Köln Dom (Gothic Cathedral)

The cathedral is something every visitor, recently new resident and local has to see - from the inside and out.

I moved to Cologne a few years ago and everytime I walk close by the cathedral I am awed. Don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing it :) I'm not really religious, but there is something about it that makes me keep coming back.

If you can, you should go on one of the quided tours of the cathedral. They give a lot of nice little insights and I personally think such tours are just better than reading about how the cathedral was built from a pamphlet. :)

So if your ever in Cologne be sure to stop by the most famous and beloved sight!

it's a work in progress, the title is perfect!!! But if this title offends you, by all means let me know, I will put a writer's disclaimer that you do not have to read my review but u think my title is religiously offensive or using God's name in vain. Thank You.

The Cologne Dom Catherdal is one of the most revered, beautiful church in Germany! There is none like it, I remember when I first stepped outside from the Koln BHF, i was simple in awestruck.

It is one of those structures you can't jus walk by and not notice, it is there and it has survived through WWII, and time as well.

There is a guided tour but if you are like me, jus wandered around the church and discover it for yourself.

There is a fee to climb the 507 steps in the tower (2 euro charge). It is highly not advised to wear heels, going up. And HIGHLY not advised to run while going down, if you want to be the ASS that falls down 507 steps, i hope they catch that on the YouTube!

The top is high, it feels like forever and if you're not in good shape you will probably need a couple breathers cuz it will take a while to climb the tower.

During sunday morning services you probably wont be allowed to take pictures.

Cologne Cathedral is a spectacular cathedral in Cologne. A UNESCO heritage sight, it is one of the largest churches in the world, and seriously tall - a quick check on wikipedia gives the towers a height of 157m. It was started in the 13th century and mostly finished by the middle of the 19th century, and it houses a sarcophagus that allegedly contains the remains of the three wise men from the nativity story. It's literally right outside the station. You can get in for free, although there are charges for the treasury and the tower. The tower is 2€.

The cathedral has spectacular ceilings, mosaics, and amazing windows. It is large, even by cathedral standards, and very beautiful. It's late gothic, so there are many interesting gargoyles and things.

The tower is accessed up some very, very narrow stairs, and there are no controls on people going up or down at different times so you will meet a lot of people and have to squeeze past each other. The tower would therefore be a very, very bad idea in any sort of uncomfortable shoes, if you had any issues with mobility, or if heights or spiral staircases scare you. You climb to just a bit short of the full height of the cathedral and the views over the city and the Rhine are spectacular.

Well worth a trip.

what do you do when you're in cologne, have an hour to kill and a burning desire to beat the sh*t out of your thighs? go up the dom tower.
it's a spiralling maze of stairs. after 100 you'll want to rest and you'll also ask yourself how many more there are. i wish i could tell you the exact number, but exhaustion impaired my ability to count. plus there was a kid in front of me counting in german which threw off my english.
don't give up. you'll get a rest about half-way to see these huuuge gargantuan bells. the guy in the little booth is very flirtatious as well. he came out of his box and fanned me off with his book. super nice. then when i started rubbing my thighs to get the circulation going, he mimed that he would do it...MY CUE TO LEAVE. i kindly said no, laughed and walked away. i totally could've used another 5 minute rest too. oh well.
the end is near. you get to a look-out point and start thinking to yourself, "am i afraid of heights?" terrible time to consider this. JUST GO. you've made it this far. now instead of a spiral staircase you have these metal framed stairs. pretty sturdy. you get all the way to the top and MERCY, you can see the whole city. it's breathtaking. you forget about how grueling and intense that trek was, you're not tired at all, and you think about nothing. magnificent.

and now, making it down. sure, it's quick. but it's still exhausting. my legs were shaking. i had to sit. once i made it down i went into the cathedral itself and sat in one of the pews. amazing stained glass and statues all over. prayer candles being lit. people taking solace in the silence. people kneeling down in prayer at altars. it was very humbling. and then there's me, the bumbling idiot taking pictures of everything and having a chat with god...
"hey dude, wassup? i'm here man. this is nuts. you did a good job here, bro. look after my mom and my sister. thanks man. peace."
that's my prayer.
maybe you'll make it down to the dom and give a little shout-out like this too!!

It is incredible! :) one must definitely climb the stairs and go all the way to the very top!! :) i was very impressed by the views. if the weather was better it would have been splendid but alas it was rainy and cloudy. the stairs are very narrow and one can feel quite constricted going up and down the stairs which can be a set back for those who cannot stand tight and small spaces. A must see Cathedral !

it is also extremely hilarious, that from all the places in Cologne this is where I meet a group of maltese people! hehe. utterly hilarious :)

I have to say this is the most beautiful church you can see..... ever.... it's wonderful!!!! If you can make it, there are free concerts on the organs every Tuesday night..... However... be careful not to upset the actual priests by... living. They can be very pushy and rude, even some catholic friends were kicked out because they didn't recognize them as regular members. Most of the day it's ok to wander through the large sanctuary, but beware for anyone in a robe!

Went to Koln for a short 3 day weekend. Had a blast! One of my favorite things was making the hike up the South Tower of the Koln Cathedral. It was definitely a hike at 510 steps but well worth the effort. The views are amazing!

The Gothic Cathedral in Koln, Germany should be on everyone’s list of places to see. We only got to spend a short time there, but I must say that the moment you see it and get a chance to walk in the doors you will be changed. Back when this cathedral was built it was thought that the taller the spires and ceiling the closer you were to god and he would hear your prayers easier.
Since the middle the end of the last century they have been trying to remove the coal deposits on the exterior, so every shot of the exterior will include scaffolding which has been up the for years. It takes hard elbow grease to remove the black coal soot. But the detail remains and it is the most magnificent you will ever see.

If you ever get a chance to visit Cologne (Koln), Germany, do NOT miss a chance to see this sight.  Spending as little as an hour here will change your spirit.  This is one building that everyone can see from miles away.  With two twin nearly 600 foot spires the size is spectacular.  During the Gothic period when this cathedral was built it was thought that the closer to god you could build your church, (i.e. taller spires and ceilings) the easier it was for god to hear your prayers.  These people wanted to be heard!  And they did a spectacular job!