Milan has the Duomo di Milano, Barcelona has Gaudi’s cathedral. Cologne has also been holding its cards close to its heart for it has the Kolner Dome. Awe inspiring and just magnificent. Stand in front of it and you get a sudden case of “honey I shrunk the kids” as its just huge! So huge in some parts it looks as though its heading for the heavens as parts of it disappear into the clouds on foggy days. Cologne Cathedral can be seen from almost any point in the city. In fact we were able to see it from the motor way miles and miles away driving into Cologne from Dusseldorf.
I always find that with each of the cathedrals that I have visited if there is quite an elaborate design in the architecture on the outside of the cathedrals its always understated on the inside and the opposite if its very detailed on the inside. That is exactly how I have found some of the Cathedrals I have seen in Italy, Croatia and Germany. Kolner Dome is very understated on the inside and its amazing how a building is still standing since the foundations were laid in 1248 to celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The cathedral has so much rich history and has managed to survive world war bombings. It still has beautiful stained glass windows and one of them still in its original position dating back to 1260. There is also a shrine of the Three Holy Kings(St Ursula and St Geron along with their fellow martyrs) weighing 300kg.
Having gone inside and looked around I had totally forgot the height of the church when I mistakenly convinced my friend to go up the tower at the very top. Thank the Lord Jesus I was sensible and wore flats because I would have been cursing myself taking on the 533 steps to get to the very top up some spirally and very narrow stairs that left my legs feeling far more wobblier than jelly, but what made up for it were the views from the top. Also knowing that I was working the glutes made the torturous trip a little more bearable – who says you cannot exercise while on holiday? The weather wasn’t that great but you could still see for miles. The climb up also gives you access to the bell chambers which are also a ridiculous size that I wonder how they got those things up there when they didn’t have modern cranes(I guess you can also ask the same for the pyramids – a toast to a beautiful minds of those that have come before us). One of the bells is apparently the largest freely swinging church bell in the world and weighs 24 tonnes! There is also a treasury on site which has relics going back to the 4th Century including holy relics.
This is definitely another city in Germany other than popular cities like Berlin that you need to see and of course the lovely Dusseldorf. Climbing up the towers of the church will only cost you 3 Euros. Is that all I hear you ask? Yes! Because you will work your little legs off for the rest! A word to the wise, don’t turn up 6 inch heels like one lady I spotted, you will be very very sorry and possibly in tears. It’s like going up the London Shard in high heels or climbing the Eiffel Tower in crazy heels. Plain mad!
