Speyer Cathedral

Speyer Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Speyer Cathedral stands at the end of the main street, Maximilianstrasse, in the old town of Speyer, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, near the Rhine, and entry to the cathedral is free, while the crypt, the imperial tombs and the viewing platform in the south-west tower are ticketed. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest surviving Romanesque church in the world. The viewing platform, reached by stairs and a lift, gives views over the city and the Rhine valley.

Speyer is about an hour from Frankfurt and half an hour from Heidelberg and Mannheim by train. Visitors often combine the cathedral with the Technik Museum Speyer, which displays aircraft, spacecraft and cars, including a space shuttle, and the Historical Museum of the Palatinate. Guided tours of the cathedral are offered daily. The cathedral is about fifteen minutes' walk from Speyer station along the Maximilianstrasse.

Visiting Speyer Cathedral: what to see

The cathedral was begun in 1030 by Emperor Conrad II of the Salian dynasty, and it was intended as the burial place of the Salian emperors. It was completed in 1061 and extended by Emperor Henry IV around 1100, becoming the largest church in the world at the time. It was damaged in fires and wars, particularly in 1689, when French troops burned it, and it was restored in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The cathedral is built of red sandstone, with six towers and a long nave. Inside, the nave is tall and austere, with round arches and massive pillars. The crypt, one of the largest Romanesque halls in Europe, with columns and vaults, holds the tombs of eight emperors and kings of the Holy Roman Empire, including Conrad II, Henry IV and Rudolf of Habsburg, as well as empresses and bishops.

The Domnapf, a large stone bowl in front of the cathedral, was filled with wine for the people when a new bishop was elected. The cathedral's Kaisersaal, the Imperial Hall, above the entrance, displays nineteenth-century frescoes removed from the nave. The crypt's columns have simple carved capitals. The tombs of the emperors are arranged in a special chamber in the crypt. The cathedral's baptismal chapel, the Afra Chapel, has Romanesque decoration. The cathedral's garden, beside the Rhine, has a path along the river. The Domnapf stands on the square in front of the cathedral. The cathedral's organ is one of the largest in Germany. The eastern towers are the best preserved Romanesque parts.

Speyer Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, with limited visiting during services and on Sundays. Speyer is busy in summer and during the Christmas market in December. The Brezelfest, a pretzel festival in July, is one of the largest folk festivals on the Upper Rhine. Organ concerts are held in the cathedral. The viewing platform is best on clear days. Allow about an hour for the cathedral, crypt and viewing platform, and visit the Technik Museum, about fifteen minutes' walk away. The Technik Museum Speyer displays a Soviet space shuttle, the Buran, and a Boeing 747 that visitors can walk on.