2014 Germany Trip - Worms' Old Synagogue (Alte Synagogue)

Location: Worms, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Worms places I went to

The city of Worms had little attraction that piqued my interest, so I chose to visit a synagogue, which I never did in my past travels before. A synagogue is a Jewish place of worship and although I came across a few in my travels, I had never entered one.

A modern sculpture for commemorating Rabbi Rashi, the founder of Worms Old Synagogue.

2014 Germany Trip - St Peter's Dom aka Worms Cathedral (Wormser Dom)

Location: Worms, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Worms places I went to

If there is a reason to visit Worms, a city not mentioned in most travel itineraries to Germany then the Worms Cathedral would be the reason. Officially named as St Peter's Cathedral, this is one of numerous churches dotting the city and its most important due to its significance as the seat of the Catholic Prince-Bishopric of Worms. Of course, what drawn me to Worms in the first place is also my reason for visiting this cathedral - Worms Cathedral was a historical witness to the Diet of Worms of 1521, where Martin Luther was condemned as a heretic through the Edict of Worms. This was the turning point and the beginning of the Reformation Movement.

The frontal view of Worms Cathedral

2014 Germany Trip - Cathedral of Trier (Trierer Dom)/Cathedral of St Peter (Hohe Domkirche St. Peter zu Trier) @ Trier (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauenkirche) (UNESCO World Heritage)

next: Porta Nigra (UNESCO World Heritage) ->

Visiting Liebfrauenkirche would naturally lead to another tour to the Cathedral of Trier next door. The structure is so humongous that it is easily be mistaken as a fortress. Compared to the former, the cathedral had lighter shades to its exterior but since both churches were basically next to each other and joined, it could confuse visitors that there were one church instead of two.

Cathedral of Trier

2014 Germany Trip - Imperial Cathedral of Speyer (Der Kaiserdom zu Speyer) (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Speyer, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Speyer itinerary | Speyer places I went to

Finally, I am writing about the focus of my visit to Speyer, a city that is barely mentioned in guidebooks, if mentioned at all. Strolling past the unmistakable Altpörtel (Old Gate), Maximilianstraße afforded me an unobstructed view towards Speyer Cathedral, an edifice listed in UNESCO World Heritage List for being one of the most important Romanesque building in Germany, a status well earned by being the largest Romanesque church still standing to date. Despite it being listed in the said UNESCO list and being hailed by the German National Tourist Board as one of the Top 100 Sights of Germany, it remains relatively unknown to most travelers.

Its official name is the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen (German: Dom zu Unserer lieben Frau in Speyer), however it is a mouthful to call it by its full name every time one mentions it. Fortunately it is more commonly known as Imperial Cathedral of Speyer (German: Kaiserdom zu Speyer) or just Speyer Cathedral, a name which my post will use to save my poor hand from typing more.

Approaching from Maximilianstraße

2014 Germany Trip - Neumünster Church (Kolegiatstift Neumünster)

Location: Würzburg, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | All Würzburg attractions

I mistakenly thought that this was Würzburg Cathedral, and toured around with that in mind. It wasn't until I was back and checked the photos online that I realized my humbling error. Yet to me it wasn't surprising, even in hindsight, to have made such a mistake. Its façade looked authentically medieval compared to the recently renovated cathedral next door. Even more convincing was the trove of frescoes and artwork adorning the halls of the church, cementing my faith that I was in the cathedral when I was in reality standing within the halls of Neumünster Church.

Curvature

Wedged between two contrastingly unappealing buildings, the Baroque front of the church is much more recent, built in the 18th century, compared to the Romanesque cathedral which dated back to 11th century. Its ornate and curved façade is immediately recognizable.

2014 Germany Trip - Würzburg Cathedral (Würzburger Dom)

Location: Würzburg, Germany

German: Dom is German for cathedral; a cathedral is a church which a Bishop chose as his seat of authority, otherwise it is no different from a church and is not reflected fully in its architecture

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | All Würzburg attractions

In hindsight I should have visited this cathedral, but at that moment the Neumünster Church was right next to it, and having confused which was which, I entered the church instead of the cathedral. As a consolation, I took some exterior shots of the Würzburg Cathedral even though its interior was a total miss.

The entrance of the Würzburg Cathedral. The famous façade of the cathedral misled me to the assumption that this was a modern church, leading to me missing it totally. If one were to stand at the Old Bridge of Würzburg, you could stare straight down the street with an unblocked view of this façade.