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Fanned by many myths and legends, the beautiful Cologne Cathedral is also deservedly popular among tourists. The main attraction of Cologne miraculously survived the war years; in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral, many explosions thundered, as a result of which the surrounding buildings were completely destroyed. Construction of the cathedral began in 1248 on the site of an older Romanesque church. It is noteworthy that it was decided to build the new cathedral in the Gothic style, while the spread of the Romanesque style during this period was more extensive.
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| Cologne Cathedral |
Important and symbolic event - the transfer to Cologne of a unique religious shrine - the relics of the three wise men. The first stage of the construction of the magnificent cathedral was completed at the beginning of the 15th century, and in 1842 the largest reconstruction of the building began, which lasted 38 years. In 1880, when the renovation of the cathedral was completed, its height was 157 meters, for four years it remained the tallest building in the world.
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| Cologne Cathedral |
The famous architect Gerhard worked on the project of the cathedral. According to one of the legends, the devil himself helped him, only so many can explain the creation of a grandiose architectural project. Every day the cathedral is visited by more than 20,000 people who want to admire its chic decoration and see the golden sarcophagus, which houses the main shrine. The latter is a real work of jewelry; a thousand precious stones were used to decorate the sarcophagus. Other shrines are kept in the cathedral - the cross of Gero and the Milan Madonna - a unique statue of the 13th century. Anyone can climb to the top of the cathedral and admire the panorama of Cologne, for this it is enough to overcome only 509 steps.