I’ve been to a number of European cathedrals, but I was still blown away by Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral). I was impressed by the sheer size of the building as I stood, feeling very minute, under its towering spires.
It’s easy to see how construction could have taken over 600 years (it started in 1248 and finally finished in 1880) because it was such a massive undertaking. Even now, only 133 years after completion, there are reconstruction works on one of the spires (which added a lovely scaffolding to many of my photos).
Even more impressive than the size was the fact that there isn’t a mandatory entrance fee (just an optional donation). As a result, there was hardly any queue to get into the building — but once inside, it was a bit difficult to move around because of the masses of people crowded in there with you. I suppose it was less than the number of pilgrims that came to see the relics of the Magi in the 12th century, which spurred the destruction of the old cathedral (which couldn’t hold them all) and the beginnings of this much larger one.
When I found that the east arm of the cathedral had been closed to start directing visitors towards the pews for the 12 o’clock prayer, I was okay with that. I’d already spent quite a bit of time wandering through the building and it meant that I was able to get this photo — a shot of the cathedral during the eye of the storm before the hoards returned.
Here are a few other photos from inside the cathedral (and one from outside — I struggled to get the whole thing in one frame!):
