Strasbourg Cathedral

The green ray

If you take your time to soak up the atmosphere of the Liebfrauenmünster during a tour, you will notice an enigmatic green ray that falls into the interior through the large stained glass windows of the southern aisle and, depending on the position of the sun, reaches as far as the Christ's head of the crucifix on the church pulpit. An impressive spectacle, which however is only visible a few days a year. Namely, always on the first and last sunny days of the year, when the spring and autumn sun sends its rays into the church interior at the right angle. These shine through the green shoe of Judas, which was once immortalized in the glazed window. An impressive light show!

Pulpit, Silbermann organ, astronomical clock and angel pillars

The pulpit, a masterpiece of the late Gothic period, was built of white sandstone by the stonemason Johannes Hammer, in painstaking manual work. The golden organ was built by the famous organ builder Andreas Silbermann at the beginning of the 18th century. It has 2602 pipes and 40 stops. The astronomical clock dates back to the Middle Ages and, according to legend, the inventor never revealed his secret about the complicated mechanism. The old clockwork is still fully functional and is wound up once a week. However, you should know that the clock strikes according to the Strasbourg meridian - so it only strikes noon in Strasbourg at 12:30. The many figures in the clockwork are constantly in motion: The apostles can be seen passing by Jesus, and at the fourth, eighth, and twelfth apostles, the voice of a rooster crows loudly. In front of the clockwork, an angel pillar stabilizes the vault of the transept. The pillar was created between 1220 and 1230 and is also known as the Universal Judgment Pillar. The sculptures were created by famous sculptors of the 13th century. They depict the Last Judgment, the Last Day and, last but not least, Jesus on the judgment seat.

Climb the tower

Climb the 332 steps to the viewing platform of the South Tower and enjoy the magnificent view over Strasbourg from a height of 66 metres. The way up is via a narrow spiral staircase, the way down is again via a second staircase located in the tower. The ascent is a real challenge! But with the beautiful view, you quickly catch your breath and can enjoy the view all around. You can see the many small hatches on the roofs of the old town houses, the people walking through the narrow streets, the nearby European Parliament, the Rhine plain and on a good day you can even see the Vosges and the Black Forest in the distance. Unfortunately, the 142 meter high north tower is not accessible for tower climbs. Reason: the crumbling top of the cathedral tower. The former restoration plans had to be terminated in 2003.