Gro脽 St. Martin (Great St. Martin Church), Cologne

Gro脽 St. Martin (Great St. Martin Church), Cologne (must see)

Ah, the Great Saint Martin Church鈥攖his seriously good-looking temple with a riverside address and medieval drama to spare is proof that if a building can survive fire, war, and questionable Baroque interior design choices, it deserves your full attention.

This Romanesque heavyweight was built between 1150 and 1250, and its iconic tower has been photobombing Old Town鈥檚 skyline ever since. But the site鈥檚 r茅sum茅 goes way back. In Roman times, this spot was actually an island in the Rhine, where they built a humble chapel鈥攑robably to appease both the gods and the weather.

In the 10th century, a new church was built. In 1150: Boom. Fire. Ashes. Time to build again! By 1172, they鈥檇 got a fancy tri-apsidal structure. It survived another fire in 1185. But in 1378, the towers' roofs caught fire again, and by 1434, a storm decided to finish the job and blew them clean off. Truly, the medieval weather had no chill...

In the 1700s, someone got ambitious with the interior, adding Baroque decorations. Not everyone was thrilled. Some clergy officials thought it looked more Versailles than virtue, and out came the paintbrushes.

Then came the French in 1794. They stuck around for 20 years, turned the abbey into barracks, and eventually pulled the plug on the monastery altogether. Monks out, soldiers in. Not exactly a spiritual upgrade...

By 1847, restoration kicked off, and not a moment too soon. Because in World War II, the church took a beating鈥攆ires again, naturally鈥攂ut was lovingly rebuilt between 1948 and 1985. Now, that鈥檚 what we call long-term commitment...

Pro tip:
The entrance plays hard to get鈥攊t鈥檚 tucked away at the back. And if you fancy ancient basements, head downstairs to see the Roman foundations. Because nothing says timeless like a church that鈥檚 literally built on history.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Cologne. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Gro脽 St. Martin (Great St. Martin Church)
Sight Location: Cologne, Germany (See walking tours in Cologne)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Cologne, Germany

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