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Cologne Cathedral

Cologne · Germany

Background

World Heritage since
1996
Type of site
Cultural
Built
1248–1880

A Gothic cathedral beside the Rhine, begun in 1248 and finished only in 1880, with the builders keeping faith with the original medieval plans. UNESCO calls it a Gothic masterpiece and a testament to the strength of European Christianity.

At 157 m it is the tallest twin-spired church in the world, and its towers give it the largest façade of any church. It was built to house the reliquary of the Three Kings and is Germany's most visited landmark.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 1248Construction begins
  2. c. 1560Work halts with the cathedral unfinished
  3. 1840sFunding found to complete it
  4. 1880Completed to the medieval plan
  5. 1996Inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    The Twin Spires
    157 m tall, once the tallest building in the world.
  2. 2
    Shrine of the Three Kings
    The reliquary the cathedral was built to hold.
  3. 3
    South Tower
    A climb of over 500 steps to a view over the city.
  4. 4
    Treasury
    The cathedral's collection, on a separate ticket.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Climb the South Tower
Allow about an hour up and down, in comfortable shoes.
Check Mass Times
Touring is not allowed during Mass. The cathedral posts its calendar online.
No Large Bags
Use the lockers at the station next door.
Next to the Station
The cathedral is the first thing you see from Cologne's main station exit.
Sightseeing Fee
Wikivoyage reports a sightseeing fee for tourists from July 2026. Worshippers and people attending Mass still enter free.

A Morning at the Cathedral

From the GoGo Cologne guide · Open the Cologne Guide ›

  1. 09:00
    Cologne Cathedral1 hr
    The nave, the windows and the shrine.
  2. 10:15
    Climb the South Tower45 min
    The steps to the top of the south tower.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: May–Sep. Freezing days in Dec–Jan.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Aug (79 mm), driest Apr (44 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Do These Together
The palaces of Augustusburg and Falkenlust at Brühl are 13 km away. Aachen Cathedral and the Zollverein mine in Essen are about 60 km away.
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 292 · Wikipedia: Cologne Cathedral · Wikivoyage: Cologne (CC BY-SA 4.0) · GoGo Cologne guide · UNESCO listing