Viking Cruise #23: The Famous Speyer Cathedral

This is the second part of my blog about our Viking Cruise stop-over to Speyer, Germany. The most famous landmark in the city is the Cathedral.

(Photo: Everyone, except me (Rob) was looking up to the top of the Speyer Cathedral, and I thought this pic was fun. Behind me, Lisa and Carter. Tom to the right. Cr: R.G.)

 

(Photo: Here's the top of the church that everyone was looking up to! Cr: R.G.)

ABOUT THE SPEYER CATHEDRAL - Speyer Cathedral is an Episcopal church. It is 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 goes by other names, too: it's officially the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephens.

FAST FACTS - The cathedral was consecrated in 1061 to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Protomartyr Stephen. In 1981 the Speyer Cathedral was admitted to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

TOURS - There are crypt and emperor tombs, and a tower. Both can be toured in addition to the church tour. They offer guided tours in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch and ask you to book in advance. Contact: E-Mail domfuehrungen@bistum-speyer.de For information about the church, visit: https://www.dom-zu-speyer.de/en/.
 

ODD NOTE - The cathedral is dedicated to St. Mary, patron saint of Speyer, but the Cathedral isn't named for her. Instead it's also known as St. Stephen (Imperial Cathedral of Speyer).

(Photo: The tour guide gave Carter, our friend from the cruise, his tour leader "paddle." Tom is on the right. Credit: R.G.) 

ARCHITECTURE NOTE - The original building was made with wooden roofs, and its reconstruction is replaced by stone vaults of edges; foreclosing highest space; raising. 

This is how the side walls are attached to the roof by the same material, replacing the bucket abstracto sealed horizontal, for a space defined by semicircular arches. (I'm sure you needed to know that, right?)

NEXT: Speyer Statues and Mary and Mary Ellen's Big Bowl 

Viking Cruise #22: New Friends and Speyer, Germany

 In today's blog about our Viking Cruise on the Rhine River, we stopped at the town of Speyer, Germany. Although the town was nice, there were not many highlights other than the Cathedral. Most importantly to us, I'll introduce you to some other cruisers we befriended. They really made the vacation! 

(L to R: Tom, Laurie, Carter, Mary Ellen, Mary, Rob, Marti and Lisa)

NEW FRIENDS - We befriended two great couples, Sue and Jim from Florida (they both kept making us laugh), Kate and John (a librarian and author, whose book I'm now reading), and a family of four: Marti, Lisa, Laurie and Carter. We fell in love with all of them and are keeping in touch with them. One night, I arranged for Mary and Mary Ellen to meet with the family, so all 8 of us had dinner together at one big table. Yes, even on vacation, I'm a social coordinator. But it was so much fun. On other nights, we got to dine with Jim and Sue, and Kate and John. It seemed like there wasn't enough time! 

(Photo: We were adopted into the family! L to R: Rob, Lisa, Marti, Carter, Laurie and Tom)

(Photo: Enjoying dinner with Sue and Jim!) 

ABOUT SPEYER, GERMANY - 

Speyer is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the river Rhine, Speyer lies 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim, and 21 km south-west of Heidelberg. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities.

WALKING AROUND SPEYER - Speyer is a large town, and there was a good deal of things to see. Next blog we'll talk about the Cathedral, which is the most well-known structure. But there was also Wood Market Square with outside cafes and shops. 

STONE HOUSES- Indicates that they were owned by wealthy people. 

ANCIENT HOSPITAL - We walked by a gate that belonged to an ancient hospital, which was identified by a man with a peg leg on the sign. Because Laurie from the cruise was a nurse, I asked her to pose for a picture in front of the hospital. 

SHOPPING AREA- There were a number of streets that had shopping areas and they were all busy. Speyer was a lot busier than I expected. 

NEXT: Speyer Cathedral and the Statues