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LOIRE VALLEY CASTLES (CHAUMONT, CHINON, SAUMUR)

December 18, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Northern France The Loire River cuts across the heart of France from the Alps all the way to the Atlantic.  Because of this it has historically been one of Western Europe’s most important trade routes, and one of its most heavily fortified rivers.  During the Middle Ages the Loire was lined with castles and fortified cities from Saint-Etienne to Saint-Nazaire.  But it is the … [Read more...]

HIGH KING’S CASTLE

December 18, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Orschwiller, France The Chateau de Haut-Koenigsbourg is France’s answer to Germany’s fairy tale castles, although it was, in fact, built by the Germans.  Perched on a mountaintop overlooking the rich province of Alsace, this Castle of the High Kings has spent much of its history caught up in the thousand-year dispute over the region between France and Germany.  For centuries … [Read more...]

CAEN CASTLE

December 18, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Caen, France The Chateau de Caen is one of the largest and best preserved Norman castles in Europe.  It is possibly the finest medieval castle still standing in France, as most others were converted to useas residential palaces.  For a short period in the 11th and 12th centuries, Caen was one of the most important and powerful cities in Europe, ruling a loosely organized … [Read more...]

CHRISTMAS TRUCE MEMORIALS OF THE WESTERN FRONT

October 19, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

CHRISTMAS TRUCE MEMORIALS OF THE WESTERN FRONT

Ypres, Belgium & Frelinghien, France For men who go to war, there are few times as lonely as Christmas, when home and family can seem so far away.  Few men in such times look for the hope of holiday joy, and fewer still expect much in the way of miracles.  But on December 24, 1914, in the midst of the carnage of the greatest war mankind had yet seen, English, French and … [Read more...]

SANTONNIER’S FAIR

October 19, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

SANTONNIER’S FAIR

Marseilles, France What Lauscha is to Christmas tree ornaments, Marseilles is to the Creche, or Nativity display.  The artisans of Marseilles did not create the idea of a Nativity Scene.  That honor actually goes to Francis of Assissi, who organized the first living Nativity Scene in Greccio, Italy in the 13th century.  The performance was such a wild success that it was … [Read more...]

AVENUE DES CHAMPS-ELYSEES

October 19, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

AVENUE DES CHAMPS-ELYSEES

Paris, France There is no time of the year when the City of Lights more perfectly lives up to its nickname than during the Christmas season.  Like most other major cities of Europe, Paris is wrapped up for the holidays in a dizzying array of lights and decorations.  However, few other places in Europe, or elsewhere for that matter, can match Paris for the shear scale and … [Read more...]

STRASBOURG CATHEDRAL

October 18, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

STRASBOURG CATHEDRAL

Strasbourg, France The city of Strasbourg in France is the self-described ‘Capital City of Christmas’, and there is certainly reason to believe this, at least within the borders of France.  Strasbourg, the largest city in the Franco-German frontier region of Alsace, boasts not one but two of France’s most time-honored holiday traditions.  First is the Strasbourg Christmas … [Read more...]

COLLEGIATE OF ROQUEMAURE

October 18, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

COLLEGIATE OF ROQUEMAURE

Roquemaure, France France boasts a very old and beautiful heritage of Christmas music, with wonderful carols dating back to the Renaissance. However, no French Christmas carol has quite the fascinating history, or has risen to such heights of fame and popularity worldwide, as the Cantique de Noël, or O Holy Night.  With original lyrics by an anti-clerical socialist and … [Read more...]

GRAVESITE OF MARC CHAGALL

August 13, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

GRAVESITE OF MARC CHAGALL

Nice, France The name Marc Chagall is virtually synonymous with modern Jewish art.  One of the giants of European Modernism, Marc Chagall was one of the preeminent artists of the 20th century.  His work spanned the better part of eight decades, and was heavily influenced by the experience of Jews in Czarist Russia, Communist Russia, Nazi Germany and modern Israel.  His … [Read more...]

GRAVESITE OF ALFRED DREYFUS

August 13, 2014 By Howard Kramer 2 Comments

GRAVESITE OF ALFRED DREYFUS

Paris, France Like everywhere else in Europe, the history of the Jews in France was one of persecution and tribulation interrupted by the occasional reign of a tolerant monarch.  However, always at the forefront of enlightened thinking, France distinguished itself as the first major nation in Europe, along with the Netherlands, to officially embrace religious tolerance.  For … [Read more...]

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THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

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Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

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