Strasbourg Cathedral

Strasbourg Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Strasbourg Cathedral stands in the heart of the old town, on Grande Ile, which is listed by UNESCO, and entry to the cathedral is free. Two paid experiences are worth planning: the astronomical clock performance, with the procession of the apostles at half past twelve, requires a ticket sold on the day at a side entrance and the cathedral is partly closed to other visitors during it;

and the climb of 332 steps to the viewing platform, 66 metres up, gives views over the city, the Rhine and the Black Forest. Walking tours of Strasbourg combine the cathedral with the Kammerzell House, Petite France and the covered bridges. Boat tours on the Ill river circle the old town. The cathedral square is crowded in the middle of the day, especially during the Christmas market season. Tickets for the clock performance go on sale in the morning and often sell out on busy days.

Visiting Strasbourg Cathedral: what to see

The cathedral was begun in Romanesque style in 1015 and rebuilt in Gothic style from the late twelfth century, and it was completed in 1439 with its single north spire, 142 metres high. From 1647 to 1874 it was the tallest building in the world. It is built of pink sandstone from the Vosges mountains, which gives it a warm colour, and the west facade is covered with an extraordinary lacework of carved stone, statues and a great rose window. Inside, the most famous feature is the astronomical clock, the present mechanism built in 1843 by Jean-Baptiste Schwilgue, which shows the movement of the planets, the date of Easter and a parade of figures.

The Pillar of Angels, carved in the thirteenth century, shows the Last Judgement on a single column. The stained glass windows, many from the twelfth to fourteenth centuries, are among the finest in Europe. The pulpit, carved in 1485 in flamboyant Gothic style, is covered with figures of saints and small details, including a dog said to belong to the preacher. The organ, hanging high on the nave wall like a swallow's nest, has a medieval case with moving figures.

Strasbourg Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, with visits restricted during services and during the astronomical clock show around midday. The platform closes in bad weather and keeps shorter hours in winter. The Christmas market, one of the oldest and most famous in Europe, fills the square around the cathedral from late November to December and brings enormous crowds. Summer evenings feature a light show on the facade.

Early morning is the best time to see the facade and the square quietly. Strasbourg is also home to the European Parliament, and hotels fill during parliamentary sessions. Allow about an hour for the cathedral and the clock, and another hour for the platform climb. Kammerzell House, a richly carved fifteenth-century timber building on the square, is now a restaurant serving Alsatian dishes.