Just a stroll away from the world famous Brühl Castle there is an elegant church waiting to be explored away from the shine and glitter. The walk itself delivers a lot. The seven minutes it takes from the castle to the church can easily turn into an hour if the elegant streets and the beautiful architecture on the streets distract you. Just past the church is the lush, thick, almost forest-like park where the Alter Friedhof landmark is. But by no way will you ever not be distracted and amazed by the beauty of the St. Margareta Parish cathedral.
What puzzled me was the apparent lack of interest the few tourists in the city had towards this beautiful structure. The cathedral is a little hidden away from wandering eyes between the tall trees and fairly evenly tall buildings around it. In fact, the head of the cathedral is far more hidden than the courtyard which is both easily accessible and visible from the park and the street going by it.
The cathedral is open throughout the year. There are also guided tours available for the church. The tours are however not regular, just once a week, and have to be booked in advance through a phone number or the email printed on an A4 piece of paper stuck to the door. Better be early, because the tour kicks off bright and early at 11 AM.
Both the front and the northern side of the cathedral are inaccessible because of buildings at the head, and the northern part being fenced closed. There is no path to walk or bike from the courtyard to the next street, so there is no practical purpose to keep it open.
I took these pictures at around noon. The cold weather, the dark sky, and the recent moisture along with the lights glowing from the inside created a beautiful look that cannot be replicated on a random day.
The beautiful red bricks with the solemn yellow highlights of the windows and the columns that have a modern sloped lid to avoid water erosion made a beautiful contrast.
The view of the cathedral is the biggest from the courtyard, but certainly not the best. The best view is what you see at the very top of this post, the first picture. A cool tip if you want to spend some time enjoying the view without obstructing the small pathway there is to grab a coffee at the cafe. The building still proudly has kept its original structure which I can only imagine was built in the mid 1600s and still exposes the original wooden beams and embossed windows.
The statue of Margereta is the only one throughout the facade of the church. The inside certainly has a lot more to appreciate, including a beautiful black tile row in the centre after going through the three beautiful pillars. The lack of gargoyles and grotesques made me question what style of architecture this was. But the time this was built, and the accents including the rose windows, the spire, the crossing, the nave roof, and the shape of the church are solid reasons to believe this is still Gothic. And of course, the flying buttresses!
The current structure is a replacement. It was made to replace and enlarge the original church which was built in the 14th century. The latest major renovation was in the 20th century. I feel like even if not as popular, this cathedral is one of the most well-kept ones I have seen. Simple additions like the metal slopes are a testament to the detailed work that goes on to keep it in shape.
Not a lot of stained windows can be easily seen due to major parts of the church being inaccessible from two sides. Only the southern and partly the front have some stained glass that can be easily seen. The ones I could see were a headscratcher. The architecture style and the details on the windows were in order, but the stained glass wasn't...stained. Or at least it looked like that. It could be the lack of light along with ageing, but I tried to look really hard and see if I could find one colourful one but alas I could not.
The courtyard is not as elegant as the church. The walls have been tagged and the bins weren't left alone either. There are a couple of benches and a bike parking.
The treat for me was this bronze statue. It stands on a concrete slab shaped much like one of the first editions of Noah Deledda's handmade aluminium can art. Yes, that's the first thing that popped into my head when I saw the slab.
The bronze statue has much to ponder about. Who is the guy and what do fish and birds have to do with anything?
The inscriptions at the bottom give much clarity. "Von 1492-1802". Looks like it is a homage to the original cathedral that was built in the 14th century and then replaced by the current structure in the 18th.
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I always thought that such locations that are hidden from people's sight bring an extra level of authenticity and importance in general. Yet the proof that they are not meant to be met by everyone but only by the curious ones and real explorers ☺️
I guess that's the silver lining right? Such hidden gems are just so much special just because they aren't popular so they're even better to visit
Absolutely! I always prefer this kind of spots and sometimes not being so known by the others is even better judging by how much harm people bring in general to nature.
The building is beautiful, the striking orange color makes the building look even more beautiful because it blends with nature
The red certainly stands out. But under the right light it can seem orange and it does blend pretty well with its surroundings
I just want to know... when I can get to this place @blind-spot 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Soon. Very soon, I hope. Till then you can enjoy it on the chain : D
This is truly a gem you have found. The bright orange brick walls and unique roofs of this building make it a wonderful architectural heritage. I enjoyed walking with you!
The structure is very beautiful and I think the little bit of history I learned about it makes it just as special.
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