Photo courtesy of hidden europe magazine

Cheapos clearly like to get under the skin of a city, probing well beyond the regular sights to get a feel for what makes a community tick. Faith is often still part of the fabric of European life, but getting a feel for it as a foreigner isn’t always easy – unless you happen to be a churchgoer.

Churches of all denominations (and mosques and synagogues, too) usually welcome casual visitors to their services, provided that the stranger dresses appropriately, adopts a reverent demeanour, and does not attempt to take photographs during services.

Get thee to Church

York Minster for Evensong is a very different place from the echo-filled space around which tourists wander during the day. The Minster is transformed into something altogether more meaningful. Similarly Vespers in St Mark’s in Venice will leave you in awe of the space for which Monteverdi wrote such evocative music in a way that you’ll simply miss if you shuffle round with the tourist crowds. The interior of the newly restored Frauenkirche in Dresden seems, with its strange mix of pastel shades, like a tribute to poor taste during the day when tourists traipse through the place; attend a service and the space assumes a different meaning and is altogether more pleasing.

Whether it be at a grand cathedral like Chartres or Milan, or in a humble parish church in a small village in the Alps, Mass on a Sunday morning will only take an hour out of your day. This sedentary hour may give some quiet insights into local life. Take in a service at a Methodist chapel in Wales for a good glimpse into Welsh life. What is modern Poland without Catholicism? And in hundreds of communities across Russia, devotional zeal knows no bounds. A visit to an Orthodox service for the Divine Liturgy on a Sunday is a chance to witness some fine liturgical theatre that offers rich insights into life in Russia.

Take in a service and you’ll save on a few admission fees into the bargain. No church has yet had the temerity to charge those who come to pray!

This is the latest in a summer series of postings by Nicky Gardner and Susanne Kries. The Berlin-based duo are the editors of hidden europe magazine, a publication that explores the patchwork quilt of cultures that make up modern Europe.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Sightseeing in Barcelona can get pretty pricey. But never fear, there are plenty of things to do in Barcelona that won’t cost you one Euro-cent. Our recommendations:

1) Go, go, Gaudi!

Stroll through Park Geull, an incomplete masterpiece by Antoni Gaudi. Walk up the grand staircase, explore the cavernous shelters and sit on benches laden with mosaic tiles and glass—Gaudi’s trademarks. Geull is open year-round, but closes at dusk. Call (34) 93 413 24 00 for more information.

2) Take it to church

A visit to the Barcelona Cathedral, in the center of the Gothic district, places you in the middle ages, and won’t cost you a shilling. Pieces of the original building dating back to the 10th-century are still intact. To find the cathedral, simply head to Plaça de la Seu and look up. How in-spire-ing!

3) Grab a bongo

Got your own? Bring ‘em along and join the many bongo players who congregate in Parc Ciutadella on weekend afternoons. You’ll see the majority of them there on Sundays. Otherwise, just swing by, chill out, and feel the local beat.

4) Check out the gallery scene

The incredible Fundacio Caixaforum is a gorgeous art nouveau fortress, originally a factory, that today serves as a cultural space open daily and free to enter. Catch a lecture on architecture or just browse the galleries. Free concerts occur weekly. Bonus tip: For more art openings, hit up Conseil de Cent Street between Mutaner and Rambla Catalunya, where there is a whole slew of freebie galleries.

5) Listen up

Before you go, here’s an idea: Why not take a thread from one of our favorite budget travel blogs, Less Than a Shoestring, and download The Independent’s free Barcelona podcast. It’s chock full of good advice and ideas to get you crazy for Catalan.

Have fun, save your cash, and send any other freebie tips our way!

Popularity: 21% [?]

Photo by greenshift 

Good news for Cheapos on the tourist path in Central Europe.

From April 5 onwards, admission to Prague’s famed St. Vitus Cathedral will be free. Until recently, entrance set visitors back CZK100 (€3.60; $4.80). That’s at least three crisp, cold Czech beers—if you choose your watering hole wisely.

Ownership of the cathedral is transferring from the Catholic Church to the Office of the President, whose office is inside the Prague Castle complex. The church has argued that the Communist state’s failure to officially nationalize St. Vitus back in the 1950s means that the church has always been the cathedral’s rightful owner; accordingly, the church filed suit to maintain ownership 14 years ago. A decision reached last week gives the Czech state outright ownership of the cathedral and divides caretaking obligations between church and state.

Because of the dispute the Cathedral had been absent from tours of the Castle since September of last year.

Popularity: 6% [?]