St. Victor´s Cathedral

The origins of Xanten go back "to the Saints" - "ad sanctos". Legend has it that the Roman legionary Victor and his companions died as Christian martyrs in the 4th century. Pilgrims soon began to visit their memorial.

A church was built around the the site of the grave, and in 1263, the foundation stone of today´s cathedral was laid on the same site. It is the largest church between Cologne and the North Sea, and was barely less important in the Rhineland than Cologne Cathedral.
The interior was appropriately lavish and valuable, created by the best craftsmen and artists in the area.
St. Victor's is not just the town's most prominent church, it is also the centre of the close, a town within the town, where the canons lived in their own houses.

Nowadays, the cathedral is not only a place of worship but also a venue for many cultural events.
The monthly cathedral concerts attract an audience from across the region.

Information for visitors

To the website of the Dombauverein