
Cologne Cathedral
Posted by:
archway
N 50° 56.476 E 006° 57.416
32U E 356464 N 5645281
Cologne's most famous landmark. The shape of a cross can be seen in the aerial view.
Waymark Code: WM6W28
Location: Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Date Posted: 07/26/2009
Views: 284
The googlesightseeing.com page showing the Cologne cathedral is actually dedicated to large, temporary, portrait paintings, but the cathedral, one of the world's largest gothic churches, is much more interesting.
Construction of the cathedral began in 1248 and was completed over 600 years later in 1880. For a period of four years after completion, it was the tallest structure in the world until it was surpassed by the Washington Monument.
While most of Cologne was destroyed during World War II, the cathedral remained standing. The damage sustained from numerous bombings was visible until repairs were completed in the 1990s.
One of the most famous artifacts in the cathedral is the Shrine of the Three Kings. It is believed that this 13th century sarcophagus contains the remains of the Three Wise Men.
Visit Instructions:
Please provide another photo of the location. You don't have to be in there shot, but you can. The photo requirement is to discourage any armchair visiting.