Bamberg, Germany: Cathedral

It's tough not to bump into an old church in Europe, and this one certainly qualifies. It overlooks the old town in Bamberg as well as the rest of the area, and it is beautiful - even without scaffolding, which is part of most current photos of such buildings because they need a lot of upkeep.

This one went up in the 13th century, after a couple of previous buildings burned to the ground. They weren't going to mess around on the third attempt, building a cathedral to last.

It's still the home of the Archbishop of Bamberg, and it's part of a huge complex. The cathedral even has a Pope entombed inside of it (Pope Clement II, who died a little less than a thousand years ago after a year on the job), and the church itself is as big and ornate as you think it is.

The grounds have other attractions, including some fabulous buildings including the so-called New Residence and a Rose Garden. But you probably want to see what the cathedral looks like. I'll spare you a 15-minute video in favor of this shorter version:



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