# Strasbourg Cathedral > Strasbourg's Cathedral of Notre-Dame is a Gothic masterpiece carved from pink Vosges sandstone. Its single openwork tower rises 142 metres: from 1647 to 1874 it was the tallest building in the world. The façade is covered in stone lace and statues, and inside are stained glass, the Pillar of Angels and the famous 1843 astronomical clock, where every day at noon the apostles file past Christ and a rooster crows. A staircase climbs to a viewing platform. Free; allow 1–1.5 hours. Web page: https://yesgo.io/france/strasbourg/strasbourg-cathedral - City: [Strasbourg](https://yesgo.io/france/strasbourg), France - YesGo score: 59/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - Opening hours: Daily by day; the clock performs at noon - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free; platform and clock show ticketed - Clock: Procession of apostles at solar noon - Height: 142 m - Built: 1015–1439 - Duration: ≈ 1–1.5 hours - Location: Place de la Cathédrale, Grande Île - Coordinates: 48.58189, 7.75106 - Facts checked: 12.11.2026 ## Key facts - **142 m** — height of the tower (source: English Wikipedia) - **227 years** — the world's tallest building (source: English Wikipedia) - **1439** — the cathedral completed (source: English Wikipedia) - **1843** — the present astronomical clock built (source: English Wikipedia) ## About Strasbourg Cathedral The Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg stands in the middle of the **Grande Île**, ringed by the River Ill. It took over four hundred years to build: the first stone was laid in **1015**, work restarted in 1190, and it was finished in **1439**. So it blends Romanesque parts with graceful Rayonnant Gothic, of which it's considered one of the finest examples. The façade's chief architect was **Erwin von Steinbach**, who worked here from 1277, followed by his son and grandson. Two towers were planned, but only the north one was built, **142 metres** high. From 1647 to 1874 it was **the tallest building in the world**, and today it's the tallest structure built entirely in the Middle Ages. Since 1988 the cathedral and historic centre have been on the **UNESCO** list. ## What to see - **The west front** — stone lace, portals and a rose window. - **The astronomical clock** — apostles and a rooster at noon. - **The Pillar of Angels** — a column of Last Judgement statues. - **Stained glass** — medieval windows in the nave and transepts. - **The viewing platform** — rooftops and the Vosges. - **Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame** — the cathedral's original statues. ## Façade and tower The cathedral is built of **pinkish-brown sandstone** from the Vosges mountains, which gives it its warm, almost red colour at sunset. The west front is covered in fine carving like stone lace: hundreds of statues, pointed arches, a great **rose window** above the central portal and the twelve apostles above it. Victor Hugo called it a 'gigantic and delicate marvel', and Goethe a 'sublimely towering tree of God'. The octagonal tower and its openwork spire are visible across the Alsace plain, from the Vosges and even from the Black Forest beyond the Rhine. The cathedral's most famous statues are **Ecclesia and Synagoga** by the south portal; the originals are in the museum next door. > **The astronomical clock** In the south transept stands the 1843 **astronomical clock**, the third on this spot after clocks of the 14th and 16th centuries. It shows a perpetual calendar, the motion of the planets, the positions of the Sun and Moon and even eclipses. The highlight comes every day at **solar noon** (around 12:30 by the clock): the apostles parade before Christ and a rooster crows three times. Arrive early, as crowds gather, and entry to the transept at that time is usually ticketed. ## Inside the cathedral Inside it's tall and dim, with coloured light falling through the **medieval stained glass**. In the south transept is the **Pillar of Angels**, a massive column ringed in tiers with the Evangelists, angels sounding the trumpets of the Last Judgement and Christ the Judge. Look for the carved 15th-century stone pulpit and the great organ hung high on the nave wall. The cathedral's first clock, from around 1352, is gone, but its gilded **mechanical rooster**, one of the oldest automata in the world, is displayed in the Palais Rohan museum opposite. ## The viewing platform A spiral staircase in the tower leads to a **viewing platform** about 66 metres up. From there you see the tiled roofs of the Grande Île, the canals of Petite France and, on a clear day, the Vosges and Black Forest. It's a climb up narrow steps with no lift. In summer and during the Christmas markets, queues form at the ticket desk, so come at opening. ## How to get there 1. Tram A or D to Langstross–Grand'Rue, then a 5-minute walk. 2. From Strasbourg station, a 20-minute walk through Petite France. 3. Tram B, C or F to Place Gutenberg, beside the cathedral. 4. The Grande Île centre is pedestrianised. ## Tips for your visit Allow an hour to an hour and a half for the cathedral, about two with the platform and clock. A good plan: the platform at opening before the queues, then Petite France, and back for the astronomical clock at noon. The cathedral is the centrepiece of a Grande Île walk, with Petite France and its canals and half-timbering nearby and the Palais Rohan museums opposite. Services take place, so keep quiet and don't use flash. The square is flat, but you can't take a pushchair up to the platform. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] See the façade at sunset - [ ] Catch the procession of apostles - [ ] Find the Pillar of Angels - [ ] Climb to the viewing platform - [ ] Visit the Musée de l'Œuvre Notre-Dame ## Places in Strasbourg: compare and choose Places in Strasbourg rated by YesGo. - [Strasbourg Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/france/strasbourg/strasbourg-cathedral) — YesGo score 59/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Free; platform ticket ## Don't mix it up Strasbourg's Notre-Dame is the Gothic cathedral in Alsace; Notre-Dame de Paris is in Paris. ## Tips - Platform at opening. - Clock at noon. - Façade at sunset. - Quiet: services take place. ## Questions ### Is Strasbourg Cathedral free? Entry is free; the platform and clock show need a ticket. ### When does the astronomical clock perform? Every day at solar noon, around 12:30. ### How tall is Strasbourg Cathedral? 142 metres; for 227 years it was the world's tallest building. ### Can you climb Strasbourg Cathedral? Yes, to the viewing platform by the stairs, with no lift. ### How long do I need at the cathedral? An hour to an hour and a half, about two with the platform and clock. ## How we checked Facts from English Wikipedia. Prices, opening hours and the clock show times weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Strasbourg Cathedral and Strasbourg astronomical clock - Strasbourg tourist office, visitstrasbourg.fr --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.