Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg, Strasbourg

Cathédrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg, Strasbourg

The stunning Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg or Strasbourg Cathedral is the pinnacle of late-Gothic architecture.

The stunning Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg or Strasbourg Cathedral is the pinnacle of late-Gothic architecture. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Grande île. Built on the site of a Roman sanctuary dedicated to Mars, the original Romanesque church started by Bishop Werner von Habsburg in 1015 was ravaged by fire in 1176. It was subsequently rebuilt in Gothic style with epic proportions, and its 142 metre north tower was the world's tallest building from 1647 till 1874 when the Tower of St. Nikolai's Church in Hamburg was erected. The Cathedral was converted into a Protestant church during the Reformation in 1521, and reverted to a Catholic church dedicated to the Virgin Mary after France incorporated Strasbourg in 1681.

The Cathedral is built in Vosges sandstone. The tripartite frontispiece to the west is magnificent. The tympanums of its 3 portals feature episodes from the life of Christ. The right portal has sculptures illustrating the parable of the 10 virgins, with the wise virgins holding the lamps upright and foolish virgins holding them precariously tilted. Then central rose window by Erwin Steinbach is unique, featuring 32 sectors with ears of corn representing the commercial wealth of the city, instead of the traditional saints that was customary for that period. Above the rose window is the gallery of the Apostles by Michel Parler. The belfry, which houses 10 of the church's 16 bells, is above the gallery of Apostles flanked by the side towers. It is adorned with sculptures depicting 'The Last Judgement'. The north façade features the late-Gothic St. Lawrence Gate by Jacques de Landshut, which is adorned with statues depicting the martyrdom of the saint, and the 'Adoration of the Wise Men'. The south portal, also known as the portal of the Last Judgment, has 4 main figures - Solomon King of Israel, surmounted by Christ in glory surrounded by statues representing the Church and Synagogue. All around the Gothic façade are flying buttresses and gargoyles.

The Strasbourg Cathedral had 3 naves and 3 apses. The interiors have a host of historical treasures, including –

• Stained glass windows from the 12th to the 14th century, including a series featuring emperors of the Holy Roman Empire.
• Mechanical astronomical clock with a tableau of automatons that come to life at 12.30 pm every day. A child, a teenager, an adult, and an old man representing different stages of life parade before Death every quarter-hour, while above them Apostles walk before Christ. Their passage is punctuated by the beatings of wings and the song of a large rooster.
• St. Pancrace's altar (1522) from Dangolsheim, featuring a triptych of St. Pancras, St. Nicholas and St. Catherine.
• 17thcentury tapestries depicting the life of the Virgin.
• Chapel of Saint-Laurent with a baroque altar by Jacques de Landshut which is used for the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Next to it is the monumental sculpture of the Mount of Olives, a 9 metre long by 5 metre high ensemble alluding to the Passion of the Christ.
• Flamboyant Gothic pulpit by Hans Hammer with 50 statues representing evangelists, apostles, angels carrying the instruments of the Passion, and the Crucifixion of Christ.
• Funerary vault of the Bishops of Strasbourg and tombstone of Conrad de Lichtenberg in the chapel of Saint John the Baptist.
• Pillar of the Angels in the south transept which has 3 levels of sculptures around it - the first row from bottom represents the four evangelists, the middle row has angels playing the trumpet, and the upper group has Christ surrounded by angels carrying the instruments of the Passion.
• Romanesque crypt from the 11thcentury.
• Richly ornate Gothic baptismal fonts by Jost Dotzinger in the northern transept.
• Suspended pipe organ on the north side of the central nave.

A spiral stairway of 300 steps leads to the viewing platform at 66metres, from where you can get panoramic views of the city and countryside.

Admission is €4.40 for adults, €2.20 for children aged 5-18 and students, and €3.30 per person for groups of 20 or more persons. Entry is free on the first Sunday of every month.