Strasbourg Cathedral Strasbourg Cathedral was originally built from 1015 onwards as a Romanesque church. Part of the crypt, apsis, choir and a portion of the transept date from this period. The foundation stone of the West Façade was laid in 1276, with the 142 m tall North Tower being completed in 1439. The stained glass paintings dating from the 12th - 14th century are among the most spectacular attractions in the cathedral, along with the late Gothic chancel, the angel pillars in the Southern Transcept, the astronomical clock and the Silbermann organ. The portal statues and the rose window on the West Façade are impressive, with the Romanesque South Portal being the oldest of the cathedral's attractions. Anybody feeling up to it can climb to the 66 m high platform of the tower and will be rewarded with a spectacular view of the rooftops of the Old City and panoramas stretching to the Black Forest, Kaiserstuhl and the Voges Mountains.