Of all the cathedrals, churches, and chapels that you might have visited in Germany - which stands out as your favorite? And why?

BavariaBen - Some of the larger cathedrals are pretty awesome but I would have to vote for the Wieskirche. I love the exterior setting in the meadow with the farms and cows nearby and the interior gives me goosebumps every time I see it. This beautiful 250 yr old Baroque-Rococo pilgrimage church is a product of the famous Zimmerman brothers - two of Bavaria's most respected Rococo architects. I can't seem to pass it up anytime I am in that area. Don't miss it!

RayVolk - In reference to comments on Wieskirche, I too would agree that it is my favorite church in all of Germany. However, I wonder if you have been to the Parish Church at Rottenbuch? Rottenbuch is about 15 mles northeast of Weiskirche on highway B-23 and it's parish closely resembles Wieskirche. In fact, as we stood in this old church I felt that it was just as nice and elaborate as Wieskirche. Then the next time we visited Wieskirche we thought it was the most picturesque.. It seemed to depend on which of the two churches you were in at the moment.

Dunkeldood and JRLVR1 - ... favorite cathedral is "Worms am Rhein Dom". We just happened upon it on the first real driving day of our trip. After the long flight and the drive to Heidelberg, I was a bit frayed and not looking forward to what I thought was going to be two weeks of me trying to keep us alive on the Autobahn. We decided to pull off and get our bearings and, voila, there it was. We toured the cathedral (Jane wanted me to take a picture of her on top of one of the tombs down below) stopped off at a open-air market across the street, got an ice cream for good measure, then returned to find that our parking ticket had expired, but some generous person had placed their own ticket on our windshield so we wouldn't be fined. I know that we saw many incredible sites during our two trips, all in magical, mystical settings, but the stop-off at Worms was special because it set the mood for two very enjoyable trips. The first was to celebrate our 25th anniversary and the second to celebrate the Stammtisch. I'd have to say that the Worms cathedral and the Urach church act as mental bookends for me. What they capture between them is almost a month of pure touristic bliss, thanks to all the help that we got from you guys. Jane just stopped in to tell me that Worms was her first choice as well, so it is official. Ha.

CooperGunner - I agree with RayVolk on the church in Rottenbuch, been there many times, my wife's sister has a summer place right across the road from Rottenbuch, so when we are there we always walk over to the church.. I like it because not many people know about it, there are virtually no tourists to speak of.

NBarnes503 - The church in Idar-Oberstein has to be one of the most dramatic and interesting in Germany. As you enter the town you see a cliff with a small castle on top, however half way down there is a church that is built into the side of the cliff - Die Felsenkirche and Kirchengemeinde Oberstein. To get to the church its a short hike from the town center up a long row of steps. The inside is interesting however its the location in the cliff that grabs your attention. Idar Oberstein is located 1/2 hrs drive NW of Kaiserslautern. A worthwhile stop if you are in the Mosel or Trier area. I also agree that the cathedral in Worms is one of the best. The inside is very ornate and the market surrounding the church is lively. Martin Luther once posted his ideals on the door to this cathedral and there are many reminders in Worms of Martin Luther's influence. The Dom in Fulda is also a must see. (This will make Don happy). lol

PatBee - What a tough question! There are so many, and they're all known and loved for various features--the history, beauty, location, art, etc. But I'd have to say that for sheer fascinating background, I'd choose the now-Lutheran church in Trier known as the Basilika. It is a large, very plain-looking (and outwardly uninteresting) building whose history is almost unbelievable. Built by Emperor Constantine the Great, it was designed to be a reception hall so grand in scope that it would intimidate the Barbarian Chieftains who came for audiences with Constantine. It is an enormous structure with NO INTERIOR SUPPORTS--an engineering achievement that is still marveled at today. The windows were designed gradually to become narrower and shorter as they reached the throne area--a forced perspective that made the hall look even longer and higher than it was. The floors were double-layered, as were part of the brick walls, so that heated air could be pumped in by slaves. The slaves ran around the outer side of the building on scaffolding that was built halfway up the exterior walls. Small openings in the walls allowed for the slaves to insert bellows that blew heat from charcoal fires into the hollow places and help keep the building warm. The ceiling is made of huge recessed panels. When they needed replacing, several decades ago, engineers from around the world were brought in to try and figure out exactly how they had been originally constructed--so complicated was their design. The Barbarians would enter at the far end of the hall, and by the time they had paced over the warm marble floors to the large throne upon which Constantine was esconced, they probably figured there was no way they could win against the might and power of Rome. After the fall of Rome, the Barbarians built huts along the interior walls and used the magnificent structure more-or-less as an indoor campground.  ---  Today, the Basilika is open to the public for sightseeing, but it is also an active Evangelical church. When I took my church choir to Germany and Austria for a concert tour in 1996, we sang a short midday concert in the Basilika. The acoustics were phenomenal and the centuries of history that were present in the place left an impression on each of us that will never be forgotten.

gluhwein@ptd.net (Doug Lund) - I find the cathedral in Ulm to be most inspiring. It's so huge and so ornate that I, not a very religious person, feel overwhelmed by the presence of God. To think that it was built back in a time when their was nothing but manpower to lift the huge stones and beams...I also get chills seeing the names on the walls of the hundreds of sons and fathers killed in WWII.

RSchw74573@cs.com - My wife, daughter and I had to kill a day and night somewhere outside Frankfurt, on our first trip to Europe, waiting for our campervan rental pickup. With absolutely no clues, we elected to drive to Worms. Our experience was much the same as one of the other respondents - we "discovered" the cathedral and were amazed and awed by it. Unfortunately we could not enter on that day, but I will not soon forget this majestic, imposing, and beautiful sight on my first day in Germany. I think the delight of it was and is the undiscovered quality. Worms is a lovely and welcoming town with much to offer the "cultural" tourist, but is rarely mentioned in guides or web sites. Lee