Kaiserdom St. Bartholomäus (Imperial Cathedral)

The Kaiserdom St. Bartholomäus, known in English as the Imperial Cathedral, stands on Domplatz in Frankfurt's Altstadt, in the German state of Hesse. The Gothic red sandstone church is the most important historic landmark of the city. Under the Golden Bull of 1356 the kings of the Holy Roman Empire were elected in Frankfurt, and from 1562 to 1792 the cathedral was the coronation church of the emperors, which explains the title Kaiserdom even though the building is not a bishop's seat. The church was gutted in the 1944 air raids and rebuilt after the war, and the surviving structure and rebuilt interior reward a slow walk. Visitors enter through the west tower portal and see the high nave, the Gothic choir stalls, the Wahlkapelle where the electors met, and a number of tombs and sandstone sculptures that survived the bombing. The Maria-Schlaf altar and the carved late-Gothic crucifixion scenes are among the best-known works inside. The tower rises about 95 metres and is the most striking feature on the skyline of the old town. A stair climb of several hundred steps leads to a public viewing platform, with views across the Römerberg, the Main and the towers of the financial district. The ascent is narrow and is not recommended for anyone who struggles with stairs. The cathedral's Dommuseum, in the cloister, displays liturgical vestments and treasures related to the imperial coronations. A full visit with the museum and the tower takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. The cathedral is an active parish and pilgrimage church, so interior access is limited during services, and quiet behaviour is expected. For photography, the best angle of the tower is from the Römerberg side or from the Eiserner Steg bridge across the river, while the platform itself gives the classic view toward the skyline. Crowds are lightest on weekday mornings and heaviest on sunny weekend afternoons, when the tower queue can grow.