Speyer is on the left bank of the Rhine and has a population of 50,000. It was founded by the Romans and is one of Germany's oldest cities. Our boat's dock was a 15-minute walk to the historic center.
Bronze sculpture "Fahrmann hol uber" on the cathedral grounds. The emperors in this sculpture rose from their graves to call the ferryman to bring them back to Speyer so they could stand with the German troops in their fight against the French.
The Speyer Cathedral, officially called the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen, is a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is the largest Romanesque church in the world. It contains the graves of Salian, Staufer and Hapsburg rulers.
There is a sculpture next to the cathedral that depicts Jesus praying on the Mount of Olives.
The roof that covers the sculpture is topped by a rooster. Our guide explained that Protestant churches were topped by roosters to distinguish them from Catholic churches. The rooster symbolized the dawning of a new day.
The front of the Cathedral.
The interior of the Cathedral.
The Domnapf outside the Cathedral was filled with wine by each new bishop upon his election.
Across from the Cathedral is Maximilianstraße. Wander along the street to see beautiful old buildings.
Jewish Courtyard.
The Holy Trinity Church was built in the 1700s as a Lutheran church.
Interior of the Holy Trinity Church is worth a look.
In front of the church is a statue of a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago. Speyer is on the German route.
Rub his big toe for luck.
After our tour, we wandered around on our own and found adorable pockets of Speyer.
Back on Maximilianstraße, there were several stands selling pretzels.
The Altpörtel is the most notable remnant of the city’s medieval fortification. The Old Gate is 55 metres (180 feet) tall. Each of the tower’s eastern and western sides show two clocks and the northern side features an iron bar that was once called the ‘Calibration Shoe of Speyer’, which was used as a measuring unit until the early 19th century.
We found this Apothecary
Topped by a unicorn.
We saw the Rathaus in Speyer before returning to the ship.
2022 07 19
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