Cathedral of Notre Dame de Strasbourg

When I was heading back to Strasbourg city center, I was trying to figure out where I would go. There is still a little bit of sun left and I wanted to make the most of it. It was late afternoon and being winter, the sun goes down earlier. From the distance, I saw this very tall tower. I assumed that it was a church steeple because based on the churches that I have seen here, they have very tall churches here. I figured that this was one of Strasbourg’s more important churches just because of how tall it is. When I got off the tram, I noticed that it was taking me a while to get to the church, it was then I realized just how tall it was. I have found the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Strasbourg or just Strasbourg Cathedral.

Detail on the Facade of Notre Dame de Strasbourg

I think this has got to be one of the tallest churches that I have ever seen. The gothic/romanesque church soars high above the city of Strasbourg. In case you were wondering, this cathedral was once the tallest building on earth for more than two hundred years. But that was around five hundred years ago. It is also the sixth tallest church in the world. With credentials like that, it is no wonder it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing which Strasbourg itself is a part of. Looking at the facade of the cathedral, you will notice a red hue and it is not just because of the setting sun, but rather the red sandstone that was used to build the cathedral. Add the light of the setting sun ad you got yourself a great look at one of the largest churches in the world.

Curiously, it looks like it is missing another tower. Apparently, there were indeed plans for a second tower to complete the symmetry of the cathedral, but at that time Strasbourg was part of Germany and the building of the tower was not welcomed by the people because it would represent German occupation. As a result, the second tower was never built and it is as asymmetrical like it is now.

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