Category: Travelogue

Churches on the Rhine: St Thomas’ Church, Strasbourg, France

Published on by rdmegr

Visitors to Strasbourg, France, flock to the Strasbourg Cathedral, the sixth-tallest church in the world and the tallest structure built entirely in the Middle Ages that is still standing. Our time in Strasbourg was relatively short, so we opted not to wait in the long line to visit the cathedral. Instead, we found a lovely boulangerie, purchased some baked goods and settled down in a quieter part of the old town to enjoy our snacks and watch people. The square was adjacent to St Thomas’ Church, so we took advantage of the chance to go in and enjoy the church without the crowds.

The site where the church stands was used as a place of worship as early as the sixth century C.E. The current building was begun in 1196 and completed in 1521. In 1524, the church, which had been Catholic, converted to Protestantism. It remained a Protestant church even after the Alsace region was annexed by Catholic France. The church is sometimes referred to as “the Protestant Cathedral,” or “the Old Lady.”

Behind that altar is the mausoleum of Marshal Maurice de Saxe, a prominent soldier, general and military theorist in the first half of the 18th century. When Marshall Saxe died, a funeral service was held in Paris, but since he was not Catholic, he could not be buried there. Instead, his body was transported to Strasbourg, where he was ultimately interred at St. Thomas in August 1777.

The monument shows Death holding a sandglass and calling Marshall Saxe to the grave, while…

a crying France tries to protect him from Death.

On the left side of the tomb, Hercules weeps.

Over Hercules’s shoulder are distraught symbols of France’s enemies, a British lion, a Dutch lion, and a German eagle.

Among the relics at the church is the sarcophagus of Bishop Adelochus (ca. 1130).

In the back of the church is the rose window and the Silbermann organ from 1741.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart performed on the organ in 1778. Albert Schweitzer also performed at the church.

Churches on the Rhine: St. Stephen’s Minster, Breisach am Rhine

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St. Stephen’s Minster rises above the town of Breisach am Rhine on Münsterberg hill. Our river cruise docked in Breisach, where we loaded on buses to tour the Black Forest and Colmar, France. But early in the morning I wandered around Breisach and took a few photos.

Construction of St. Stephen’s Minster was begun in early in the 12th century and substantially completed in 1494, although construction continues to this day.

The road to the Minster begins at the Gutgesellentor in the town square. The gate was built in 1402 and is sometimes referred to as the Journeyman’s Gate.

The road to the church is steep and offers a gorgeous view of the mountains in the distance.

In the distance is Eckartsberg, a small volcanic mountain that rises 50 meters above the market square in Breisach. Legend has it that as early as the 4th century C.E. “Faithful Eckehart” had a castle atop the mountain. Through the centuries Eckartsberg was fortified. During the 12th century, it was the protected home of merchants and soldiers. During World War II, Eckartsberg once again was fortified, with bunkers and tunnels used for military purposes. Residents of Breisach sought refuge there during the bombing at the end of the war.

Half way up the hill to the church, you pass through Hagenback Tower (circa 1319).

Beyond the tower, you come upon a small plaza, dedicated to peace and the persons who have died in war.

Churches on the Rhine: Basel Minster

Published on by rdmegr

In August 2025, we took a Viking River Cruise on the Rhine from Basel, Switzerland, to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Along the way, we had the chance to visit several remarkable churches. Earlier, I posted photos of Our Lord in the Attic, a clandestine Catholic church in Amsterdam. In a series of posts, I will share photos from several other churches we visited along the way.

On a hill above the Rhine River in Basel, Switzerland, stands Basel Minster. Originally a Catholic cathedral, during the Protestant Reformation, Basel Minster became a Reformed Protestant Church.

The building dates back to the last third of the 12th century and was completed around 1225. Work continued on the church building periodically and was completed in 1500.

In 1528 and 1529, valuable pieces of art in the cathedral were were removed and destroyed during the iconoclasm of the Protestant Reformation. Remarkably beautiful stained glass windows were installed in the 1850s.

Our Lord in the Attic, Amsterdam

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On a recent visit to Amsterdam, I toured the Our Lord in the Attic museum. Our Lord in the Attic is a Catholic Church that was established in 1663 in the home of a wealthy merchant when, during the Protestant Reformation, it was illegal for Catholics to practice their religion publicly. The church was one of several “schuilkerks” or “clandestine churches” that were forbidden, but tolerated, by the local government in Amsterdam. The church occupies the top three floors of the canal house and includes a residence for the priest.

Here is a model of the house.

The main entrance to the house looks out on the canal and the street.

A stair way leads up to the families living quarters.

The parlor is a remarkable room, reflecting the wealth of the merchant.

Because of the perspective of the lens, the two photos of the parlor, above, make the room appear much larger than it was. The view below from the side more accurately shows the proportions of the room.

The size of the sanctuary surprised me, with seating on the main floor of the church and in the balconies.

The church has its own pipe organ, evidence, I think that the church was tolerated. I am sure when the organist played the hymns, the sound reverberated beyond the walls of the house.

From a window in the room behind the altar, one can see the steeple of Oude Kerk (Old Church), a Reformed church in Amsterdam. The oldest structure in Amsterdam, the church building was consecrated in 1306 as a Roman Catholic church. It became a Reformed church after the Reformation in 1578.

The robes of the priest who resided above the Our Lord in the Attic church.

The priest’s bedroom.

Amsterdam Canals

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My Lightroom catalog has thousands of photographs that I took on a river cruise down the Rhine last year. I haven’t shared them on my blog because they are mostly record shots made to help us remember our trip. They were taken on the go, often with my cellphone rather than my DSLR. I visit them often in my catalog, though, and think it is about time to share some of them.

We spent four days in Amsterdam. I rose early in the morning and walked among the canals taking photos. It was quite peaceful in the morning. We took a canal tour in the evening, but it didn’t measure up to simply walking along the canals. Here’s a few snapshots from my walks.

The Windmills of Kinderdijk

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Recently, we took a cruise on the Rhine, which stopped in Kinderdijk, Netherlands. Kinderdijk is home to 19 windmills that were built in 1738 and 1740. The windmills were built to keep water out of a low lying tract of land used for farming. The windmills are maintained in working order, but two electric pumping stations perform their function today. The windmills and the area around them are protected under Dutch law and were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Here are photographs I took during our visit.