Speyer: River landing stage on Helmut-Kohl-Ufer

The landing stage for the Pfälzerland is in Speyer on Helmut-Kohl-Ufer, 100 metres to the left of the flagpole by the Alter Hammer restaurant. The navigation address opposite is Leinpfad 1a. Passengers should be at the landing stage 20 minutes before departure. The Festplatz and Naturfreundehaus stops provide access by public transport. The Festplatz and Naturfreundehaus car parks are a few minutes’ walk away.

Riverside and city location

Speyer is in Germany; the landing stage is on the western bank of the Rhine. The cathedral garden and cathedral are immediately to the west; the main railway station is farther northwest. Speyer Cathedral defines the city skyline and stands at the heart of the historic old town.

Cathedral, construction history and burial place

Conrad II began construction of Speyer Cathedral in the 1020s; the church was consecrated in 1061. Henry IV had the cathedral remodelled and extended from the 1080s onwards. The Romanesque building is 134 metres long. The Salian rulers chose it as their burial place; the remains of Hohenstaufen and Habsburg kings, as well as three empresses, also lie there.

The hall crypt consists of four sections, is almost seven metres high and extends beneath the choir and transept. It is one of the cathedral’s oldest parts.

After its destruction in 1689 and further alterations during the French Revolution, the cathedral was restored under Bavarian rule. In 2012, nine monumental frescoes by Johann von Schraudolph were once again made accessible in the Imperial Hall. UNESCO added the cathedral to its World Heritage List in 1981.

Old town and historic monument

Speyer’s old town is recognised as a historic urban monument. Its medieval street plan and close succession of individual monuments reflect the city’s development over centuries. Alongside the cathedral, the skyline includes the Altpörtel, St Joseph’s Church and the Memorial Church. The 55-metre-high Altpörtel stands at the western end of Maximilianstraße, opposite the cathedral, and is one of Germany’s tallest city gates. Construction began in 1230; the upper storey was added around 300 years later, while the roof and cupola date from 1708. The gate survived the destruction of Speyer in 1689 and is one of the few remaining parts of the medieval fortifications, which comprised 68 wall and gate towers. On the north side of the gateway hangs the 28-centimetre-long Speyer standard shoe, formerly used as a measure for trade in the city.

Main railway station and bus terminal

For rail travel, there are the main railway station and the Speyer-Nord/West stop. The central bus terminal is directly beside the main entrance to the main railway station.