Around Köln Cathedral

Detail on One of the Gates of Köln Cathedral

Detail on One of the Gates of Köln Cathedral

I was actually surprised as to how close my hotel was to Köln’s most famous monument – Köln Cathedral. It was actually just on the opposite side of the central train station, my hotel is on the other side. This makes it very easy for me to visit the cathedral. However, it is not just the cathedral that I came here to visit. Since I visited on Christmas, there is bound to be a Christmas market nearby, it was already past noon and I was hoping to be able to grab a bite to eat before I go full tourist mode. However, it is very hard to ignore that very impressive gothic cathedral that is Köln Cathedral.

Outside Köln Cathedral

Outside Köln Cathedral

Köln Cathedral has many superlatives to its name. It is the tallest twin spired church in the world. It is the second tallest church in Germany and the third in the world. Apparently, Germany has a number of these tallest churches in the world, including the tallest. I hope I would be able to visit them someday. It was first constructed in the 13th century but it was never fully completed. Construction would continue on and off over the centuries and it wasn’t completed until 1880. However, even as I visit now, I can see that there is still restoration work going on. I think that is how it really is for these types of buildings since you need to keep them constantly maintained or they would fall apart.

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