Dominating the skyline of Köln (a.k.a. Cologne in English) in Germany, the Köln Cathedral is one of the few structures that remained standing after the vast majority of the city was flattened by aerial bombs during World War II. While construction of this gargantuan Gothic church begun in 1248, the building (including what is today much of the façade) was not actually completed until around 1880 due to a series of wars and lack of funds. Standing in front of this immense and powerful Gothic church is enough to make anyone feel like a tiny church mouse. Given its status as Germany’s largest Gothic church, designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and being a long-held important stop on the Roman Catholic pilgrimage route, it is not surprising that Köln Cathedral is the most visited landmark in all of Germany. We’ll share all the basic information you need to visit the cathedral as well as our own experience paying a visit to this magnificent church.
Table of Contents:
Basic Information on Visiting Köln Cathedral
Where?
Once you make your way to downtown Köln, there is really no way to miss this giant cathedral. For GPS purposes, the church is located at Domkloster 4, 50667 Köln, Germany. For English speakers, the church may be noted as Cologne Cathedral or Köln Cathedral on maps, guides, or your GPS, whereas in German you will see it noted as Köln Dom. Don’t worry these are all the same place.
Getting here?
There are a number of fairly easy ways to get to Köln Cathedral, making Köln an easy day trip if you are staying nearby or driving near the city. Closest airport is Köln-Bonn Airport where you can take a bus or train to Köln.
By train: Just stop at the Köln train station and the church is located only a few blocks away within easy walking distance.
By car: Once you are in Köln, follow signs to the town center (“Zentrum”) and then find a parking garage (parkhaus) nearby. The closest to the cathedral is the giant “Parkhaus am Dom”. The fee was about 2 euros/hour during our visit.
By boat: If you are taking a Köln-Düsseldorfer (K-D) Line boat along this section of the Rhine River, just get off at the Köln boat dock and turn right to follow Frankenwerft along the river towards the Hohenzollern Bridge and eventually you’ll see Köln Cathedral on your left before your reach the bridge. Just follow a street to the left to head to the Cathedral.
Cost?
A visit to the main areas of the church is free!
Want to visit some extra areas at Köln Cathedral or do a guided tour?
Guided Tours, Literature, & Video: Visit Domforum, the Cathedral Visitors Center, which contains people to help answer your questions, literature in 16 languages, information about the guided tours, refreshments, and a video about the cathedral. It is located in a separate building across from the entrance to the church. You can sign-up for 1-hour guided tours of the Cathedral in English or German. Guided tours in English are normally given Monday-Saturday at 10:30am (10:30) and 2:30pm (14:30) and on Sundays and holidays at 2:30pm (14:30). English tours are 7 euros for adults and 5 euros for students. The video at the Domforum is about 20 minutes and is available for 2 euros (or free with a guided tour) in English, French, and German.
Do the Cathedral Tower Climb: You’ll find on the right side of the outside of the church another entrance where you can pay to climb the over 500 steps to get a good city view and inspect the church bells up close. Cost is 3 euros (or 6 euros if combined with Treasury visit).
Visit the Cathedral Treasury: If you are standing outside in front of the main entrance of the church, you can find the Treasury entrance on the left side of the church on the far end from the main entrance. You’ll find a gold pillar marked Schatzkammer in front of the entrance to the church’s Treasury. Once in the church cellar, you’ll be able to visit several rooms filled with medieval vestments, jewels, and reliquaries. Cost is 5 euros (or 6 euros if combined with a climb of the Church Spire).
Visiting Hours?
Köln Cathedral is open daily year round. It is open from 6:00am to 7:30pm (6:00 – 19:30) from November to April and from 6:00am to 9:00pm (6:00 – 21:00) from May to October. However, visitors are not allowed to walk around during masses (although visitors can sit and attend) or special events, so be sure to check the cathedral’s website’s calendar for the list of masses (messe) and any other events during your visit.
The Domforum is open Monday-Friday 9:30am to 6:00pm (9:30-18:00), Saturdays from 9:30am to 5:00pm (9:30 – 17:00), and Sunday from 1:00pm to 5:00pm (13:00- 17:00). Check the cathedral website concerning hours for the Church Tower and Treasury as the hours are more limited than the church and vary by season.
Want to know more?
You can find out more information about the church from the Köln Cathedral’s office website, including history, mass service schedules, special events, and the opening times for the Treasury and Tower. You can also visit the Domforum’s official website or call the visitors center at 0221 925-84720. The UNESCO and Wikipedia webpages on the cathedral also provide great background information.
Our Experience Visiting the Köln Cathedral
We visited Köln Cathedral as a stop on our way between the Düsseldorf Airport and the Mosel Valley. After our flight, we picked up our rental car in Düsseldorf and then drove to Köln. As we approached, we noticed from the bridge a series of cable cars that cross over the Rhine River. Maybe we’ll consider these on a future trip.
Once in the city, we had some difficulty finding the parking garage due to road construction and had to circle around a couple of times to get here. But the “Parkhaus am Dom” parking garage is conveniently located near the Köln Cathedral and some of the major museums. It is impossible to miss the Cathedral once you approach the city given the size of the church and the height of the giant church spires. We did think that visiting by train would have been easier than driving, but we didn’t have a choice as we needed the car for our next stop.
Standing in front of this big and important church makes you feel very tiny. I had a very difficult time getting the full church into my camera’s viewer even from quite far away. If you want to check out one of the church spires up close, there is a life-size replica of the spire tip in the Cathedral Plaza across from the main church entrance.
We wandered around a bit around the church exterior to try to take it all in. We also inspected some fountains and the excavation site a bit before heading inside.
Once inside, you’ll enter into the 140-foot tall nave which is filled with expensive stained glass windows. Some of the stained glass windows on the south side of the church were expensive gifts from King Ludwig I. The “swallows’ nest” organ above on the side was built into the gallery in 1998, to celebrate the cathedral’s 750 year anniversary. The church follows the normal cross layout with many of the most important shrines and treasures being placed in the end furthest from the entrance.
Among the church’s many treasures are the carved Gero-Crucifix (large cross carved out of oak dating from the 970’s), the Shrine of the Magi which is believed to contain bones of the three Biblical magi (a.k.a. kings or wise men), and the Madonna of Milan sculpture. A good comprehensive listing of the major monuments, artworks, and architectural treasures are listed on the Cathedral’s website along with descriptions and photos. We would actually use this information to identify one of our many photos from the cathedral. Turns out the photo below is of the tomb and effigy of Count Gottfried of Arnsberg, a wealthy man who left his entire estate to the archiepiscopal state of Cologne. He was the only layperson to be buried in the choir of the Gothic cathedral among a number of archbishops and saints during the Middle Ages. He is dressed in medieval knight’s clothing and armor and an iron grid surrounds the effigy, making this monument stand out during our visit.
If you notice the pretty “rainbow” window in the south transept, this is one of the most recent additions to the church. In 2007, this stained glass window was inserted to replace one that was destroyed during World War II. Designed by German artist Gerhard Richter, the window is composed of 11,500 identically sized pieces of colored glass, randomly arranged by a computer and they resemble pixels. Seems pretty modern for a Gothic church!
Perhaps one of our favorite sculptures in the church is the carved medieval statue of Saint Christopher. If you’ve been to pilgrimage sites before, you’ll recognize him with his staff and baby Jesus on his shoulder. He is a welcome sight for pilgrims as he is their patron saint.
OK, so that was our tour of Köln Cathedral in Germany. We spent about an hour and a half wandering around the plaza and inside the church before heading back to the parking garage to race to our hotel in the Mosel Valley before the check-in time ended. Ideally a person would spend a full day or at least a full afternoon exploring Köln. Those with more time might consider a visit to one of the city’s museums such as the nearby Roman-Germanic Museum (Römish-Germanisches Museum) for Roman artifacts, Kolumba Diocesan Museum for more art from the cathedral, Museum Ludwig for modern art, Wallraf-Richartz Museum for art by old masters, or the Imhoff Chocolate Museum for those who prefer chocolate over art. There is also the oddly-named Archäologische Zone – Jüdisches Museum where you can see excavations of Roman sites as well as parts of the old Jewish Quarter as this gradually becomes a planned museum complex. We didn’t have the time for a museum visit or much wandering around the city, but hope to do so on our next visit.
Feel free to ask us questions about our visit. If you’ve been to Köln Cathedral, what did you think of your visit? Any additional tips? What else would you do with a day in Köln?
Paul Post author
Hello, I will be doing a very similar visit to the Cathedral. I’m heading from the Dusseldorf Airport to the Mosel region and would like to stop into Cologne for a quick visit. I notice you mention a parking garage nearby, do you need a special sticker to park in the center? Thanks!
travelcats Post author
Hi Paul, yes that is almost exactly the route we took. The parking garage is quite to the cathedral close as noted – you can follow the signs once you get close. When renting any car in Germany, make sure your rental comes with the special environmental sticker that is required to park in certain city “green centers”. Almost all rentals will come with this and it’ll be a sticker on your windshield, but you should ask to doublecheck as parts of Cologne (and many other cities) do require it.
Meredith Post author
Great job on capturing the enormity of this beautiful cathedral! I have a soft spot for these guys and can never resist a visit – so it’s great to know the background for this one.
travelcats Post author
Thanks Meredith! It is such a gigantic place, it was so hard to try to take a photo of, haha.
Bonnie Rose Post author
Another amazing cathedral and one for me to add to my list when we visit Koln! x
travelcats Post author
Europe just has so many amazing cathedrals! In Germany, around the Rhine area (but more south) we were also told we should visit the cathedrals at Speyer and Worms. We didn’t have a chance on our trip but they look amazing as well.
Natalie Lines Post author
What an enormous church! stunning pictures too
Natalie Lines Blog
travelcats Post author
Thanks for stopping by Natalie!
Michelle @ Moms Are Frugal Post author
This church is magnificent! I have always wanted to go to Germany, and this place will definitely be on my itinerary when I get there.
travelcats Post author
Yes, it is definitely a great place to put on a first-time trip to Germany! Hope you get to Germany soon, we had a great experience traveling there last year.
Ashley@Married to the Game Post author
Beautiful pictures! Happy SITS day!
travelcats Post author
Thanks Ashley!
Akaleistar Post author
What a beautiful place to visit!
travelcats Post author
Yes, it is certainly a beautiful cathedral!
Dani Mosley Post author
Absolutely love the beautiful architecture. It definitely takes you back to another period in time. Thanks for sharing so much information and your amazing pictures!
travelcats Post author
I love visiting this historical places and you are right, they really do transport you briefly to another time:)
Daidri | Thee Getaway Gal Post author
This Cathedral is stunning! I found your sit through SITS was excited to see a travel blogger. I was so fascinated with Cathedrals in Italy! The history is interesting and their very fun to photograph.
Contrats on your SITS day! Enjoy
travelcats Post author
Yes, happy to meet another travel blogger! I can’t wait to get to Rome and explore all the cathedrals there.
Nicki Lewis Post author
Great post. This looks like a awesome place to visit. My hubby and I love to travel too. Our cat probably doesn’t like it though lol
travelcats Post author
Our cats were good travelers as kittens, but now are difficult travelers:)
misssrobin Post author
Wow! It’s amazing and beautiful. The size is incredible. Your photos are wonderful. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Congratulations on your SITS day. I hope it’s a fabulous day for you.
travelcats Post author
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Julie Moore Post author
Happy SITS Day! I hope you have a great one! 🙂
That place looks beautiful! One of these days I’ll be brave enough to get on a plane and go places like that. Totally gorgeous!
travelcats Post author
Thanks Julie for stopping by! All it takes is one trip to get the travel bug biting:)
thedoseofreality Post author
Looks absolutely stunning! Hope you have a fantastic SITS day! 🙂
travelcats Post author
Yes, stunning is a great word for the cathedral!
Carly @ Let Us Wanderlust Post author
Wow! What a truly spectacular Church! I adore history and that’s one of the amazing things about Europe – everything is so old! It’s just wonderful 🙂 I’d love to visit sometime so your tips on getting there/opening times/cost etc are extremely helpful 🙂
travelcats Post author
I love European history too. Glad these tips might be helpful if you take a trip here in the future:)
Sammy Dorn Post author
The architecture reminds me a little of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. It looks magnificent. I love visiting churches and cathedrals – they are always such special places.
travelcats Post author
We love visiting churches as well during our travels! We haven’t been to Spain (or Rome!) yet and look forward to seeing the churches there!
Meghan Post author
Even from your pictures, the cathedral looks absolutely incredible. How fortunate that it survived World War II (although of course many equally impressive gems were lost). I’ve never been to Koln, but it’s definitely moving up my list!
travelcats Post author
It was actually hit by a number of bombs and damaged but survived, amazingly! You should definitely visit if you are in the area in the future.
Fabio Post author
I can give you really good tips so you can consult me before going to Cologne. Judging from the commercial central area of the city, everyone directly calls it ugly. But it has a lot of things to offer. I lived there for 5 months and I think I explored it really good to call it a precious gem on the Rhine in many aspects. It doesn’t only have the Dom. It has many interesting things to see, and I would definitely suggest it for a 3 days stay at least. This is my email: fabio.ab94@gmail.com and this is my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/fabio.abazi
travelcats Post author
Thanks Fabio for your tips!
Seana Turner Post author
I’m always struck by the reminder of how much history was destroyed during WWII… and the thought that a recent replacement window was in response to that event. There is just something about these cathedrals that makes the heart go silent in wonder. I’d love to do the climb:) Keep the great photos and info coming!
travelcats Post author
Yes, most of downtown of the city of Cologne was destroyed by the end of World War II and almost the entire city had to be rebuilt. It is amazing that even though the church was hit by a number of bombs as well, it stood up to the bombs and was repaired to its current state.
Anna Post author
I’m not surprised that you felt tiny in front of it, it looks massive!! What an impressive piece of architecture! Visiting from the Treat Yo’self link up 🙂
travelcats Post author
It is definitely one of the most massive churches I’ve ever stood in front of!
Johlet Post author
Gorgeous!!!!
travelcats Post author
🙂 Thanks for stopping by Johlet.
Anda Alexandra Post author
Dear God!
I just came from a 5-6 day vacation in Koln and Bonn with my husband 😀 It was amazing! I managed to do in those days around 1400 pictures so I am still sorting through them… enough to last me a lifetime but I still wanna go there! The Dom was breathless and the more than 500 stairs nearly got the best of me! Awesome post! 😀 I am so glad I am following you 😀
Yours truly,
The LadyBug
travelcats Post author
Thanks Anda! I’m happy you and your husband had such a fun time in Koln and Bonn, and glad you climbed those church tower steps for the great views of the city.
bevchen Post author
I’ve been to Cologne cathedral a few times – it was one of the places we visited on my school German exchange! Looks like you picked a lovely day for it – gorgeous blue skies on your photos.
The chocolate museum is fantastic! I’ve been twice.
travelcats Post author
Yum, we might have to check out the chocolate museum on our next visit.
Erica Post author
Oh how I love Cologne! I feel so privileged to have lived there for 4 months, and the sight of the Dom made me instantly happy! The first time we saw it I was blown away by the size, and couldn’t understand how all those people sit on the steps with their backs to it, like they don’t care about how spectacular it is… a few months later and I was one of those people 😉
Climbing the tower is so worth it, though it’s exhausting and slightly claustrophobic, but the view is beautiful. There’s also a big triangular tower across the Rhein that one can go up and apparently the view there is also great! The Roman-Germanic museum is packed with stuff and really interesting, I just wish I’d done some research first because I realised my knowledge had some rather large gaps in. It takes a couple of hours to appreciate everything! I think my favourite way to appreciate Koln is actually just walking through it. I’ve realised I get bored in museums too quickly, and my neck and eyes get sore from peering at things too long. (I sound 50 years older than I am…). But after looking at the Dom, I’d walk towards the Rathaus, and appreciate all the ally ways, statues and fountains along the way. The Rathaus is covered in statues and is quite interesting to look at, and the bells are beautiful to hear at midday. Then some excavations of the old synagogue are really close by, as well as an old big banquet and market hall which one can see from the outside. The Deutz-Brucke is also cool to walk across, and is covered in love-locks, and the Rhein makes the Seine in Paris look so small!
I have a post on what I’d do there in a day, but the Cathedral is definitely on top of my list!!!
travelcats Post author
Thanks Erica for all the insights from your time in Cologne! I look forward to visiting again in the future and doing some of these other things.
Kaelene @Unlocking Kiki Post author
Wow the details on the outside of the Cathedral are amazing.
travelcats Post author
Yes, they are amazing!