Cologne Cathedral
쾰른 대성당
Cologne Cathedral is a huge Catholic cathedral in the city of Cologne, in western Germany, close to the River Rhine. Its two pointed spires rise 157 metres, making it the tallest twin-spired church in the world, and its front has the largest façade, or face, of any church. It is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, a medieval style known for pointed arches, tall windows and soaring towers.
See it on the 3D globe →At a glance
- Country
- Germany
- Location
- Cologne, Germany
- Built
- 1880
- Height
- 157 m
- Type
- Religious building
Quick answers
Where is Cologne Cathedral?
Cologne Cathedral is in Cologne, Germany.
When was Cologne Cathedral built?
Cologne Cathedral was built in 1880.
How tall is Cologne Cathedral?
Cologne Cathedral is about 157 m tall.
A Gothic cathedral that took over 600 years to finish, its twin spires dominating the city.
Building began in 1248, but work stopped for centuries and the cathedral was only finished in 1880, 632 years later, following the original medieval plans. It was built to hold a golden shrine said to contain the bones of the Three Kings from the Christmas story. Today it is Germany's most visited landmark, welcoming around six million people a year, and it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
A 632-year building project
The foundation stone was laid on 15 August 1248. The eastern end, where the choir sings, was finished and consecrated in 1322, but work slowed, and in the 1500s it stopped altogether. For about 400 years a giant crane stood on top of the unfinished south tower and became part of the city's skyline. In the 1800s, people grew excited about the Middle Ages again, and the cathedral's original drawings for the front were rediscovered. Work restarted in 1842. A citizens' association raised two-thirds of the money, and the cathedral was completed and celebrated on 15 October 1880.
Surviving the war
During the Second World War, the twin spires were easy for bomber pilots to spot, and the cathedral was hit by fourteen bombs. It was badly damaged, but it stayed standing while most of the city around it was flattened. Repairs allowed it to reopen in 1956. Work on the cathedral never really ends: wind, rain and pollution slowly wear away the stone, so a team of skilled stonemasons keeps repairing it, and parts of the building are almost always covered in scaffolding.
What's inside
The cathedral's greatest treasure is the Shrine of the Three Kings, begun in 1190 by the goldsmith Nicholas of Verdun. It is shaped like a small church and covered with gold, silver, enamel and gemstones. The windows glow with stained glass, including a modern window from 2007 by the artist Gerhard Richter, made of 11,500 small coloured squares arranged by computer. Visitors who are fit can climb 533 steps up the south tower to a viewing platform about 100 metres above the ground, passing the bells on the way.
Fun facts
- When it was finished in 1880, Cologne Cathedral was the tallest building in the world, until the Washington Monument beat it four years later.
- A medieval crane stayed on top of the unfinished south tower for about 400 years.
- Its biggest bell, the 24-tonne St. Peter's Bell, was cast in 1922 and was the largest free-swinging bell in the world until 2016. It rings only on a few major holidays.
- The two towers are the same height, apart from a few centimetres.
On the globe
The model shows the Gothic cathedral in Cologne with its twin spires rising high above the city. Zoom in and compare the two tall towers at the front.
Quiz time
Which is taller: Cologne Cathedral or Aachen Cathedral?
Show the answer
Cologne Cathedral. (157 m vs 74 m) Aachen Cathedral →
Nearby on the globe
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-13