The imposing steeples of the gothic Cologne Cathedral started in 1248
You can’t miss it, and it is amazing that it was not a casuality of the bombing of WWII, but this cathedral is big, imposing, tall and very detailed with a gloomy sort of air about it – well it is afterall – gothic. It is one of the world’s largest chuches and the largest gothic church in Northern Europe. It definitely is a site to see.
The site when you walk out of the central train station
It actually did take 70 hits during the bombing, so I read. It is said that it did not collapse, but stood tall in an otherwise flattened city. The great twin spires are said to have been used as an easily recognizable navigational landmark by Allied aircraft raiding deeper into Germany in the later years of the war, which may be a reason that the cathedral was not destroyed. It has been claimed that in June 1945 American troops used the cathedral as a rifle range.
The massiveness of the inside
It is hard to capture its sheer size when you are inside and it is crawling with people. But despite all the people, because of its size it doesn’t feel crowded. Like other German churches I have been in there is the cross dome construction and the massive, oh so massive, pillars.
Hard to capture but these columns are just HUGE
I was quite interested in the crypts in the basement althought there really was not much to see. The details of the exterior really blew me away though. Did they carve all of it out of stone or is it millions of little pieces. Regardless it leaves you pretty amazed.
Some details of the external architecture.
It leaves me to wonder what it was like in it’s hay day when it was bustling with activity!
Well it is still bustling and the population is even higher today – Cologne has regained its personality as being a cultural centre.
It looks like you really enjoyed that magnificent Cologne Cathedral, especially the architecture as the pictures show. It’s a good thing that the cathedral was spared during WWII bombings. Did you know that Cologne Cathedral is Germany’s largest gothic catheral and that it is a UNESCO world heritage site?
Mentioned its size in the post but I forgot to mention the UNESCO point – thanks for including that – I had meant to – oops.