For me, any journey to any country or culture feels incomplete without visiting world heritage monuments in the region. Before coming to Germany, I have covered more than 35 world heritage sites across India, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand & Sri Lanka. I was hoping to add a few more to get into 40s in this trip… Considering I was on a short work trip it looked tight. The whole thing may sound a bit touristy or wanting to see more in less time but that is not how it is. How people build things says a lot about their society. Seeing what people built across different centuries tells us a lot about how the society evolved, what were the norms and virtues, what were aesthetic impressions. Just about 60km from Krefeld and less than an hour by train, Cologne seemed like a good city to explore.

This massive cathedral welcomes you as soon as you get out of the central railway station in Cologne.It is Germany’s most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day,^[5] currently the tallest twin spired church at 157 m (515 ft) tall – If wikipedia is to be believed.

This church was built in High Gothic style or Rayonnat style which came from France. The construction began in the 13th century Right in the entrance you are awestruck by beautiful carvings on the facade and entry door. There is lot of detailing and mythical storytelling unfolds here through sculpture. These carvings were made across different era. Series of statues are said to be from the 19th century period.

I pulled out my 10-22 mm Canon Ef-s series lens to get a wider view of the interiors of the church. If the facade is attractive for decorative motifs, interiors are to be admired for sheer scale and geometric perfection. Daylight interacts with the building through vibrant stained glass windows.

 

There are more sculptures in different corners of the church and some wonderful floor graphics too. It is possible to buy ticket and go on the top of one of the towers but I did not have enough time to do that! So skipped it. Its possible to go across the bridge or take hop on hop off tours of the city.