Description: The Cologne Cathedral or Kolner Dom as it generally known absolutely dominates the skyline of the city and was the first thing we saw when leaving the train station. It is absolutely spectacular and so immense that I honestly think you would have to be blind not to feel awed when you see it for the first time.
The Cathedral is the largest gothic church in the whole of Northern Europe and it has also been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1996 and is currently visited by an estimated 20 thousand people each day.
We stayed close to the Cathedral and passed it many times througout the day and night and even though there were always people around because of it's immense size it never felt overcrowded or claustrophobic.
Entry to the actual Cathedral is free but there is a box where you can give a donation which helps with the upkeep.
Inside is just as spectacular as the outside and the huge space has a feeling of calm against the hustle and bustle of the city outside.
There is some stunning artwork and sculptures and the stain glass windows are beautiful.
Although I am not religious I like visiting old churches just to appreciate the achiteqture and amazing workmanships and the kolner Dom is definately one of the finest examples I have visited in Europe.
You can also have the opportunity to climb up the tower to get a wonderful view of the whole city.
This costs 2.50 Euros and is completely worth the money but be warned as it is quite a tough climb and not reccommended for those that have trouble with stairs.
About half way up there is a large platform where you can have a rest before tackling the final climb up. I am relatively fit but even I found these stairs to be quite tiring.
At night the Catherdal is lit up beautifuly and really does look amazing and everytime we passed it I had to stop and appreciate the beauty of it.
At Christmas there is a huge Christmas market that is situated right outside the Cathedral and when I visited it I couldn't help but think that it must be the most amazing Christmas market location in the world and if you can you should really try to visit it between the end of November and Christmas so you can see it.
The Cathedral is the heart of the city and it also makes a great focal point if you get lost as it is so noticeable no matter where you are in the city.
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