Cologne is the twin-spired cathedral, the Rhine and great art, 2,000-year-old Roman sites (a portion of the Roman city wall is displayed on the Domvorplatz), mighty Romanesque churches, medieval houses, lively shopping streets, super-modern architecture, museums and art galleries. The city is only 32 meters above sea level and as it rains often, everything is lush and green. Even in January, blooming winter cherry trees can be found. It can snow but the flakes are usually of short duration. Cologne is also a business and media center and a major trade fair venue. The city is designed in a star shape and all streets, fittingly, lead to the city’s real draw, the Cologne Cathedral.
The Dom
When you first see the Dom, it truly does take your breath away! The feature of the Dom that immediately - and continually - impresses the visitor is its sheer size. This is one massive church - its interior space is equal to 650 typical American homes. A ten-story building could stand on its floor and not touch the ceiling. The twin spires are each 515 feet tall - more than one-third the height of the Sears Tower in the U.S. Illuminated in green light from dusk to dawn, it dominates the city’s skyline and one finds it hard to believe this enormous structure was conceived in the Middle Ages. Pictures cannot quite grasp its magnitude. And if you’re arriving to the city by train, you’ll be happy to know that Cologne’s main train station is conveniently situated right next to the Cathedral.
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History
Germany’s most well-known architectural monument, the Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom in German) lies in the heart of the city atop small, flat-topped, Cathedral Hill, a place of worship since the beginning of the city's history. The Kölner Dom is the third Christian church to be located on this spot. Excavations on the site have uncovered remains of a Roman heathen temple and traces of an early Christian church. The first was built in 313 AD, the year Constantine legalized Christianity. The second church, the "Old Cathedral”, was completed in 818 AD.
Today's Gothic masterpiece was begun in 1248 but not completed until 1880. Remarkably, each successive builder over this expanse of time held true to the original plans. The Cathedral is home to the 13th century Sarcophagus of the Magi, purported to hold the remains of the Three Wise Men, whose bones and clothes were discovered at the opening of the shrine. The Magi’s relics were taken from Milan by Holy Roman Emperor Fredrick Barbarossa and given to the Archbishop of Cologne in 1164, prompting the building of this cathedral a century later as a sepulchral church, in the style of the French High Gothic.
Building continued for the next three centuries but was halted in 1560, when the Cathedral was nearly complete save for the southern spire. Although incomplete, the church was used for ecclesiastical purposes over the next 300 years until the beginning of the 19th century, when construction resumed. In 1880, the great enterprise was concluded at a cost of 27 million marks, faithfully following the original plans of the 13th century master builder. At its completion, the Cologne Cathedral was the world’s tallest building with its 157m tall spires; it lost the title to the Washington Monument in 1884. The Cathedral was severely damaged during WWII and was fully reconstructed by 1956.
The Cologne Cathedral is on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage sites, in part due to its “outstanding universal value being an exceptional work of human creative genius, constructed over more than six centuries and a powerful testimony to the strength and persistence of Christian belief in medieval and modern Europe.”
Visiting the Dom
Like other European cathedrals, the Kölner Dom is filled with art. While easy to visit on your own, there is a good English-language guided tour every day for a few Euro; check with the tourist information office across the street from the Dom.
The church contains dazzling Bavarian stained glass windows and numerous works of art, including the Shrine of the Three Holy Magi, containing the relics of the Magi – Gasper, Melchior, and Balthazar – as well as the remains of three other martyrs. The Shrine, located behind the high altar at the east end of the Cathedral, is about the size of a trunk and is made of gold and encrusted with gems. Behind the Shrine, and across an aisle, are a series of small, ornate chapels. Make a point of seeing the chapel containing the tomb of Archbishop Philip von Heinsberg, whose tomb was decorated with walls and towers by city residents in thanks for his provision of the Medieval city wall, still extant in a few places around Cologne
You will also find the world's oldest Christus patians, or image of Christ crucified with his eyes closed, a statue of Mary and baby Jesus called the Milan Madonna - at least 900 years old - and a statue of St. Christopher carrying a small child. Do climb the stairs to the top of the Cathedral but be warned: it is a very long (509 steps) and steep climb! You should also head downstairs to see the treasury.
Hours
The Dom is open daily from 07h00 - 18h00, except during religious services. The tower is open daily from 09h00 - 17h00; and the treasury is open Monday to Saturday from 09h00 - 17h00. Admission to the Cathedral is free.
