Neustädter Marienkirche, Gothic church in Bielefeld, Germany.
Neustädter Marienkirche is a Gothic hall church with two western towers in the center of Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. The building has a long choir bay, multiple side aisles, and shows the typical features of North German brick Gothic architecture both on its facade and inside.
Construction of the church began in 1293, in what was then the newly founded Neustadt district of Bielefeld, and continued for roughly two centuries. The western towers were finished in 1494, and the last major building work was completed around 1512.
The winged altarpiece inside, known as the Marienaltar, shows finely painted scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary and is considered one of the most important late medieval paintings in the region. Visitors walking through the nave can see this work up close.
The church sits in the heart of Bielefeld and is easy to reach on foot from the main train station. Visiting in the morning is a good idea, as daylight comes through the windows and lights up the interior at its best.
The church holds a baptismal font from the 13th century, making it almost as old as the building itself. It originally stood in another church in Bielefeld and was only brought here at a later point.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
