Built in the 19th-century church, the Lutheran Christmas Church is linked to the International Center of Bethlehem and was inaugurated by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1898 during his visit to the Holy Land. Visitors can see the stained-glass windows commissioned and donated by the kaiser himself. Lutheran services are held on Sunday at 10.30am. Visitors should contact the church (via its website) ahead of a visit.


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Nearby attractions

1. International Center of Bethlehem

0.01 MILES

This Lutheran-run centre puts on concerts, plays, films, English-language documentaries, workshops and lectures. There’s also a coffee shop, guesthouse,…

2. Souq

0.16 MILES

Has a range of fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, junk, shoes and some mighty tasty snacks. Known to locals as the Green Market, the souq was…

3. Bethlehem Museum

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The museum, housed in a typical 19th-century Palestinian home, is made up of three rooms recreated as a traditional Bethlehem family abode, with many…

4. Mosque of Omar

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Opposite the Church of the Nativity and named after the second Muslim caliph, Omar Ibn Al Khattab, this is the only mosque in Bethlehem’s Old City. It was…

5. Church of the Nativity

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For the millions of pilgrims who descend on the Holy Land every year, the Church of the Nativity is the main reason for visiting Bethlehem. The church,…

6. St Catherine’s Church

0.35 MILES

Midnight Mass at this pink-toned church, next door to the Church of the Nativity, is broadcast across the world on Christmas Eve, but there’s nothing like…

7. Milk Grotto Chapel

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A short walk from Manger Sq is the lesser-known Milk Grotto Chapel. Legend has it that Mary and Joseph stopped here to feed the baby during their flight…

8. Rachel’s Tomb

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In a desolate corridor created by Israel’s separation wall and near the main checkpoint into town on the Israeli side, stands Rachel’s Tomb. Rachel is…