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This list of tallest church buildings ranks church buildings by height. From the Middle Ages until the advent of the skyscraper, Christian church buildings were often the world's tallest buildings. From 1311, when the spire of Lincoln Cathedral surpassed the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza, until the Washington Monument was completed in 1884, a succession of church buildings held this title.
The tallest church building in the world is the Ulm Minster (161.5 m), the main Lutheran congregation in Ulm, Germany. The tallest Catholic, as well as the tallest domed church building, is the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (158 m) in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast. The tallest church building with two steeples as well as the tallest cathedral is Cologne Cathedral (157.4 m) in Cologne, Germany. The tallest Eastern Orthodox, as well as the tallest domed cathedral, will be People's Salvation Cathedral (now 120 m; 127 m when completed) in Bucharest, Romania. [1] The tallest brickwork church building is St Martin's Church (130.6 m) in Landshut, Germany, while the tallest brickwork church building with two steeples is St Mary's Church (125 m) in Lübeck, Germany. The tallest wooden church building is Săpânța-Peri Monastery church (78 m) in Săpânța, Romania. The tallest church building in the Americas is the Cathedral of Maringá (124 m) in Maringá, Brazil. If completed, the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain, will be the tallest church building in the world, at 172.5 metres (566 ft).
The cities with the most churches surpassing 99 metres (325 feet) are Hamburg (5 of the 29 tallest churches), Lübeck (4 of the 56 tallest churches, two of which with twin towers → 6 towers overall), Vienna (2), Tallinn (2), St. Petersburg (2), New York City (2), Dortmund (2) and Stralsund (2), and the cities with the most churches surpassing 75 metres (246 feet) are Berlin (16), Hamburg (9), Paris (8), Dresden (8), Vienna (7), Stockholm (7) and Munich (7), while in the Americas it is New York City (4).
This list does not include church buildings that incorporate a significant portion of space to non-church uses, such as the Chicago Temple Building. It does not include structures from non-Christian religions.
Rank | Country | Church buildings ≥ 99 m ≥ 325 ft |
Tallest | Rank | City | Church buildings ≥ 99 m ≥ 325 ft |
Tallest | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Germany | 30 | 161.5 | 1 | Hamburg - Germany | 5 | 147.3 | |
2 | France | 9 | 151.0 | 2 | Lübeck - Germany | 4 | 125.0 | |
3 | Poland | 8 | 141.5 | 3 | Vienna - Austria | 2 | 136.4 | |
4 | Italy + Vatican City | 8 [note 2] | 136.6 | 4 | Tallinn - Estonia | 2 | 123.7 | |
5 | Belgium Flanders | 5 [note 3] | 124.9 | 5 | St. Petersburg - Russia | 2 | 122.5 | |
6 | Russia | 5 | 122.5 | 6 | New York City - United States | 2 | 119.8 | |
7 | Austria | 4 | 136.4 | 7 | Dortmund - Germany | 2 | 105.0 | |
8 | Sweden | 4 | 118.7 | 8 | Stralsund - Germany | 2 | 104.0 | |
9 | Brazil | 3 | 124.0 | 9 | Ulm - Germany | 1 | 161.5 | |
10 | United Kingdom England | 3 [note 4] | 123.1 | 10 | Yamoussoukro - Ivory Coast | 1 | 158.0 | |
11 | United States | 3 | 119.8 | 11 | Cologne - Germany | 1 | 157.4 | |
12 | Spain | 2 [note 5] | 138.0 | 12 | Rouen - France | 1 | 151.0 | |
13 | Estonia | 2 | 123.7 | 13 | Strasbourg - France Alsace | 1 | 142.0 | |
14 | Colombia | 2 | 113.0 | 14 | Licheń Stary - Poland | 1 | 141.5 | |
15 | Netherlands | 2 | 112.3 | 15 | Barcelona - Spain Catalonia | 1 [note 6] | 138.0 | |
16 | Argentina | 2 | 112.0 | 16 | Vatican City ( Rome) - Vatican City | 1 | 136.6 | |
17 | Czech Republic | 2 | 102.3 | 17 | Bucharest - Romania | 1 [note 7] | 135.0 | |
18 | Ivory Coast | 1 | 158.0 | 18 | Linz - Austria | 1 | 134.8 | |
19 | Romania | 1 [note 8] | 135.0 | 19 | Landshut - Germany | 1 | 130.6 | |
20 | Latvia | 1 | 123.3 | 20 | Novara - Italy | 1 | 126.0 | |
21 | Ecuador | 1 | 115.0 | 21 | Maringá - Brazil | 1 | 124.0 | |
22 | Vietnam | 1 | 110.0 | 22 | Antwerp - Belgium Flanders | 1 | 123.9 | |
23 | Croatia | 1 | 108.4 | 23 | Riga - Latvia | 1 | 123.3 | |
24 | Mexico | 1 | 107.5 | 24 | Salisbury - United Kingdom | 1 | 123.1 | |
25 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 107.2 | 25 | Uppsala - Sweden | 1 | 118.7 | |
26 | Australia | 1 | 105.0 | 26 | Schwerin - Germany | 1 | 117.5 | |
27 | China | 1 | 105.0 | 27 | Rostock - Germany | 1 | 117.0 | |
28 | Canada Quebec | 1 | 102.0 | 28 | Freiburg - Germany | 1 | 116.0 | |
29 | Switzerland | 1 | 100.6 | 29 | Stockholm - Sweden | 1 | 116.0 | |
30 | Hungary | 1 | 100.0 | 30 | Bruges - Belgium Flanders | 1 | 115.6 |
Tallest in years | Name | Image | Height | Increase | Time span | City | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1311–1549 | Lincoln Cathedral | 160.0 m (524.9 ft) | 238 years | Lincoln | Tallest ever building until 1890, only then was its original height surpassed by Ulm Minster; spire collapsed in 1549; current height 83.0 m (272.3 ft) | ||
1549–1569 | St. Mary's Church | 151.0 m (495.4 ft) | −5.4% | 20 years (94 years) | Stralsund | First mentioned in 1298; collapse of first tower in 1382; second, 151 metres (495 feet) tall spire finished in 1485; current height 104.0 m (341.2 ft) | |
1569–1573 | Beauvais Cathedral | 153.0 m (502.0 ft) | 1.3% | 4 years | Beauvais | Tower collapsed in 1573; current height 47.5 m (155.8 ft) | |
1573–1647 | St. Mary's Church | 151.0 m (495.4 ft) | −1.3% | 74 years (94 years) | Stralsund | Second spire burned down after a lightning strike in 1647; current, third spire finished in 1708; current height 104.0 m (341.2 ft) | |
1647–1874 | Strasbourg Cathedral | 142.0 m (465.9 ft) | −6% | 227 years | Strasbourg | Finished in 1439; tallest structure built and finished in the Middle Ages; earliest church to have been the world's tallest which still stands at its original height | |
1874–1876 | St. Nicholas Church | 147.3 m (483.3 ft) | 3.5% | 2 years | Hamburg | Bombed in 1943; demolition of large parts in 1951; tower serves as war memorial | |
1876–1880 | Rouen Cathedral | 151.0 m (495.4 ft) | 2.7% | 4 years | Rouen | Church finished in 1506; its cast iron spire was built between 1825 and 1876; painted by Claude Monet | |
1880–1890 | Cologne Cathedral | 157.4 m (516.4 ft) | 4.2% | 10 years | Cologne | Only church with two main towers to ever have been the world's tallest | |
since 1890 | Ulm Minster | 161.5 m (529.9 ft) | 2.6% | 131 years | Ulm | First time since 1311 that a church surpassed the original height of Lincoln Cathedral; intentionally built a few metres taller than Cologne Cathedral; tallest building in the world until it was surpassed by the tower of Philadelphia City Hall in 1894 |
Note: The church buildings are ordered based on their tallest recorded height in history. Those listed in italics and marked with H (for "historical") are church buildings no longer in existence (suffix D) or no longer as tall as their previous maximum height (suffix >99 if height today > 99 metres, suffix >75 if height today > 75 metres and suffix <75 if height today below 75 metres). These church buildings may appear a second time on the list if their current shorter height is still greater than 75 metres (3,000 inches). In order to view the tallest present churches in a row click the sorting button in the H column.
Name | Image | Current height meters (feet) | Planned height metres (feet) | Completion | City | Country | Christian denomination | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família | 138.0 m (453 ft) | 172.5 m (566 ft) | est. 2026 | Barcelona | Spain | Catholic | Will become the tallest church building in the world if completed.
Current height of the "Torre de la Mare de Déu"; still under construction | |
People's Salvation Cathedral | 120.0 m (392 ft) | 127 m (418 ft) [1] | est. 2025 [1] | Bucharest | Romania | Eastern Orthodox | With the current 120 m (only the main cross is still not installed), it is the second tallest Orthodox church building in the world at the moment and will become the tallest if completed. | |
Nueva Catedral de Tijuana | 91.5 m (300 ft) | Tijuana | Mexico | Catholic | ||||
Intercession Cathedral, Mariupol | 83.9 m (275 ft) | 2018 | Mariupol | Ukraine | ||||
Archangel Gabriel Cathedral, Odesa | 83 m (272 ft) | 2019 | Odesa | Ukraine |
Height metres (feet) |
H | Name of Church | Religious denomination | Coordinates | Completed | City | Country | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
159.7 m (524 ft) | H>75 | Lincoln Cathedral | Church of England | 53°14′04″N 0°32′11″W / 53.234374°N 0.536281°W | 1311 | Lincoln | United Kingdom | Today 83 m tall — spire collapsed in a storm in 1549; reputedly the tallest building in the world from 1311 to 1549; was 103 metres from 1549 to 1807[ citation needed]. |
153 m (502 ft) | H<75 | Beauvais Cathedral [28] | Catholic | 49°25′57″N 2°04′53″E / 49.432636°N 2.081483°E | 1569 | Beauvais | France | tower collapsed in 1573, today towerless and 48.5 m (153 ft) tall; World's tallest building from 1569 to 1573. |
151.0 m (495 ft) | H>100 | St. Mary's church | Lutheran | 54°18′36″N 13°05′15″E / 54.309972°N 13.087383°E | 1478 | Stralsund | Germany | Today 104 m tall — spire destroyed by lightning in 1647; World's tallest building from 1549 to 1647 (excepting 1569–1573) |
150.3 m (493 ft) | H>100 | Old St Paul's Cathedral | Church of England | 51°30′50″N 0°05′54″W / 51.513931°N 0.098306°W | 1240 1314 (spire completed) |
London | United Kingdom | Spire destroyed by lightning in 1561 — church destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666 |
140 m (459 ft) | H>75 | Riga Cathedral | Lutheran | 56°56′57″N 24°06′16″E / 56.949167°N 24.104444°E | 1595 | Riga | Latvia | demolished in 1775 - today 90 m tall |
134.5 m (441 ft) | H D | Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Lambert | Catholic | 50°38′43″N 5°34′27″E / 50.645298°N 5.574151°E | 1433 | Liège | Belgium | Destroyed by the Liégeois in 1794 after the French Revolution |
132.0 m (433 ft) | H<75 | Nikolaikirche (Rostock) [29] | Lutheran | 54°05′16″N 12°08′47″E / 54.087791°N 12.146269°E | 1312 | Rostock | Germany | destroyed in a storm in 1703, replaced afterwards by an 84 metres tall tower, which was destroyed in an air-raid in 1942, height of actual tower: 65 metres |
131.3 m (431 ft) | H<75 | Malmesbury Abbey | Church of England | 51°35′05″N 2°05′54″W / 51.584679°N 2.098333°W | 1180 | Malmesbury | United Kingdom | Spire collapsed in the late 15th or early 16th century |
130.0 m (426 ft) | H>75 | St. Elizabeth's Church | Catholic | 51°06′41″N 17°01′48″E / 51.111479°N 17.029924°E | 1535 | Wrocław | Poland | Today 91.5 metres (300 ft) tall; spire collapsed in 1529 during storm |
122.3 m (400 ft) (source missing) | H<75 | Abbaye-aux-Hommes | Catholic | 49°10′55″N 0°22′22″W / 49.181821°N 0.372749°W | 13th century | Caen | France | Collapsed in 1566, spire replaced by a shorter tower in the 17th century |
120 m (394 ft) | H>75 | Copenhagen Cathedral | Lutheran | 55°24′16″N 12°20′32″E / 55.404560°N 12.342100°E | 1738 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Tower destroyed 1807 by the British bombing of Copenhagen, height of tower today: 58.5 metres (192 feet) |
120 m (394 ft) | H>75 | St. Mary's Church, Wismar | Lutheran | 53°53′28″N 11°27′46″E / 53.891202°N 11.462911°E | 1414 | Wismar | Germany | Tower destroyed around 1500, height of tower today: 80.5 metres (264 feet) |
120 m (394 ft) | H<75 | St. Nicholas' Church, Wismar | Lutheran | 53°53′44″N 11°27′54″E / 53.895611°N 11.465033°E | 1508 | Wismar | Germany | Tower collapsed on December 8, 1703 in a storm, height of tower today 64 metres (210 feet) |
119.8 m (392 ft) | H>100 | Cathedral Basilica of St James the Apostle | Catholic | 53°25′29″N 14°33′20″E / 53.424662°N 14.555576°E | 1892 | Szczecin | Poland | Cathedral tower collapsed during a bombardment in 1944 and currently measures 110.18 m |
118.3 m (387 ft) | H>75 | Saint Steven Cathedral | Catholic | 49°07′12″N 6°10′31″E / 49.120070°N 6.175252°E | 1468 | Metz | France | |
115.0 m (376 ft) | H<75 | Grote of Sint-Michaëlskerk | Protestant | 52°30′43″N 6°05′30″E / 52.511873°N 6.091668°E | 1452 | Zwolle | Netherlands | Tower collapsed on December 17, 1682. Church is still standing |
114.8 m (376 ft) | H D | Collegiate church of St. Mary Magdalene [30] [31] | Catholic | 52°24′25″N 16°56′09″E / 52.406831°N 16.935903°E | 14th or 15th century | Poznań | Poland | Destroyed in a fire in 1777, finally demolished in 1802 |
114.0 m (381 ft) | H>75 | Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom) | United and uniting churches | 52°31′09″N 13°24′04″E / 52.519160°N 13.401057°E | 1905 | Berlin-Mitte | Germany | |
114 m (381 ft) | H D | Old Cambrai Cathedral | Catholic | 50°10′34″N 3°13′47″E / 50.176054°N 3.229683°E | 1472 | Cambrai | France | Destroyed after 1796 |
113.0 m (371 ft) | H<75 | Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche) | Lutheran | 52°30′17″N 13°20′06″E / 52.504784°N 13.335055°E | 1895 | Berlin-Charlottenburg | Germany | Spire damaged in World War II, actual height of tower: 71 m |
112.0 m (390 ft) | H>100 | Reinoldikirche | Lutheran | 51°30′53″N 7°28′02″E / 51.514745°N 7.467157°E | 1520 | Dortmund | Germany | Built in 1454 with 112 metres (367 ft), collapsed in earthquake 1661, now 104 metres (341 ft) |
111.0 m (364 ft) | H D | St. Peter's Church (Petrikirche) | Lutheran | 52°30′48″N 13°24′15″E / 52.513333°N 13.404167°E | 1853 | Berlin-Mitte | Germany | destroyed at the end of World War II, last relicts were removed in 1964 |
110 m (360 ft) | H<75 | Pieterskerk, Leiden | Protestant | 52°09′27″N 4°29′14″E / 52.157552°N 4.487132°E | 1570 | Leiden | Netherlands | Today towerless — tower collapsed in 1512 |
110 m (360 ft) | H>100 | St. John's Church | Lutheran | 53°14′52″N 10°24′45″E / 53.247758°N 10.412392°E | 1384 | Lüneburg | Germany | Today 108.7 m tall — spire partially destroyed by lightning in 1406 |
107.5 m (352.7 ft) | H>75 | St. Walburga's Church, Zutphen | Protestant | 52°08′23″N 6°11′45″E / 52.139586°N 6.1957°E | 15th century | Zutphen | Netherlands | Today 76 m tall. Gothic spire burned in 1600 due to a lightning strike. |
106.0 m (348 ft) | H<75 | St. Salvator's Church | Catholic | 51°26′09″N 6°45′39″E / 51.435895°N 6.760760°E | 1415 | Duisburg | Germany | destroyed by fire in 1467 |
105.0 m (344 ft) | H D | St. George's Church (Georgenkirche) | Lutheran | 52°31′21″N 13°24′59″E / 52.522408°N 13.416453°E | 1898 | Berlin-Mitte | Germany | Heavily damaged in World War II, demolished in 1949 |
103.0 m (338 ft) | H<75 | Nikolaikirche, Anklam | Lutheran | 53°51′23″N 13°41′21″E / 53.856496°N 13.689217°E | Anklam | Germany | destroyed on April 29, 1945, by artillery fire, actual height of tower: 58 metres | |
102.0 m (334 ft) | H>75 | Martinikerk (Groningen) | Protestant | 53°13′10″N 6°34′06″E / 53.219374°N 6.568215°E | 1548 | Groningen | Netherlands | Spire burned down in 1577, now 97 metres (318 ft) in height |
102.0 m (334 ft) | H<75 | St. Otger | Catholic | 51°59′34″N 6°55′03″E / 51.992908°N 6.917516°E | 1892 | Stadtlohn | Germany | destroyed in March 1945, rebuilt 74 metres tall |
102.0 m (334 ft) | H<75 | Sacred Heart Church | Catholic | 51°14′48″N 6°46′44″E / 51.246667°N 6.778943°E | 1907 | Düsseldorf | Germany | Spire destroyed on May 17, 1945, by a tornado, actual height of tower 56.43 metres |
100.0 m (328 ft) | H<75 | Marienkirche, Anklam | Lutheran | 53°51′21″N 13°41′03″E / 53.855798°N 13.684298°E | 1888 | Anklam | Germany | destroyed in an air-raid in 1943, actual height of tower: 64 metres |
100.0 m (328 ft) | H<75 | Saint Peter and Paul | Catholic | 50°01′29″N 8°07′16″E / 50.024698°N 8.120981°E | Eltville | Germany | Spire destroyed in 1683 by lightning, actual height of tower: 67 metres | |
100.0 m (328 ft) | H D | Düren Saint Anna Church [2] | Catholic | 50°48′04″N 6°29′01″E / 50.801137899°N 6.4836586656°E | 1884 | Düren | Germany | destroyed in an air-raid on November 16, 1944 |
100.0 m (328 ft) | H D | Marienkirche Stettin | Lutheran | 53°25′37″N 14°33′26″E / 53.4270499°N 14.557200°E | 1266 | Szczecin | Poland | destroyed by lightning on July 9, 1789, last relicts were removed in 1830 |
100.0 m (328 ft) | H D | Eisenach Cathedral | Catholic | 50°58′17″N 10°19′18″E / 50.971292°N 10.32177329°E | 1330 | Eisenach | Germany | demolished |
This list completely follows the pattern of the main list (≥ 99 m). Church buildings are placed here that have been removed from the main list because the data about them is disputed or contradictory, or there is no information about the respective church building anywhere on the Internet. The purpose of this list is to preserve the work and efforts of the authors who have included some church buildings with a disputed place in the main list. In this way their work is preserved, and if it is proved that the excluded church buildings have a place in the main list, they can easily be restored to it (since the present list follows the pattern of the main list completely).
Rank | Name of Church | Image | Height metres (feet) |
Completed | Location | Country | Christian denomination | Coordinates | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
50 | Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception | 110 m (361 ft) | 2018 | Ninh Bình | Vietnam | Catholic | 20°21′13″N 105°53′55″E / 20.353746°N 105.898636°E | [3] | |
65-70 | Wing Kwong Pentecostal Holiness Church | 105.0 m (344 ft) | 2000 | Hong Kong | China | Lutheran | 22°20′10″N 114°11′22″E / 22.336168°N 114.189399°E | ||
76 |
Santuário Santa Isabel Rainha
(Separate bell tower) |
90 m [32] (295 ft) | 1958 | São Paulo | Brazil | Catholic | 23°33′30″S 46°32′22″W / 23.558315°S 46.539328°W |
[4]
More reliable source: [32] Bell tower max height is 90 m. Dome max height is 64 m. |
Height to the top of the Spires: 329 feet, 6 inches
History of St. Anthony's Parish, Toledo, Ohio, Anno Domini 1957, F.S. Legowski NRHP certification #71000424
This article needs additional citations for
verification. (January 2019) |
This list of tallest church buildings ranks church buildings by height. From the Middle Ages until the advent of the skyscraper, Christian church buildings were often the world's tallest buildings. From 1311, when the spire of Lincoln Cathedral surpassed the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza, until the Washington Monument was completed in 1884, a succession of church buildings held this title.
The tallest church building in the world is the Ulm Minster (161.5 m), the main Lutheran congregation in Ulm, Germany. The tallest Catholic, as well as the tallest domed church building, is the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (158 m) in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast. The tallest church building with two steeples as well as the tallest cathedral is Cologne Cathedral (157.4 m) in Cologne, Germany. The tallest Eastern Orthodox, as well as the tallest domed cathedral, will be People's Salvation Cathedral (now 120 m; 127 m when completed) in Bucharest, Romania. [1] The tallest brickwork church building is St Martin's Church (130.6 m) in Landshut, Germany, while the tallest brickwork church building with two steeples is St Mary's Church (125 m) in Lübeck, Germany. The tallest wooden church building is Săpânța-Peri Monastery church (78 m) in Săpânța, Romania. The tallest church building in the Americas is the Cathedral of Maringá (124 m) in Maringá, Brazil. If completed, the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain, will be the tallest church building in the world, at 172.5 metres (566 ft).
The cities with the most churches surpassing 99 metres (325 feet) are Hamburg (5 of the 29 tallest churches), Lübeck (4 of the 56 tallest churches, two of which with twin towers → 6 towers overall), Vienna (2), Tallinn (2), St. Petersburg (2), New York City (2), Dortmund (2) and Stralsund (2), and the cities with the most churches surpassing 75 metres (246 feet) are Berlin (16), Hamburg (9), Paris (8), Dresden (8), Vienna (7), Stockholm (7) and Munich (7), while in the Americas it is New York City (4).
This list does not include church buildings that incorporate a significant portion of space to non-church uses, such as the Chicago Temple Building. It does not include structures from non-Christian religions.
Rank | Country | Church buildings ≥ 99 m ≥ 325 ft |
Tallest | Rank | City | Church buildings ≥ 99 m ≥ 325 ft |
Tallest | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Germany | 30 | 161.5 | 1 | Hamburg - Germany | 5 | 147.3 | |
2 | France | 9 | 151.0 | 2 | Lübeck - Germany | 4 | 125.0 | |
3 | Poland | 8 | 141.5 | 3 | Vienna - Austria | 2 | 136.4 | |
4 | Italy + Vatican City | 8 [note 2] | 136.6 | 4 | Tallinn - Estonia | 2 | 123.7 | |
5 | Belgium Flanders | 5 [note 3] | 124.9 | 5 | St. Petersburg - Russia | 2 | 122.5 | |
6 | Russia | 5 | 122.5 | 6 | New York City - United States | 2 | 119.8 | |
7 | Austria | 4 | 136.4 | 7 | Dortmund - Germany | 2 | 105.0 | |
8 | Sweden | 4 | 118.7 | 8 | Stralsund - Germany | 2 | 104.0 | |
9 | Brazil | 3 | 124.0 | 9 | Ulm - Germany | 1 | 161.5 | |
10 | United Kingdom England | 3 [note 4] | 123.1 | 10 | Yamoussoukro - Ivory Coast | 1 | 158.0 | |
11 | United States | 3 | 119.8 | 11 | Cologne - Germany | 1 | 157.4 | |
12 | Spain | 2 [note 5] | 138.0 | 12 | Rouen - France | 1 | 151.0 | |
13 | Estonia | 2 | 123.7 | 13 | Strasbourg - France Alsace | 1 | 142.0 | |
14 | Colombia | 2 | 113.0 | 14 | Licheń Stary - Poland | 1 | 141.5 | |
15 | Netherlands | 2 | 112.3 | 15 | Barcelona - Spain Catalonia | 1 [note 6] | 138.0 | |
16 | Argentina | 2 | 112.0 | 16 | Vatican City ( Rome) - Vatican City | 1 | 136.6 | |
17 | Czech Republic | 2 | 102.3 | 17 | Bucharest - Romania | 1 [note 7] | 135.0 | |
18 | Ivory Coast | 1 | 158.0 | 18 | Linz - Austria | 1 | 134.8 | |
19 | Romania | 1 [note 8] | 135.0 | 19 | Landshut - Germany | 1 | 130.6 | |
20 | Latvia | 1 | 123.3 | 20 | Novara - Italy | 1 | 126.0 | |
21 | Ecuador | 1 | 115.0 | 21 | Maringá - Brazil | 1 | 124.0 | |
22 | Vietnam | 1 | 110.0 | 22 | Antwerp - Belgium Flanders | 1 | 123.9 | |
23 | Croatia | 1 | 108.4 | 23 | Riga - Latvia | 1 | 123.3 | |
24 | Mexico | 1 | 107.5 | 24 | Salisbury - United Kingdom | 1 | 123.1 | |
25 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 107.2 | 25 | Uppsala - Sweden | 1 | 118.7 | |
26 | Australia | 1 | 105.0 | 26 | Schwerin - Germany | 1 | 117.5 | |
27 | China | 1 | 105.0 | 27 | Rostock - Germany | 1 | 117.0 | |
28 | Canada Quebec | 1 | 102.0 | 28 | Freiburg - Germany | 1 | 116.0 | |
29 | Switzerland | 1 | 100.6 | 29 | Stockholm - Sweden | 1 | 116.0 | |
30 | Hungary | 1 | 100.0 | 30 | Bruges - Belgium Flanders | 1 | 115.6 |
Tallest in years | Name | Image | Height | Increase | Time span | City | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1311–1549 | Lincoln Cathedral | 160.0 m (524.9 ft) | 238 years | Lincoln | Tallest ever building until 1890, only then was its original height surpassed by Ulm Minster; spire collapsed in 1549; current height 83.0 m (272.3 ft) | ||
1549–1569 | St. Mary's Church | 151.0 m (495.4 ft) | −5.4% | 20 years (94 years) | Stralsund | First mentioned in 1298; collapse of first tower in 1382; second, 151 metres (495 feet) tall spire finished in 1485; current height 104.0 m (341.2 ft) | |
1569–1573 | Beauvais Cathedral | 153.0 m (502.0 ft) | 1.3% | 4 years | Beauvais | Tower collapsed in 1573; current height 47.5 m (155.8 ft) | |
1573–1647 | St. Mary's Church | 151.0 m (495.4 ft) | −1.3% | 74 years (94 years) | Stralsund | Second spire burned down after a lightning strike in 1647; current, third spire finished in 1708; current height 104.0 m (341.2 ft) | |
1647–1874 | Strasbourg Cathedral | 142.0 m (465.9 ft) | −6% | 227 years | Strasbourg | Finished in 1439; tallest structure built and finished in the Middle Ages; earliest church to have been the world's tallest which still stands at its original height | |
1874–1876 | St. Nicholas Church | 147.3 m (483.3 ft) | 3.5% | 2 years | Hamburg | Bombed in 1943; demolition of large parts in 1951; tower serves as war memorial | |
1876–1880 | Rouen Cathedral | 151.0 m (495.4 ft) | 2.7% | 4 years | Rouen | Church finished in 1506; its cast iron spire was built between 1825 and 1876; painted by Claude Monet | |
1880–1890 | Cologne Cathedral | 157.4 m (516.4 ft) | 4.2% | 10 years | Cologne | Only church with two main towers to ever have been the world's tallest | |
since 1890 | Ulm Minster | 161.5 m (529.9 ft) | 2.6% | 131 years | Ulm | First time since 1311 that a church surpassed the original height of Lincoln Cathedral; intentionally built a few metres taller than Cologne Cathedral; tallest building in the world until it was surpassed by the tower of Philadelphia City Hall in 1894 |
Note: The church buildings are ordered based on their tallest recorded height in history. Those listed in italics and marked with H (for "historical") are church buildings no longer in existence (suffix D) or no longer as tall as their previous maximum height (suffix >99 if height today > 99 metres, suffix >75 if height today > 75 metres and suffix <75 if height today below 75 metres). These church buildings may appear a second time on the list if their current shorter height is still greater than 75 metres (3,000 inches). In order to view the tallest present churches in a row click the sorting button in the H column.
Name | Image | Current height meters (feet) | Planned height metres (feet) | Completion | City | Country | Christian denomination | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família | 138.0 m (453 ft) | 172.5 m (566 ft) | est. 2026 | Barcelona | Spain | Catholic | Will become the tallest church building in the world if completed.
Current height of the "Torre de la Mare de Déu"; still under construction | |
People's Salvation Cathedral | 120.0 m (392 ft) | 127 m (418 ft) [1] | est. 2025 [1] | Bucharest | Romania | Eastern Orthodox | With the current 120 m (only the main cross is still not installed), it is the second tallest Orthodox church building in the world at the moment and will become the tallest if completed. | |
Nueva Catedral de Tijuana | 91.5 m (300 ft) | Tijuana | Mexico | Catholic | ||||
Intercession Cathedral, Mariupol | 83.9 m (275 ft) | 2018 | Mariupol | Ukraine | ||||
Archangel Gabriel Cathedral, Odesa | 83 m (272 ft) | 2019 | Odesa | Ukraine |
Height metres (feet) |
H | Name of Church | Religious denomination | Coordinates | Completed | City | Country | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
159.7 m (524 ft) | H>75 | Lincoln Cathedral | Church of England | 53°14′04″N 0°32′11″W / 53.234374°N 0.536281°W | 1311 | Lincoln | United Kingdom | Today 83 m tall — spire collapsed in a storm in 1549; reputedly the tallest building in the world from 1311 to 1549; was 103 metres from 1549 to 1807[ citation needed]. |
153 m (502 ft) | H<75 | Beauvais Cathedral [28] | Catholic | 49°25′57″N 2°04′53″E / 49.432636°N 2.081483°E | 1569 | Beauvais | France | tower collapsed in 1573, today towerless and 48.5 m (153 ft) tall; World's tallest building from 1569 to 1573. |
151.0 m (495 ft) | H>100 | St. Mary's church | Lutheran | 54°18′36″N 13°05′15″E / 54.309972°N 13.087383°E | 1478 | Stralsund | Germany | Today 104 m tall — spire destroyed by lightning in 1647; World's tallest building from 1549 to 1647 (excepting 1569–1573) |
150.3 m (493 ft) | H>100 | Old St Paul's Cathedral | Church of England | 51°30′50″N 0°05′54″W / 51.513931°N 0.098306°W | 1240 1314 (spire completed) |
London | United Kingdom | Spire destroyed by lightning in 1561 — church destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666 |
140 m (459 ft) | H>75 | Riga Cathedral | Lutheran | 56°56′57″N 24°06′16″E / 56.949167°N 24.104444°E | 1595 | Riga | Latvia | demolished in 1775 - today 90 m tall |
134.5 m (441 ft) | H D | Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Lambert | Catholic | 50°38′43″N 5°34′27″E / 50.645298°N 5.574151°E | 1433 | Liège | Belgium | Destroyed by the Liégeois in 1794 after the French Revolution |
132.0 m (433 ft) | H<75 | Nikolaikirche (Rostock) [29] | Lutheran | 54°05′16″N 12°08′47″E / 54.087791°N 12.146269°E | 1312 | Rostock | Germany | destroyed in a storm in 1703, replaced afterwards by an 84 metres tall tower, which was destroyed in an air-raid in 1942, height of actual tower: 65 metres |
131.3 m (431 ft) | H<75 | Malmesbury Abbey | Church of England | 51°35′05″N 2°05′54″W / 51.584679°N 2.098333°W | 1180 | Malmesbury | United Kingdom | Spire collapsed in the late 15th or early 16th century |
130.0 m (426 ft) | H>75 | St. Elizabeth's Church | Catholic | 51°06′41″N 17°01′48″E / 51.111479°N 17.029924°E | 1535 | Wrocław | Poland | Today 91.5 metres (300 ft) tall; spire collapsed in 1529 during storm |
122.3 m (400 ft) (source missing) | H<75 | Abbaye-aux-Hommes | Catholic | 49°10′55″N 0°22′22″W / 49.181821°N 0.372749°W | 13th century | Caen | France | Collapsed in 1566, spire replaced by a shorter tower in the 17th century |
120 m (394 ft) | H>75 | Copenhagen Cathedral | Lutheran | 55°24′16″N 12°20′32″E / 55.404560°N 12.342100°E | 1738 | Copenhagen | Denmark | Tower destroyed 1807 by the British bombing of Copenhagen, height of tower today: 58.5 metres (192 feet) |
120 m (394 ft) | H>75 | St. Mary's Church, Wismar | Lutheran | 53°53′28″N 11°27′46″E / 53.891202°N 11.462911°E | 1414 | Wismar | Germany | Tower destroyed around 1500, height of tower today: 80.5 metres (264 feet) |
120 m (394 ft) | H<75 | St. Nicholas' Church, Wismar | Lutheran | 53°53′44″N 11°27′54″E / 53.895611°N 11.465033°E | 1508 | Wismar | Germany | Tower collapsed on December 8, 1703 in a storm, height of tower today 64 metres (210 feet) |
119.8 m (392 ft) | H>100 | Cathedral Basilica of St James the Apostle | Catholic | 53°25′29″N 14°33′20″E / 53.424662°N 14.555576°E | 1892 | Szczecin | Poland | Cathedral tower collapsed during a bombardment in 1944 and currently measures 110.18 m |
118.3 m (387 ft) | H>75 | Saint Steven Cathedral | Catholic | 49°07′12″N 6°10′31″E / 49.120070°N 6.175252°E | 1468 | Metz | France | |
115.0 m (376 ft) | H<75 | Grote of Sint-Michaëlskerk | Protestant | 52°30′43″N 6°05′30″E / 52.511873°N 6.091668°E | 1452 | Zwolle | Netherlands | Tower collapsed on December 17, 1682. Church is still standing |
114.8 m (376 ft) | H D | Collegiate church of St. Mary Magdalene [30] [31] | Catholic | 52°24′25″N 16°56′09″E / 52.406831°N 16.935903°E | 14th or 15th century | Poznań | Poland | Destroyed in a fire in 1777, finally demolished in 1802 |
114.0 m (381 ft) | H>75 | Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom) | United and uniting churches | 52°31′09″N 13°24′04″E / 52.519160°N 13.401057°E | 1905 | Berlin-Mitte | Germany | |
114 m (381 ft) | H D | Old Cambrai Cathedral | Catholic | 50°10′34″N 3°13′47″E / 50.176054°N 3.229683°E | 1472 | Cambrai | France | Destroyed after 1796 |
113.0 m (371 ft) | H<75 | Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche) | Lutheran | 52°30′17″N 13°20′06″E / 52.504784°N 13.335055°E | 1895 | Berlin-Charlottenburg | Germany | Spire damaged in World War II, actual height of tower: 71 m |
112.0 m (390 ft) | H>100 | Reinoldikirche | Lutheran | 51°30′53″N 7°28′02″E / 51.514745°N 7.467157°E | 1520 | Dortmund | Germany | Built in 1454 with 112 metres (367 ft), collapsed in earthquake 1661, now 104 metres (341 ft) |
111.0 m (364 ft) | H D | St. Peter's Church (Petrikirche) | Lutheran | 52°30′48″N 13°24′15″E / 52.513333°N 13.404167°E | 1853 | Berlin-Mitte | Germany | destroyed at the end of World War II, last relicts were removed in 1964 |
110 m (360 ft) | H<75 | Pieterskerk, Leiden | Protestant | 52°09′27″N 4°29′14″E / 52.157552°N 4.487132°E | 1570 | Leiden | Netherlands | Today towerless — tower collapsed in 1512 |
110 m (360 ft) | H>100 | St. John's Church | Lutheran | 53°14′52″N 10°24′45″E / 53.247758°N 10.412392°E | 1384 | Lüneburg | Germany | Today 108.7 m tall — spire partially destroyed by lightning in 1406 |
107.5 m (352.7 ft) | H>75 | St. Walburga's Church, Zutphen | Protestant | 52°08′23″N 6°11′45″E / 52.139586°N 6.1957°E | 15th century | Zutphen | Netherlands | Today 76 m tall. Gothic spire burned in 1600 due to a lightning strike. |
106.0 m (348 ft) | H<75 | St. Salvator's Church | Catholic | 51°26′09″N 6°45′39″E / 51.435895°N 6.760760°E | 1415 | Duisburg | Germany | destroyed by fire in 1467 |
105.0 m (344 ft) | H D | St. George's Church (Georgenkirche) | Lutheran | 52°31′21″N 13°24′59″E / 52.522408°N 13.416453°E | 1898 | Berlin-Mitte | Germany | Heavily damaged in World War II, demolished in 1949 |
103.0 m (338 ft) | H<75 | Nikolaikirche, Anklam | Lutheran | 53°51′23″N 13°41′21″E / 53.856496°N 13.689217°E | Anklam | Germany | destroyed on April 29, 1945, by artillery fire, actual height of tower: 58 metres | |
102.0 m (334 ft) | H>75 | Martinikerk (Groningen) | Protestant | 53°13′10″N 6°34′06″E / 53.219374°N 6.568215°E | 1548 | Groningen | Netherlands | Spire burned down in 1577, now 97 metres (318 ft) in height |
102.0 m (334 ft) | H<75 | St. Otger | Catholic | 51°59′34″N 6°55′03″E / 51.992908°N 6.917516°E | 1892 | Stadtlohn | Germany | destroyed in March 1945, rebuilt 74 metres tall |
102.0 m (334 ft) | H<75 | Sacred Heart Church | Catholic | 51°14′48″N 6°46′44″E / 51.246667°N 6.778943°E | 1907 | Düsseldorf | Germany | Spire destroyed on May 17, 1945, by a tornado, actual height of tower 56.43 metres |
100.0 m (328 ft) | H<75 | Marienkirche, Anklam | Lutheran | 53°51′21″N 13°41′03″E / 53.855798°N 13.684298°E | 1888 | Anklam | Germany | destroyed in an air-raid in 1943, actual height of tower: 64 metres |
100.0 m (328 ft) | H<75 | Saint Peter and Paul | Catholic | 50°01′29″N 8°07′16″E / 50.024698°N 8.120981°E | Eltville | Germany | Spire destroyed in 1683 by lightning, actual height of tower: 67 metres | |
100.0 m (328 ft) | H D | Düren Saint Anna Church [2] | Catholic | 50°48′04″N 6°29′01″E / 50.801137899°N 6.4836586656°E | 1884 | Düren | Germany | destroyed in an air-raid on November 16, 1944 |
100.0 m (328 ft) | H D | Marienkirche Stettin | Lutheran | 53°25′37″N 14°33′26″E / 53.4270499°N 14.557200°E | 1266 | Szczecin | Poland | destroyed by lightning on July 9, 1789, last relicts were removed in 1830 |
100.0 m (328 ft) | H D | Eisenach Cathedral | Catholic | 50°58′17″N 10°19′18″E / 50.971292°N 10.32177329°E | 1330 | Eisenach | Germany | demolished |
This list completely follows the pattern of the main list (≥ 99 m). Church buildings are placed here that have been removed from the main list because the data about them is disputed or contradictory, or there is no information about the respective church building anywhere on the Internet. The purpose of this list is to preserve the work and efforts of the authors who have included some church buildings with a disputed place in the main list. In this way their work is preserved, and if it is proved that the excluded church buildings have a place in the main list, they can easily be restored to it (since the present list follows the pattern of the main list completely).
Rank | Name of Church | Image | Height metres (feet) |
Completed | Location | Country | Christian denomination | Coordinates | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
50 | Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception | 110 m (361 ft) | 2018 | Ninh Bình | Vietnam | Catholic | 20°21′13″N 105°53′55″E / 20.353746°N 105.898636°E | [3] | |
65-70 | Wing Kwong Pentecostal Holiness Church | 105.0 m (344 ft) | 2000 | Hong Kong | China | Lutheran | 22°20′10″N 114°11′22″E / 22.336168°N 114.189399°E | ||
76 |
Santuário Santa Isabel Rainha
(Separate bell tower) |
90 m [32] (295 ft) | 1958 | São Paulo | Brazil | Catholic | 23°33′30″S 46°32′22″W / 23.558315°S 46.539328°W |
[4]
More reliable source: [32] Bell tower max height is 90 m. Dome max height is 64 m. |
Height to the top of the Spires: 329 feet, 6 inches
History of St. Anthony's Parish, Toledo, Ohio, Anno Domini 1957, F.S. Legowski NRHP certification #71000424