Holy Moly, The Strasbourg Cathedral!

Strasbourg's biggest attraction is the massive cathedral right in the center of town. The Notre Dame of Strasbourg is a breath-taking work of art and an architectural feat. Started in 1015 and finished in 1439, the design, detail and sheer size of the cathedral, make it a stunning site. Erwin von Steinbach was the most influential architect and major contributor to the cathedral's design. Standing at 466 feet, The Strasbourg Cathedral reached the goal as the tallest building in the Middle Ages of the Germanic Holy Roman Empire in 1439 when it was mostly completed. The bricks, made out of a red-brown sandstone, came from the nearby Vosges Mountains.

I highly recommend paying the 8 euros to climb the winding, dizzying 332 steps to the top, for the best views Strasbourg has to offer. For such a flat city, there aren't many vantage points to see the depth and breadth of her beauty. From the top, you get a bird's eye view of the Alsatian rooftops, the surrounding buildings, roads, alleyways, squares and the river. The Strasbourg Cathedral, one of the tallest churches in the world, is located on the Grand Isle, which is the historic center of the city. Strasbourg was the first city to have its entire city center listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to Wikipedia.

The inside of the cathedral is just as magnificent as the outside with it's stained glass windows, the central nave, massive pillars supporting the tower, the pulpit, the grand organ and the list goes on. The museum (The Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame) located in the Place de la Cathedral, and dedicated to the church, showcases original works of art, including stained glass windows, sculptures and paintings. Also housed in this museum, are the original medieval building plans. In one of the rooms of the museum, are pieces of a deconstructed Alsatian house. These include the dark wooden beam ceiling, wooden front door and wooden chests. Another reason to visit the cathedral is to see the third Astronomical clock built inside the church. The first one was from the 14th century. The second from the 16th century. The present day clock was built in 1843. The builders dismantled and moved each older version to make room for the new and more impressive masterpiece. The current version is incredible and a joy to experience at all hours of the day.