Dom

Ostwestfalen


Enter Paderborn’s massive (104m long!) Gothic Dom through the southern portal (called ‘Paradise’) adorned with delicate carved figures. Inside, turn your attention to the high altar and the pompous memorial tomb of Dietrich von Fürstenberg, a 17th-century prince-bishop. Signs point the way to the Dom’s most endearing feature, the Dreihasenfenster, a trompe l’oeil window in the cloister with tracery depicting three hares, ingeniously arranged so that each has two ears, even though there are only three ears in all.

The hall-like crypt, one of the largest in Germany, contains the grave and relics of St Liborius, the city’s patron saint. A 4th-century priest in today's France, his remains were sent to Paderborn in the 8th century as a gift.


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