Wonderful art, amazing design and beautiful locations have drawn our tipsters to chapels, churches and cathedrals from Norway to Bulgaria
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The Tromsøysund parish church, commonly called the Arctic Cathedral, in Tromsø is a modernist delight. The simple, elegant exterior that reflects the surrounding scenery and evokes traditional Sami dwellings is matched by an interior that has the most comfortable pews I have ever sat on. The stunning glass mosaic titled the Return of Christ at one end may not be to everyone’s taste, but to me had power and majesty. Exiting this magnificent building after an organ recital to be met by the northern lights flickering overhead was awe-inspiring.
Bruce Horton
I never understood what people get out of churches. The Monastère Notre Dame de Cimiez is different. The flower and herb filled gardens offer a stunning view over Nice, and the cemetery contains Matisse’s grave, but it is the small chapel that truly captures what a church should be. Although it would never compare with grander establishments, that is the point. It has unostentatiously soaked up belief for centuries. Sitting there I couldn’t quantify the feeling I had. Peace? Tranquillity? Serenity? Yes, all of that, but something more, something that finally made me understand what people get out of churches.
