Station: [100] Cathedral Treasury / Cathedral Stonemasons’ Workshop/ Cloister

From this location, one has an unusual view of the cathedral north facade. The series of flying buttresses, turrets and finials over the roofs of the aisles seems to be endless. Architectural features can be seen at eye-level: The slopes of the gables are embellished with crockets or finials and the pediments are decorated with geometric tracery. Somewhat hidden behind the yew hedge are the yard and the Xanten Cathedral stonemasons’ workshop. The employees continuously care for the preservation of the cathedral using both traditional and innovative techniques. To the east, the red brick wall with the square stairway tower catches the eye. The historical monastery library has been housed for almost 500 years on the first floor. It contains approximately 13,000 printed works. A visit to the library is a must during your tour of the Monastery Museum; numerous books lie open in display cabinets. A red stele marks the entrance to the museum. The doorway in the brick wall leads to the Late-Mediaeval cloister. On the walls, elaborate memorial tablets of stone, called epitaphs, refer to deceased canons or citizens of the city of Xanten. The cloister was a burial place, and the green area in the centre is still used for this purpose in special cases. Often, cloisters were demolished, when monastery communities were dissolved. Thus, it’s a stroke of good fortune, that Xanten has preserved its cloister.