189. Europe Bicycle Trip--The Cathedral of Cologne (Koln)

After a short cycle into the city of Cologne I could see the spires of the Cologne Cathedral (Kolner Dom). It is a Roman Catholic Church and the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne. it is a renowned monument of Gothic architecture and has been a World Heritage Site since 1996. It is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day. I was here at about 8 am in the morning and there were very few tourists. I only took photos of the outside of the church and did not enter as there was no safe place close by to lock my bicycle.

Construction of the Cathedral started in 1248 and was stopped in 1473 leaving it unfinished. Work was started again in the 19th century and completed from the original plan. I was approaching from the back of the church.

I had to cycle up an elevated pathway while pedestrians had to climb the stairs.

The back of the cathedral

The side of the cathedral

The front of the cathedral. The cathedral is 144.5 meters (474 feet) long, 86.5 m (284 ft) wide and its towers are about 157m (515 ft) tall. The cathedral is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe.

A closer view--The medieval builders had planned this grand structure to house parts of the relics of the Three Kings (now returned to Milan) and fit its role as a place of worship for the Holy Roman Emperor.

Close up of front top section--the whole building does not fit into a photo from my camera!

Close up of front bottom section--the cathedral suffered 14 hits by aerial bombs during WWII. It did not collapse but remained standing in an otherwise flattened city. Allied aircraft pilots used the twin spires as recognizable landmarks in the later years of the war. Repairs were completed in 1956.

Silver in photo to show size perspective--Maintenance work is constantly being done and the church is almost never free of some scaffolding

One of the ornate front doors

The decorative work and sculptures leave one with a feeling of awesomeness.

Statue after statue

Biblical depictions

What works of art!

Close up

I was trying to imagine all the hard work put into these.

Madonna and Child

Every doorway was surrounded.

Every statue was different from the others.

Endless

Outside the cathedral square was this plaque--Model of the finial on top of the Cathedral towers in original size.  Symbol of the Cathedral's completion in 1880.

Finial --9.5 m high and 4.6 m wide