UK city with Europe’s most beautiful cathedral — beats Notre Dame | Travel News | Travel
There’s plenty of stunning cathedrals in the UK, and even more scattered across Europe. From Notre Dame to Westminster Abbey, there’s no shortage of incredible architecture to marvel at. However, one particular cathedral has recently been named as the most beautiful in all of Europe – and it’s not one you’d necessarily expect.
Experts from Saga Holidays analysed Google reviews for cathedrals from across Europe and compiled the data. By counting how many times visitors referenced the beauty of the cathedral, as well as the average search number and the general vibe of the reviews, they scored each cathedral out of 100.
The most beautiful of them all turned out to be none other than Durham Cathedral.
Durham is a gorgeous city nestled in the North East of England, just south of Newcastle. The city itself is beautiful, but the jewel in the crown is the castle and cathedral. Both are dedicated UNESCO Heritage sites and the eagle eyed tourists might just recognise parts of both.
The quadrangle, cloisters and chapter house were all used as filming locations for the Harry Potter franchise. It’s easy to see why, as just one visit to this amazing place feels magical.
Outside of its amazing castle, Durham is a great city for a wander. It’s small, so you can explore it easily on foot.
If you fancy it, you can take one of the many walking paths along the River Wear which winds through the city.
However, if you’re visiting in the colder winter months, a riverside walk might be a little too chilly to brave. If this is the case, then it’s a fabulous idea to check out Durham’s Oriental Museum.
This amazing museum houses exhibits from Ancient Egypt all the way through to modern day China and is a great way to spend an afternoon.
Europe’s top 10 most beautiful cathedrals
|
Rank |
Cathedral name |
City |
Country |
Total ‘Beauty’ Keyword Mentions |
Est. Monthly Searches |
Average Sentiment (out of 100) |
Score (out of 100) |
|
1 |
Durham Cathedral |
Durham |
England |
20 |
60,500 |
95 |
95 |
|
2 |
Strasbourg Cathedral |
Strasbourg |
France |
32 |
1,900 |
89 |
94 |
|
3 |
Salzburg Cathedral |
Salzburg |
Austria |
22 |
1,900 |
92 |
90 |
|
4 |
Rouen cathedral |
Rouen |
France |
16 |
1,900 |
94 |
88 |
|
5 |
York Minster |
York |
England |
11 |
110,000 |
85 |
85 |
|
6 |
Siena Cathedral |
Siena |
Italy |
17 |
2,900 |
91 |
83 |
|
7 |
Galway Cathedral |
Galway |
Ireland |
21 |
1,900 |
87 |
81 |
|
8 |
Notre-Dame Cathedral |
Paris |
France |
18 |
27,100 |
85 |
80 |
|
9 |
Gloucester Cathedral |
Gloucester |
England |
12 |
40,500 |
88 |
78 |
|
10 |
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral |
Galicia |
Spain |
17 |
2,400 |
88 |
77 |








