Thursday, March 18, 2010

Basler Münster (Exterior)

Transept roof of the Basler Münster : Basel, CH

The Basler Münster stands on a bluff overlooking the Rhine River and Kleinbasel. The original edifice was begun in 1019. An earthquake in 1356 leveled the city of Basel and severely damaged its main cathedral. Johannes Gmünd, who was building the Freiburg Münster in neighboring Germany, was employed to rebuild the Basler Münster. Both churches are constructed of red sandstone (I'll feature pictures of the Freiburg cathedral in a few days) and are built in the Romanesque architectural style.

You've seen this breezeway before, only from this perspective
Basler Münster : Basel, CH

On the day we visited, we climbed the stairs of the bell tower and enjoyed lovely views of Kleinbasel and Grossbasel, as well as the Rhine River and the foothills of Germany. To see more photos of the exterior and grounds of the Basler Münster, please visit my Picasa Web Albums. A photo of the west facade of the cathedral can be found in this album.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 3/10

2 comments:

Maya said...

This church has to have the most beautiful roof I've ever seen!

Janet M Kincaid said...

Maya: I have to agree. Though, the roof on St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna is pretty impressive, too. It has the crest of the Republic of Austria on it. Can't wait to see that up close!