Cologne, Germany
Cologne Cathedral
Six hundred and thirty-two years under construction, sheltering a gold reliquary said to hold the Magi.
Biblical significance
Begun in 1248 to house the relics of the Three Kings brought from Milan in 1164, work stopped in 1473 with the crane still on the south tower and resumed only in 1842 using the rediscovered medieval plans. Completed in 1880, it was briefly the tallest building in the world. Fourteen Allied bombs hit it; the structure held while the city around it did not.
Scripture
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Best time to go
Any time; the interior is dim and atmospheric in winter.
Visitor notes
Free. 533 steps to the south tower viewing platform. The Shrine of the Three Kings sits behind the high altar.
Coordinates
50.9413, 6.9583
On the map
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Getting to Cologne Cathedral
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