Visiting Speyer

After visiting Bruchsal, we drove about 30 minutes to Speyer to visit the Speyer Cathedral, which, according to the Cathedral pamphlet, is considered the world’s largest and most significant Romanesque church (constructed between 1030 and 1124). “It’s design embodies the idea of medieval imperial rule. From its very beginnings up until today, it has served as Speyer’s Episcopal church and a pilgrimage destination.”

The building was too big to fit into one photo!

We parked by the Cathedral, then walked to the front. It’s massive–a long building with towers on both ends. A town plaza spread out in the front, all cobblestone and the large Christmas tree from the Christmas market was still standing there, lonely, with a few large balls still attached to the upper branches. We checked the hours on the cathedral door, then went to get some food before returning. We were all hungry.

We had a really great German meal at a restaurant nearby.

After a good meal, we went back to the Cathedral.

Speyer Cathedral, a basilica with four towers and two domes, was founded by Conrad II in 1030 and remodeled at the end of the 11th century. It is one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire. The cathedral was the burial place of the German emperors for almost 300 years.

Apart from the seven western bays of the nave and the westwork, the medieval structure is original. After a serious fire in 1689 the seven western bays of the nave had to be newly erected (1772-1778) and are an exact copy of the original structure.

The Dom was cavernous and cold. Simple with some modern embellishments trying to look artsy and old. The amazing thing is how old the cathedral is, not how beautiful it is. It was massive, tall and solid. Not much about it was inviting. Even the pews were more like school desk benches.

We walked the length of the cathedral. There was a crypt underneath with the tombs of 300 years of church/state leaders. There was a choir area up behind the pulpit area with a room off on the right side with relics and memorials. Famous saints and martyrs’ bones were decorated and on display in ornate boxes. Also pieces of fabric and a representation of St Stephen’s head that looked like an Egyptian mask.

There was a Nativity set up inside the entrance of the cathedral and there were some parents showing it to their children. We spent about 30 min in the building, wandering.

After visiting the Dom we went walking from the plaza west along the main shopping street. Saw a few Stolpersteine, looked in shop windows. Looked at old buildings on both sides of the promenade, with shops below and apartments above. It was a beautiful place to walk as the sun set. Enjoyed the pastel-colored big tall buildings and church spires in the distance.