Cologne Cathedral
Guide
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de, Wikimedia Commons
What you'll see
A vast, dark Gothic cathedral with two lace-like spires over 150 metres high. Inside, huge stained-glass windows light a nave of soaring pillars and, behind the altar, a golden shrine said to hold the relics of the Three Kings. More than 500 steps lead up the south tower to a viewing platform.
A brief history
Building began in 1248 and stopped for about 400 years with a crane left standing on the unfinished tower; it was only completed in 1880. It survived wartime bombing badly damaged but standing, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Tips
- Best time
- Early morning for the inside; a clear day for the tower
- Cost
- Free; the tower usually about €6 (check)
- Allow
- 45 min–2 h with the tower
- Free days
- Usually always free to enter (check)
- Hours
- Usually open daily from early morning to the evening, with visits limited during services (check)
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Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Written in Flewaway's words by AI from this open data, not yet checked by a person. Prices, hours and rules change, so check before you go.
Good to know
- Area
- The old town and the cathedral: Around the main station: the cathedral, the museums and the brewery taverns by the river. Central and handy, busy day and night.
- Access
- Partly step-free
- Indoors or out
- Indoors: good on a hot or rainy day
More in Cologne
Museum LudwigMuseum · Modern art right beside the cathedral: a big Picasso collection, Pop Art from Warhol and…≈ A$23
Hohenzollern BridgeSight · A long steel-arched railway bridge over the Rhine, with footpaths on both sides.Free
The Old Town (Altstadt)Walk · Lanes and squares between the cathedral and the river, around the Alter Markt and…Free