Kölner Dom

The Cologne Cathedral rises steeply high into the sky and has always shaped the banks of the Rhine in Cologne. At 157 meters high, it is the third tallest church building in the world and its striking west facade with the two towers is the largest double tower front in the world.

As befits a construction project of this magnitude, the construction time for the Gothic church was seriously misjudged: almost 600 years passed from the laying of the foundation stone in the 13th century to its completion. The wooden construction crane that had been erected to erect the towers on site creaked for centuries.

Today, over 20,000 people stream into the massive church building every day. The view from the church towers is particularly worthwhile. It climbs steeply on 533 steps, but you will be rewarded with a spectacular panoramic view at the top.

The cathedral and the towers are open daily; the towers are only closed on certain public holidays.

Among other things, the Rhenish Way of St. James also leads past Cologne Cathedral and all pilgrims receive a stamp here for their pilgrim passport.

The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral is a goldsmith's reliquary that dates from the end of the 12th century. It is used to store bones that Archbishop Rainald von Dassel brought to Cologne in 1164 and that are venerated in the Roman Catholic Church as the relics of the Three Kings. In addition, the shrine contains the remains of Gregory of Spoleto and other parts that can no longer be assigned, but have long been attributed to Saints Felix and Nabor, to whom a Gothic window in the Michael's chapel is dedicated.
The shrine, which was made between 1190 and 1225 by the goldsmith Nikolaus von Verdun, is considered to be the largest and most artistically sophisticated reliquary that has survived from the Middle Ages. It has two floors in the form of a basilica and is decorated with golden figures, gemstone jewelry, gems, cameos and enamel, which illustrate the Christian history of salvation from the beginnings of the Old Testament to the Last Judgment. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Epiphany shrine is already an eye-catcher. It should be emphasized that the people of Cologne have brought the kings on permanent loan in Milan. There is still the stone sarcophagus empty and waiting for the return of the bones. The way of the loan led by the way over Andermatt. There still stands today the inn, where the borrowers have spent the loaned goods.