Notre-Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg, France

On February 21, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn France8 Comments

The Strasbourg Cathedral, officially the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, is a gothic cathedral that is just as wonderful as its sister in Paris. With its tower that is 466 feet tall, it was once the tallest building in the world until 1874 and it is still one of the top ten tallest churches in the world. As with many cathedrals, the main entrance is stunning with all of the figures surrounding the doors. Also, the Rose stained glass window is quite impressive as the light streams in from the outside.

The Notre-Dame Cathedral Tower in Strasbourg

Rose Window from the Inside of the Cathedral

Not only can the cathedral tower be seen throughout Strasbourg, it can be seen from across the countryside. In a city that still maintains much of its medieval charm, the Notre-Dame cathedral is certainly a highlight of any visit to the Strasbourg. We happened to visit during the holidays, so we were greeted to a Christmas market outside of the church and there was a wonderful nativity scene inside of the cathedral as well.

Standing in Line to See the Astronomical Clock

Looking up at the front of the Notre-Dame Cathedral is quite impressive, especially when viewed on a clear day with bright blue skies. You can certainly expect plenty of crowds as Strasbourg is a popular destination and the cathedral is on almost everyone’s itinerary, as it should be. Among the features inside of the cathedral are the ornate pulpit, pipe organ, medieval tapestries, and most importantly the astronomical clock. The astronomical clock was built in the early 1800’s and is considered to be especially accurate as it indicates leap years, equinoxes, and most importantly Easter.

We have visited both the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris as well as Strasbourg and they are both beautiful and unique in their own ways. There are so many features to see, both inside and outside, when visiting the cathedral, but unfortunately you may have to follow a line as you work through the inside of the cathedral. Cathedrals are centerpieces to almost every city in Europe and the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg is no exception. There are many places to see when visiting the Alsace region, in which Strasbourg resides, such as the Wine Road, Strasbourg’s Old Town, smaller towns such as Riquewihr, and there are plenty of options for tasting food and wine.

So Many Stained Glass Windows and High Ceilings

The Twin Towers of Gothic and Romanesque Cathedrals

On January 8, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge4 Comments

One of the things that you notice as you visit cathedrals around the world are the twin towers on both gothic and Romanesque style cathedrals. They are certainly beautiful and provide a sense of symmetry, but we were curious if there was any particular symbolism behind them. We did what most people do today and did some searches on the internet to see if there was any significance in having towers flank the main entrance to the cathedral, but what discovered was that there apparently isn’t any particular meaning behind them, at least from a religious standpoint. More likely than not, it is just a preference by the artist or architect that created the design. One of the more interesting theories that we read about was that it was introduced by the Freemasons as part of their symbolism, but there are plenty of other theories surrounding the Freemasons. Regardless of whether there is meaning behind these pairs of towers, we have certainly enjoyed seeing them all around the world.

Notre-Dame Cathedral – When Churches Were Beautiful

On July 22, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn France6 Comments

We’re not sure when places of worship went from being the most beautiful buildings in a town or city to being mega-churches that look more like warehouses than churches, but that has become the case in a lot of cities and towns here in the US. Obviously you don’t need to be surrounded by ornate artwork, stained glass windows, or marble columns to express your faith, but it used to be an expression of the citizens to make sure that the church was more beautiful than any of the homes in town. Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the most well-known churches in the world and its French gothic style is absolutely stunning. It is definitely a shining example of how glorious a church can be when the citizens come together to create something that stands the tests of time and is as wonderful today as when it was first built.

The intricate sculptures and gargoyles have made Notre-Dame the centerpiece of stories since it was built in the 14th century. As gorgeous as it is to visit during the day, it is even more stunning at night when it is lit up to reveal all of the details of its architecture. Taking one of the river tours that takes you around the cathedral is another great way to see Notre-Dame from another angle. We wish that we would have had more than a couple of days to see Notre-Dame since there is truly so much to see.

Although there is definitely a lot to see when visiting Paris, we highly recommend that you take the time to really enjoy the Notre-Dame Cathedral. It is worth more than just stopping by for a couple of quick photos of its ornate façade, there is so much more to see. It is one of those iconic locations that everyone knows about, but if you take your time when visiting it, you will enjoy all of the little details that make up the entire experience.