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Category: Cathedral

Cathedral

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Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle

Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia

Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral overlooks the city of Newcastle with fantastic views of the harbour and beaches. Parking is available in church street or the small onsite car park. Entry through the main door takes you passed a small kiosk where the attendants give a quick run down of the Cathedral and its attractions. Should you wish to climb the tower, this is where you pay and receive your pass. Entry to the rest of the Cathedral is free.

Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
Christ Church Cathedral

Walking around the interior, you will see some magnificent stain glass windows, making the interior look beautiful and light. At the altar, take note of the lovely old chairs that have been well restored.

The baptismal font is a work of art and deserves a good look while you are there.

Baptismal Font Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
Baptismal Font
Christ Church Cathedral Interior Newcastle New South Wales Australia
Christ Church Cathedral Interior
Christ Church Cathedral Organ Newcastle New South Wales Australia
Christ Church Cathedral Organ
Stain Glass Window Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
Stain Glass Window
Stain Glass Window Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
Stain Glass Window
Altar Chairs Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
Altar Chairs
Christ Church Cathedral Altar Newcastle New South Wales Australia
Christ Church Cathedral Altar

The Bell Tower

Climbing the bell tower is a great experience and highly recommended if you are visiting, because of the fantastic views and unique perspective of the Cathedral. Commencing at a locked door, for which the attendant will give you a key, the climb starts with a narrow spiral stairway to the first landing. At this point you enter a large room, with windows overlooking the cathedral roof and surrounding area.

The climb continues with a modern metal spiral staircase which will bring you to the bells. We spent a while here looking at the bells and through the windows taking photos. Then we continued up the stairs and on to the roof, where the views of Newcastle, the harbour and beaches are amazing. The climb is around 170 steps, but as you do it in three stages is not too difficult and the views at the top make it worthwhile.

Entry Door to Bell Tower Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
Entry Door to Bell Tower
Spiral Stairs to Bell Tower Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
Spiral Stairs to Bell Tower
Spiral Stairs to Bell Tower Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
Spiral Stairs to Bell Tower
The Bells Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
The Bells
Spiral Stairs to Roof Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
Spiral Stairs to Roof
View from Cathedral Roof of Harbour Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
View from Cathedral Roof of Harbour
View from Cathedral Roof of Harbour Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
View from Cathedral Roof of Harbour

Warriors’ Chapel

Originally built as a place where friends and relatives of victims of World War One could grieve, particularly those without a grave. It now caters for the families of those killed in wars.

The back right-hand corner of the cathedral holds several important and unique items. The Book of Gold was made from the jewelry and wedding rings of the family and friends of those who were killed in World War One. This item is currently on loan to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Also, on display is a Victoria Cross one of the few not held in trust by the church.

World War One Memorial Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
World War One Memorial
Warriors' Chapel Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
Warriors’ Chapel
World War One Medals Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
World War One Medals
The Book of Gold Christ Church Cathedral Newcastle New South Wales Australia
The Book of Gold

Christ Church Cathedral is a great place to visit to take in the culture and history of Newcastle, while admiring this great building. If you are interested in World War One and its impact on communities, it offers some great insights, through its collection of artefacts and Warriors’ Chapel.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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Liechtenstein

Vaduz Castle Liechtenstein


Liechtenstein

The tiny Principality of Liechtenstein was on our agenda as part of a four-day bus trip through southern Switzerland. Our time was very limited as we had to stick to the bus trip’s timetable. The reasons for the stop seemed to be so that people could say they had been to the tiny country. With only an hour of free time, we walked down the Main Street, looked at the Cathedral, parliament building and took pictures of some sculptures.

Parliament of Liechtenstein
Parliament of Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein National Archives
Liechtenstein National Archives
Cathedral of St. Florin Liechtenstein
Cathedral of St. Florin

There was an opportunity to get your passport stamped, but we gave this a miss as once within the Shengen Zone, there was no need for border checks, so no stamps from most countries we went to.

Vaduz Castle Liechtenstein
Vaduz Castle

We did see Vaduz castle from the town centre and took some photos, but it is not open to the public, even if we could have visited it.

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Vatican City and Saint Peter’s Basilica

St Peter's Basilica Vatican City

Vatican City

While visiting Rome we wanted to go to the Vatican City to see the great artworks there as well as Saint Peter’s Basilica. Research showed that the crowds in the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel could become overwhelming, so we chose to do an early entry tour with limited participants.

St Peter's Basilica Vatican City
St Peter’s Basilica
Fontana della Pigna Vatican City
Fontana della Pigna

We met our guide and other tourists at the Vatican Museum Entrance. She
provided us with earphones so that we could hear her commentary and followed her inside and past the huge queues already waiting to enter. This was where we discovered that although this tour had limited members and we did indeed enter before the general entrants, there were dozens of other priority groups going in with us.

Vatican Museums

We slowly walked through the Vatican Museums, which are magnificent. If what we did was considered not crowded, general entry must be unbearable. We were able to see everything, from the sculptures to the ornate ceilings and the guide provided a fantastic commentary that we really enjoyed.

Bramante Staircase Vatican City
Bramante Staircase
Vatican Museum Ceiling Vatican City
Vatican Museum Ceiling
Statue of Artemis, The Fertility Goddess Vatican City
Statue of Artemis, the Fertility Goddess

Raphael Rooms

Our next stop was the Raphael Rooms which were as amazing as we expected them to be and here we were able to take time to contemplate the artworks.

Raphael Rooms Vatican City
Raphael Rooms
Raphael Rooms Vatican City
Raphael Rooms

Sistine Chapel

The highlight of the tour, as expected was Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. No photographs are permitted here, and silence is expected. There are guards that enforce these rules. We spent 15 minutes admiring this cultural marvel before we had to leave.

Saint Peter’s Basilica

Saint Peter’s Basilica is even larger than we expected. To demonstrate its size, the central aisle has the other great Cathedrals marked out for comparison. Sydney’s St Mary’s is tiny compared to Saint Peter’s. There are artworks, sculptures and tombs on display that would take days to appreciate fully. After showing us the highlights of the Basilica, our guide left us here. We spent hours looking here and down in the crypt where many past popes are interred.

St Peter's Basilica Vatican City
St Peter’s Basilica
St Peter's Basilica Vatican City
St Peter’s Basilica

As with many places, there is a gift shop and a dedicated post office to send cards from the Vatican City.

Vatican City Crypts
Vatican City Crypts

What Did We Think?

The Vatican City is an amazing place to visit, even if you are not religious. The volumes of artworks and the historical significance make it a fascinating place to visit. The guide provided an amazing insight into the history and workings of the Vatican that we would otherwise not have had. A fantastic half day that we really enjoyed.