St Lambertus is the Gothic brick church in Düsseldorf's Altstadt whose spire, if you look closely, is visibly twisted. It is the city's oldest parish church, tied to the very year Düsseldorf became a town, and it holds the relics of the city's patron saint, Apollinaris. When the spire burned in 1815, it was rebuilt with wood that warped as it dried, and after the Second World War the people of Düsseldorf asked for it to be rebuilt twisted again.
St Lambertus Basilica at a glance
- Where: Stiftsplatz, in the northern part of the Altstadt, a few steps from Burgplatz and the Rhine.
- Built: rebuilt from around 1370 as a Gothic hall church and consecrated in July 1394; the spire was rebuilt after a fire in 1815.
- What it is today: a Catholic parish church, raised to the rank of basilica minor in 1974, with the shrine of St Apollinaris, Düsseldorf's patron saint.
- Time needed: 20–30 minutes inside, plus a few minutes outside to look at the spire from different sides.
From village church to the city's basilica
A church stood here long before Düsseldorf was a town; it became a parish in 1206. In 1288, the year Düsseldorf was granted town rights, a college of canons was founded at the church. From around 1370 Duke Wilhelm I had it rebuilt as a wide, three-aisled hall church in Lower Rhine brick Gothic, to make it a pilgrimage church of more than local importance, and it was consecrated in July 1394. In the same period relics of St Apollinaris were brought from Remagen, and he has been venerated as the patron of Düsseldorf ever since.
The church became the burial place of the dukes of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, who ruled from the palace on nearby Burgplatz. In 1815 a fire destroyed the spire, and the new one, made with timber that was probably still too fresh and damp, twisted as it dried. The church was damaged in the Second World War, and the spire was rebuilt in its twisted form because the people of Düsseldorf wanted it that way. In the 1950s the sculptor Ewald Mataré designed a new west portal, and in July 1974 the pope gave the church the honorary title of basilica minor.
What to look for
- The twisted spire: walk from Stiftsplatz towards the Rhine and look back. From some angles the turn in the slate-covered spire is obvious, from others you hardly notice it.
- The Mataré portal: the west entrance created in the 1950s by Ewald Mataré, the Düsseldorf sculptor who also made doors for Cologne Cathedral.
- The sacrament house: a tall, late-Gothic sandstone tower on the north side of the choir, made in 1475–1479 and crowded with carved saints.
- The tomb of Duke Wilhelm the Rich: at the far end of the choir ambulatory, a Renaissance wall tomb made in 1595–1599 in the workshop of Gerhard Scheben, with the Last Judgment, the seven virtues and two figures of transience, crowned by the risen Christ.
- The Apollinaris shrine: the silver-gilt shrine holding the relics of the city patron, donated by Duke Philipp Wilhelm in 1665.
- The images of Mary: look for the venerated image known as Maria in der Not (Mary in Need) in one of the side altars, and a 15th-century wooden figure of St Lambertus himself.
The devil and the tower
The practical explanation for the twist is the damp timber. The legend is better: the devil, angry at the church, tried to tear the tower down and twisted it in the attempt, but could not pull it over. Treat it as a story; the 1815 rebuilding is the history. The church also has a cheerful link to summer: its consecration anniversary in July is the old religious background of the big Rhine funfair held each year on the meadows across the river.
Tips for your visit
- The best views of the twisted spire are from the Rhine embankment and from the bridge over to Oberkassel, especially in the late afternoon light.
- The church is an active parish with regular masses; visit quietly and avoid walking around during services.
- Combine it with the Burgplatz and the riverside promenade, which are right next door.
- Come early in the day if you want the Stiftsplatz to yourself: in the evening the surrounding Altstadt bars fill up fast.
Nearby
- Castle Tower (Schlossturm): the last surviving tower of the ducal palace on Burgplatz, now home to a shipping museum, a couple of minutes' walk away.
- Rhine embankment promenade: the riverside walk below the Altstadt, the place for a sunset stroll with views of the Rhine bridges.
- Marktplatz and the Old Town Hall: the town hall square with the equestrian statue of Elector Jan Wellem by Gabriel Grupello, a few minutes' walk south.
- Kunstsammlung K20: the art museum on Grabbeplatz with 20th-century works, a short walk east through the Altstadt.
See Düsseldorf with World City Trail
Our Düsseldorf scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 24 minutes of walking. St Lambertus Basilica is one of the stops, along with the Old Town Hall and the Kunstsammlung art museum.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Düsseldorf.
Play the Düsseldorf scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Düsseldorf →
Play the outdoor escape game in Düsseldorf →
Facts checked in October 2026.