-century historical site called Kizhi Pogost, which is surrounded by an ancient wooden fence. Within this site lies the 22-domed Church of the Transfiguration, one of the oldest wooden structures in the world, as well as one of the most beautiful churches.

There are numerous interesting facts about this structure, chief among them the fact that it was built without a single nail, and instead was put together using interlocking logs. Thousands of these logs were brought in from mainland Russia to build the Church of the Transfiguration—a difficult task for its early time period.

The intricacy of this church’s architecture is unmatched, and is considered by locals to be a wonder of the world. Legends say that the original builder, Master Nestor, built the church using nothing but one axe, and after he was finished, cast the axe into the lake, proclaiming that “there was not and will be not another one to match it.”

The original church was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1693, and it was rebuilt around 1713 using the same materials and techniques. The Church of the Transfiguration’s all-wooden architecture blends perfectly into its wooded surroundings, seeming a natural—if ornate—part of the landscape.

The church is unheated in the harsh Russian winters, and thus, is used only in the summer months, so if you’re planning a visit, make sure it’s during this time.

Duomo di Milano

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This Gothic cathedral took around six centuries to complete, but as the fifth-largest Christian church in the world, and one of the most visually splendid, it was most certainly worth the effort.

Construction began in 1386, at the behest of Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo, and was meant as a reward for those who had suffered under a previous ruler’s tyranny.

And what a reward it is—the Milan Cathedral is a many-spired wonder. Mark Twain, upon visiting the cathedral, once wrote “What a wonder it is! So grand, so solemn, so vast! And yet so delicate, so airy, so graceful! A very world of solid weight, and yet it seems ...a delusion of frostwork that might vanish with a breath!”

The scale of this church is simply unimaginable until it is visited in person. The main windows are taller than most homes, and the structure itself covers an entire city block. It bears more statues than any other structure in the world—135 gargoyles and 700 human figures.

If you find your beauty in grandness, this may be your new favorite church.

Pilgrimage Church of Wies

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The Pilgrimage Church of Wies, located in Bavaria, Germany, was designed to “unleash the divine in visible form.”

It succeeds.

Although it seems a fairly nondescript, even quaint, church from the outside, the interior is a heaven of white and gold.

In 1738, tears appeared on the cheeks of a statue of Christ, which inspired a mass pilgrimage to see the holy item. In 1740, a small chapel was built to house the statue, but soon proved too small for the great number of incoming pilgrims. A new, larger church was commissioned, and was built from 1745 to 1754.

What sets this church apart is its rococo look—an extremely ornate visual style marked by asymmetrical, flower-like flourishes. When a visitor enters the Pilgrimage Church of Wies, he or she is surrounded by extraordinarily ornate designs wrought in gold, and a ceiling painted to look like a blue, clouded sky.

Few places in the world capture the power and grandeur of the divine as this church does, and so if you’re a beauty-loving world traveler, make the Pilgrimage Church of Wies one of your destinations.