Trip: Winter in Germany

This fine 12th-century church, part of an active Benedictine abbey, houses the relics of St. Matthias, the apostle who was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. It is still visited by many pilgrims.

Originally built by Emperor Constantine in 326, Trier Cathedral is the oldest church in Germany.

Occupying a small room inside Trier Cathedral, this treasury displays some of Europe's greatest relics - including a nail from the Crucifixion and a sandal of St. Andrew - along with important religious art from a variety of periods.

Münster's attractive cathedral was built in the Transitional style of the early 13th century. It boasts a porch filled with medieval sculptures, a nave with only two bays, and a magnificent astrological clock.

This pretty 13th-century parish church, located right next door to Trier Cathedral, was one of the first Gothic churches built in Germany.

Commissioned by Charlemagne in 786, this is the oldest cathedral in Northern Europe. A graceful Gothic choir was added to the Carolingian core in the 15th century. Inside are several major relics and early medieval artworks.

Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the greatest Gothic cathedral in Germany and has been Cologne's most famous landmark for centuries. Once the tallest building in the world, it still has the largest facade anywhere.

Built in 1130-60 as a house for noble canonesses, it later became an Augustinian convent. Today the church shelters the Schnütgen Museum, an excellent collection of medieval religious art.

Picturesquely located on the forested shores of a crater lake, the Benedictine abbey church of Maria Laach is a notable example of German Romanesque architecture.