K枚lner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), Cologne

K枚lner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), Cologne (must see)

The Cologne Cathedral 鈥� a place where Gothic ambition met a 600-year-long construction delay and still came out looking fabulous... Indeed, the magnitude of this building dwarfs your expectations and your camera鈥檚 field of view.

This towering masterpiece is Germany鈥檚 most visited landmark, with 20,000 people dropping by daily 鈥� not bad for a church that took over six centuries to finish. At 157 meters (that鈥檚 515 feet for those who still think in feet), it鈥檚 the tallest twin-spired church on Earth, the second-tallest church in Europe, and the third tallest in the world. Clearly, Cologne doesn鈥檛 do things halfway...

Construction began in 1248, then took a casual break around 1560. The west tower wasn't completed until 1880, when 19th-century officials unearthed the original blueprints and reasoned, 鈥淲hy not finish it?鈥�

But the site鈥檚 sacred history runs much deeper than that. Since the 4th century, Christians have been building here. The "Old Cathedral" stood from 818 to 1248, and even earlier, a baptistery once graced the eastern end.

So, what kicked off this giant Gothic project? A golden box. Specifically, the Shrine of the Three Kings, believed to hold relics of the Three Wise Men (also known as the Magi 鈥� the ones who visited baby Jesus and offered him gifts). Its construction started at the eastern arm to house the shrine, then the west front followed 鈥� until everything just kind of stopped in 1473. The work-in-progress look lasted for centuries, complete with a giant crane stuck on top for 400 years. Talk about an eternal fixer-upper...

The cathedral's highlights include the 1322 black marble High Altar and that aforementioned blingy shrine, which began in 1190 and shines brighter than a royal wedding. There's also the 10th-century Gero Crucifix, the 1290 Milan Madonna, and a legal twist 鈥� a 13th-century stone tablet that once granted rights to Cologne鈥檚 Jewish residents.

And, of course, there are bells 鈥� eleven in total. The Saint Peter Bell, cast in 1922, was once the biggest free-swinging bell in the world. You鈥檒l feel it before you hear it...

Insider Tip:
Don鈥檛 skip the rear mosaics 鈥� they're stunning. Brave the climb for sky-high views, or sneak into the underground parking to see the cathedral鈥檚 ancient roots... literally.

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: K枚lner Dom (Cologne Cathedral)
Sight Location: Cologne, Germany (See walking tours in Cologne)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Cologne, Germany

Create Your Own Walk in Cologne

Creating your own self-guided walk in Cologne is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Cologne's Historical Churches Walking Tour

The beautiful and historically rich city of Cologne has been around for over 2,000 years. For centuries, it has been regarded as a very important religious center.

The K枚lner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), one of its biggest attractions, is renowned as a symbol of Christianity and 鈥渁 masterpiece of exceptional intrinsic value鈥� (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The twelve Romanesque churches of... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles

Cologne Introduction Walking Tour

Cologne鈥攐ne of Germany鈥檚 oldest cities, whose name sounds like a perfume, and for a good reason... With over 2,000 years of history packed into its cobblestoned streets and riverside promenades, this city has seen it all鈥攆rom Roman emperors to French invaders to enthusiastic beer drinkers in the 21st century.

Back in the first century BC, the Romans set up a camp and called it Colonia... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles

Cologne Shopping Tour

Calling the shops, whilst in Cologne, is the thing you definitely should not miss! One of the most popular shopping destinations in Germany, this 鈥渃athedral鈥� city abounds in malls, designer stores and various national and international brand outlets fit to impress anyone and let you shop till you drop! Some people even make special trips to Cologne just to stroll and buy things to their... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles

Beer House Walking Tour

In Cologne they say, "K枚lsch is the only language you can drink." Brewed only here and nowhere else, K枚lsch 鈥� a light beer, slightly bitter, bright yellow in color, and made of top-fermented yeast 鈥� is forbidden for production in any other part of Germany.

Each licensed brewery in the city makes its own variation of K枚lsch, served traditionally in a tall, thin, cylindrical... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles

Cologne's Architectural Landmarks Walking Tour

Around 75% of Cologne was destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II. Following such devastation, it meant that most of what was built immediately after the war came from the so-called 鈥淎s quickly and cheaply as possible鈥� school of architecture. Eventually, as the things settled, the architects were given the chance to build something that would really stand out.

Decades later, the... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles

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