Cathédrale Notre-Dame in Coutances

You're standing at Coutances Cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and one of the finest examples of Norman Gothic. Look up at the twin spires on the front. They rise to nearly eighty metres, and you can spot them from the sea. Sailors once used them as a landmark, and on a clear day they're visible all the way from the island of Jersey. Notice how everything seems to pull upwards? Those long, unbroken vertical lines make the building look even bigger than it really is.