Notre-Dame Cathedral

A masterpiece of Gothic art

Strasbourg Cathedral stands out first of all through its height. Its tower, completed in 1439, was the highest in the Christian world. Like all Gothic churches, it is like an immense book of images,, the pages of which open up to the visitor as they walk around. Carvings and stained-glass windows recount the history of Christianity and also the allegories and symbols of the Middle Ages.

The original church, of which we know little, already existed in the 8th century, but it was only in the 12th century that construction began of the Cathedral that we know today. The portal of the southern transept, with its famous Synagogue and Church sculptures, was built in around 1225, while the choir was added in around 1240.

The tower, the great rose window and the astronomical clock: 3 Strasbourg masterpieces

At the same time, again in the southern part of the transept, a master craftsman from the Île-de-France region carved the Pillar of the Last Judgement, an extraordinary example of architectural virtuosity. Work began on the great western facade in 1277, with its 3 portals surrounded by statues. The rose window was completed in about 1340.

While work continued on the inside of the Cathedral, two architects worked, one after the other, on building the single tower, the instantly-recognisable symbol of the city. Major features of the Cathedral interior include the magnificently flamboyant Gothic-style pulpit and the famous astronomical clock, which, with its daily procession of the Apostles (at 12.30 sharp), is a spectacle in its own right.

• Tram A or D - Langstross-Grand’Rue
• Tram B, C or F - Broglie