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Cathédrale St-Nicholas

Favorite thing: Cathédrale St-Nicholas was built between 1283 and 1490. This High Gothic church has a rich architectural decor and houses precious objects from various periods, including Aloys Mooser's famous organs, Jozef Mehoffer's stained-glass windows, and Alfred Manessier's Holy Sepulchre. The vast interior is ivery impressive. The pulpit (1516) and, opposite it, the octagonal font (1499) are both beautiful, and the tracery choir screen (1466) is dazzlingly intricate. The stained glass in the cathedral is modern Art Nouveau; you can spend hours walking from one window to another. Don’t miss the tiny Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre, to the right of the door as you come in, beside a plaque commemorating the mass celebrated here by Pope John Paul II in 1984. Inside the chapel you’ll find a group of 13 figures, sculpted from sandstone in about 1430. Christ is being laid in the tomb by Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea; behind, Mary is supported by John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, 2 other women and 2 angels, while in front are 3 local citizens. The life-sized ensemble, drenched in a strange light from the modern stained-glass windows, is really touching.
You can climb to the top of the tower (73 m , one step for every day of the year) to admire the whole city. The cathedral is open Mon – Sat 7:30 – 19:00, Sun 8:30 – 21:30.