We will start our holiday in Munich and hope to end up in Trier (traveling by train). I would like to stop overnight at one of the larger cities so I can attend Christmas Eve in a spectacular church or cathedral. But there are so many! Which one would you recommend? Cologne? Mainz? other?
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9221 posts
I would recommend Frankfurt. Why? Because on Christmas Eve at 17:00, you would get to hear the Pealing of the Bells. This is 50 bells in 10 of the downtown churches all ringing together for 30 min. Usually about 10,000 people will be in the Alt Stadt area to hear this, drinking glühwein and sekt. Then they all go off to the various services or home to open their gifts. The Kaiserdom in Frankfurt has the largest organ in the state of Hessen and it is magnificent. The church itself dates from various time periods, but mainly 1400's. Most of the churches have childrens' programs on the 24th in the afternoon, with services in the evening and again on the 25th and 26th. There are English speaking services for the various denominations too, Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican. Where ever you go, make sure you have dinner reservations at a hotel, because all of the restaurants and stores shut down about 1400 on the 24th. My 2nd recommendation would be the cathedral in Mainz. Now over a 1000 years old, it is truly a magnificent church and for my tastes, much more imposing and awe inspiring than the cathedral in Cologne. For a smaller but even older church, I would choose St. Justinus in Hoechst. Consecrated in 850, it is one of the oldest churches in Germany. Fabulous baroque organ too. This would be a Catholic service.
Posted by
OP
Bellevue
12 posts
Thank you! What wonderful suggestions!