It’s Easter time! And for this occasion Spotted by Locals has selected five churches to visit during the Easter holidays. Have you ever dined or had a cocktail in a church? In the Church of Dublin, you can! More of a church fan? Visit Riverside Church in New York with its 390-foot-tall (nearly 120 meters) bell tower, the tallest in North America, or head to Boyana Church in Sofia for a true heritage gem of UNESCO. Do you like marble? Head to Venice and visit Santa Maria dei Miracoli, with its interior and facades sculpted and covered in multicolored marble. We have selected five unique churches that are definitely worth seeing. What better way to spend your Easter holidays?
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Image from https://historymuseum.org
Riverside Church – New York
Image by Mike Steele
The Riverside Church is a stately, regal, spacious and wonderfully situated church near the Hudson River. Martin Luther King Jr. (the historic Riverside Church speech), Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson, Cesar Chavez and a long list of others have spoken there.
The 390-foot (nearly 120-meter) tall church steeple, the tallest in North America, is now open to the public. It houses a carillon of 74 bells, the largest tuned bell ever cast, the Bourbon Bell, weighing 20 tons. Once at the top (after climbing 145 steps), it’s like looking down from the 64th floor of a downtown skyscraper.
Before leaving, you can have a coffee or any other drink to take away from the basement café!
If you visit this church on Easter: April 17, you can join the worship service at 10:45 am, then an Easter brunch is held in the south hall. Everyone is welcome! Donations are not required but are appreciated.
Spotted by Geoffrey Dunbar
Boyana Church – Sofia
Boyana Church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sofia. Away from the city center, it is a gem for explorers and anyone wishing to delve into Bulgaria’s medieval history. This place contains excellent frescoes, notably by Sebastocrator Kaloyan, the main donor, who is pictured with his wife Dessislava. All the paintings in the church appear to be of extraordinary emotional intensity for a 13th century image, which is why they are believed to have influenced the development of not only Bulgarian but also European medieval painting.
Image from https://historymuseum.org
Boyana Church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sofia. Away from the city center, it is a gem for explorers and anyone wishing to delve into Bulgaria’s medieval history. This place contains excellent frescoes, notably by Sebastocrator Kaloyan, the main donor, who is pictured with his wife Dessislava. All the paintings in the church appear to be of extraordinary emotional intensity for a 13th century image, which is why they are believed to have influenced the development of not only Bulgarian but also European medieval painting.
Image from https://historymuseum.org
Boyana Church was built in the 11th century. It has been renovated over the years and was once an Orthodox temple which was used until 1954. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an important art historical monument. If you want to know more about the church and the city, a guided tour is well worth your time!
Spotted by Yana Alexieva
The Church – Dublin
Image by Rose O Donnell
Have you ever been to a restaurant located in a church? In Dublin, it is possible!
The Church Restaurant is located in North Dublin. This famous tourist destination offers excellent meals and even evening cocktails. The restaurant was once St. Mary’s Church, and it was here that Arthur Guinness was married nearly 200 years ago. The interiors of St. Mary’s Church have been preserved, and it’s a very nice building for a cup of tea or coffee! They have a regular bar downstairs and their Gallery restaurant on the first floor opens in the evening for dinner. The church even puts on free shows of traditional Irish music and dancing from Sunday to Thursday.
It’s only a short walk from one of Dublin’s main shopping areas, so it’s the perfect setting for a cup of tea, writing a postcard or just relaxing. Because the church is such a large building, you will never feel compelled to leave your seat. Customers are also welcome to come in and have a look; there is no need to buy a tea or coffee if you just want to look around.
Spotted by Rose O’Donnell
Santa Maria dei Miracoli – Venice
Image by Cecilia Staiano
Santa Maria dei Miracoli, also known as the Marble Church, is certainly worth a visit when you are in Venice if you want to include a precious gem in your day program. It is an authentic treasure of Venice from a historical and artistic point of view, but also from a sentimental point of view for the Venetians.
Unlike all the other churches in the city, it was built in the 15th century and has remained virtually intact. The architecture is magnificent, with both the interior and the facades sculpted and clad in multicolored marble. Three sides are visible from the streets, and one directly overlooks a small canal that you cross by gondola.
Spotted by
St. Nicholas Church – Bucharest
Image by Alexandra Stefan
As most Bucharest residents say, you can’t miss St. Nicholas Church or the Russian Church when walking around University Square in the Old Town. It is one of the last works of Russian religious architecture of the 20th century and, for the inhabitants of the city, one of the most beautiful churches in the city.
The majority of Romanians are Orthodox Christians, so there are many Orthodox churches in the city, which are unique in their architecture. Covered in gold originally, there are seven typical Russian onion domes, rare in Romania. St. Nicholas Church was built between 1905 and 1909 with a donation of 600,000 gold rubles from the court of Emperor Nicholas II, hence its name. The gold-gilded wooden iconostasis is actually a copy of the altar of the Arkhangelsk Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.
Spotted by Diana Goanta
