Round Arched Main Door of the Speyer Cathedral
Speyer Cathedral is the main draw to the city of Speyer. Officially it is called the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen. The imperial part just underscores the grandeur of the massive structure. The Speyer Cathedral is considered the largest Romanesque cathedral in the world. You can see from the outside how it got that distinction. The cathedral was first constructed in the eleventh century and has been constantly maintained over the centuries. The way it looks right now, you won’t even think that is almost a thousand years old.
Vaulted Ceiling of the Entrance of the Speyer Cathedral
As it is typical of Romanesque architecture, the Speyer Cathedral has a lot of round arches. You can see these design elements all over the cathedral. The Speyer Cathedral is said to be very influential in the design of churches and cathedrals in Germany. This importance isn’t very evident anymore since there don’t seem to be too many visitors here. I am, of course, comparing it to my earlier visit to Köln Cathedral where I couldn’t even get in because there were just so many visitors. I was in Köln for three days and I wasn’t able to get in for one reason or another. Speyer is way less hectic compared to Köln and I can just walk into the cathedral without any problem.
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