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Cologne Cathedral

600 Years of Construction

Cologne Cathedral is the monumental landmark of Cologne, Germany, it was started in the 13th century and took 600 years to complete. As an iconic Gothic architecture with two 157-meter spires, Cologne Cathedral preserves many precious religious relics such as The Dombild Altarpiece of the Three Kings.

On the banks of the Rhine in Cologne, there is an unparalleled Gothic Cathedral, which took 600 years to complete and is considered the monumental landmark of Cologne and even Germany, with its twin towers standing proudly for a hundred years. Cologne Cathedral and Hohenzollern Bridge are the most symbolic photographic background for tourists.

Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche Sankt Petrus, English: Cathedral Church of Saint Peter) was built in the 13th century, originally to house The Dombild Altarpiece of the Three Kings, and was not completed until 1880. Cologne Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne, with its 157 Meters High Twin Spires, doors and facades covered with lifelike Sculptures of Religious Figures and complex textures.

Manywhere Trivia:
The Cologne Cathedral became the world’s tallest building when it was completed, surpassed in 1889 by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which was designed by French architect Gustave Eiffel.

Cologne Cathedral has a 45-meter-high Dome, thus there are not many church buildings of this scale left in the world. The interior of the cathedral houses the Dombild Altarpiece of the Three Kings, the Gero Cross, the Milan Madonna (Mailänder Madonna), and many other precious religious objects.

Shrine of the Three Kings (photo: web)

Shrine of the Three Kings (Dreikönigsschrein) contains the bones of the Biblical Magi, three of whom witnessed the birth of Jesus Christ in the stable. The church also contains a Dombild Altarpiece of the Three Kings dedicated to the three saints.

The Gero Cross (Crucifix of Bishop Gero) hanging on the wall of the cathedral is more than a thousand years old and is the oldest surviving crucifix in Germany.

Manywhere Trivia:
The Three Kings of Zoroastrianism are from Persia. Their nightly observations of the Bethlehem Star helped them to find the holy child Jesus’ birthplace.

The Glass Window in the Cathedral

As a major attraction of Cologne Cathedral, the Stained Glass Windows have a total area of more than 10,000 square meters, many of which are 19th-century originals while the windows located in the south corridor were created by a German artist in 2007.