The crown jewel of Xanten’s Altstadt is the Dom St Viktor, which has Romanesque roots but is now largely Gothic. It is framed by a walled close, called an ‘Immunity’, which can only be entered from the Markt.
The soaring five-nave interior brims with treasures, reflecting the wealth Xanten enjoyed in the Middle Ages. Foremost is the Marienaltar, halfway down the right aisle, whose base features an intricately carved version of the Tree of Jesse by Heinrich Douvermann (1535).
The candelabrum in the central nave, with its Doppelmadonna (Double Madonna, 1500), is another masterpiece. A stone sarcophagus in the crypt holds the remains of St Viktor, the Roman martyr who became Xanten’s patron saint. Look for the preserved original statues behind glass outside.
