Visit the Cologne Cathedral in Germany

The Cologne Cathedral is one of the most visited landmarks in the world and one of the best known monuments in Germany. As the second tallest Gothic structure on the planet, it is a top tick off on life's must-see list.

The cathedral is known is Germany as the Kölner Dom or the Domkirche St. Peter und Maria. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and under administration of the Roman Catholic Church. The Cologne Cathedral was built to house relics of the Magi. The relics were given to the Archbishop of Colgne, Rainald of Dassel, in 1164. Today visitors can view the Sarcophagus of the Magi, a large gilded sarcophagus dating from the 13^th century, and the largest reliquary in the Western world. It is thought to hold the remains of the Three Wise Men.

Although the relics were bestowed upon Cologne's Archbishop in 1164, construction of the cathedral didn't begin until some 80 years later in 1248 under Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden. Initial progress on the cathedral was rapid but ceased by the year 1560. For several centuries, the cathedral stood half built. Then in 1842, construction resumed and 40 years later, in 1880, the Cologne Cathedral stood complete and true to its original plan. The endeavor spanned over 600 years and cost over $1B in today's money. It was one of the most extensive and expensive construction projects ever undertaken.

The front façade is distinguished by two towers each 157 meters (515 feet) tall. At the time of its completion, the Cologne Cathedral stood as the tallest building in the world. A combination of medieval stone architecture and modern steel construction, the cathedral marks the landscape of the city with its impressive exterior.