It's not that easy to capture the twin spires of this symbol of Cologne in one picture. At a height of 157 meters (515 ft), Cologne Cathedral is the world's third-tallest church. It took more than 500 years to build, but it was worth it. This magnificent Gothic structure is one of the most popular sights in Germany.

A cupola that weighs tons but still seems to float: the Frauenkirche, or Church of Our Lady, in Dresden was rebuilt with donations from around the world after it was destroyed in World War II. Just as it did when it was first opened in 1743, it is once again part of the skyline of the Baroque city on the River Elbe.

The distinctive steeple with the copper top has pointed mariners the way up the Elbe to Hamburg since the 17th century. St. Michael's Church, which the locals simply call “Michel,” is considered the most beautiful Baroque church in northern Germany.

Small city, big church! At a height of 161.5 meters (530 ft), Ulm Minster's tower is the tallest in the world. Visitors have to be in good shape to climb the 768 steps to the observation platform. They'll be rewarded with a view that, in good weather, reaches all the way to the Alps.

The old church tower is a reminder of the destruction in World War II, the new tower a reminder of the exertions of rebuilding. “Lipstick and powder compact” — that's the nickname Berliners gave the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church when it was reconsecrated in 1961. It's now one of the landmarks in the western part of central Berlin.

Charlemagne laid the foundation stone for the cathedral in 800 AD and made it the heart of his empire. As the place where German kings were once crowned, it is one of the most important churches in the Western world. In 1978, Aachen Cathedral was the first building in Germany to be made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Munich's Frauenkirche, the Cathedral of Our Blessed Lady, stands in the heart of the Bavarian city and can be seen from far away. No neighboring building is allowed to be more than 100 meters (328 ft) in height, so that Munich's skyline remains intact. The church's distinctive towers with their bulbous domes are modeled on the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

Palm-topped columns adorn the interior of St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, but there is also a column in front of it, to commemorate the Peaceful Revolution in autumn 1989. At the time, the Nikolaikirche was the starting point for the Leipzig Monday demonstrations that heralded the end of East Germany (GDR) and the division of Germany.

Hildesheim in Lower Saxony is home to some 40 churches. The Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary is 1,200 years old and a jewel of Romanesque architecture. What is known as the “Thousand-Year Rose” grows in the courtyard of its cloisters. Researchers now think it may be a mere 700 years old, but with dimensions like these, who would bother to be so petty?

A Baroque gem on the shores of Lake Constance: The exterior of the church is fairly simple, but inside, its full splendor is revealed, with countless sculpted figures of angels, ceiling frescoes and opulent ornamentation. Incidentally, the tower clock dates from 1750 and is the oldest working clock in Germany.

To the left, St. Mary's Cathedral and to the right, the Church of St. Severus: This imposing ensemble rises over Erfurt's Old Town. Perhaps the residents of Erfurt were especially devout, or had too much money. In any case, the result is impressive: two examples of the finest Gothic architecture right next to each other.

People hoping for help from the heavens above in difficult times — in particular when they had money problems — would pray to Saint Corona. Treasure hunters and gamblers are said to invoke her name. She is said to have lived in the 2nd century A.D. and was killed for comforting a martyr, becoming one herself, tied between two palm trees bent to the ground that were released to tear her apart.

Here's a patron saint for "impossible cases," including abused wives, parents, lonely hearts and widows: Rita of Cascia. The 15th-century Italian woman ⁠— who later joined an Augustinian convent ⁠— pledged to forgive her abusive husband's killers and convinced her sons to do so, too. She was called the "peacemaker of Cascia."

By the end of the 1st century A.D., Christians had begun to honor other Christians who had died, praying for their help. Described in the gospels of Luke and John — and a witness to Jesus' resurrection of her brother Lazarus — Martha is the patron saint of housewives and domestic workers. Why? She is said to have shown Jesus hospitality at her home in Bethany near Jerusalem.

Ambrose, Bishop of Milan in the 4th century, is the patron saint of beekeepers. Legend has it that when he was a baby, a swarm of bees settled on his face and fed him honey while he lay in his cradle — regarded as a sign that he would one day be a great orator. He is often depicted with symbols of wisdom: bees or a beehive.

A martyr killed in the 3rd century, Christopher's most famous legend has it that he carried a child across a river — and the child later revealed himself as Christ. He is the patron saint of travelers: cab, bus and truck drivers often enough evoke his protection with visor clips, decals and small adhesive figurines.

Astronauts and pilots have their own patron saint as well: Joseph of Cupertino, a 17th-century Italian Franciscan priest prone to ecstatic visions and — legend has it — levitations. Flying was widely believed to be based on witchcraft, so the Inquisition took an interest in Joseph, who was later exonerated.

Sir Thomas More was a 16th-century English philosopher and statesman. He was also counselor to King Henry VIII, but opposed the King's separation from the Roman Catholic Church and was thus convicted of treason and beheaded. In the year 2000, Pope John Paul declared him the "heavenly patron of statesmen and politicians."

Born in the 2nd or 3rd century, Cecilia is thought to have been the daughter of a wealthy Roman family forced to marry the pagan Valerian. The martyr ⁠— condemned to suffocate, almost decapitated ⁠— is regarded as the patroness of music and singers because she heard heavenly music in her heart when she was married.

The Italian, born in the late 12th century to a prosperous merchant family, instead embraced a life of poverty. Legend has it had a great love and a knack for communicating with animals. He is the founder of the Franciscan order and the patron saint of ecologists, animals and veterinarians.

Along with Gambrinus, Florian, Bonifacius, Arnulf and Nicholas of Myra, Augustine of Hippo is only one of many patron saints of beer brewers. Augustine lived in the 4th century, and after initially living a wild and loose life, became a bishop. To this very day, many breweries and beers — people's standard drink centuries ago — are named after a saint.

The patron saint of firefighters and chimney sweeps was a Roman officer in 3rd-century Austria, responsible for organizing firefighting brigades. Legend has it he was to be burned at the stake for refusing to pray to the Roman Gods but was drowned instead, a millstone around his neck, after threatening to climb to heaven on the flames.