Trier Cathedral is officially the oldest episcopal church in Germany. It has been sitting in the city of Trier for about 1700 years. Most things built today fall apart after 50 years but this building simply refuses to budge. It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site which means it is far too important for anyone to knock down. The architecture is a messy mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles. It looks like several different architects had a long argument over several centuries and this building is the result.

The windows are the stars

People visit this cathedral to look at the stained glass windows among other parts. These are located mainly in the eastern apse. The glass is incredibly intricate and full of bright colours. When the sun shines through them it illuminates the interior in a way that makes everything look much more expensive than it actually is. It creates a very dramatic atmosphere which is perfect if you like feeling small and insignificant.

Glass from the middle ages

Some of these glass panels date back to the thirteenth century. It is quite impressive that they have survived so many wars and clumsy cleaners. Other parts of the windows are from later renovations because glass tends to break over hundreds of years. These historic pieces show scenes that were meant to teach people lessons back when most people could not read. Now people just take blurry photos of them with their phones and move on to find lunch.