Cologne, Germany, with its one million inhabitants, is the largest city in northern Rhineland. It is situated in the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia, in a wonderful landscape of castles, villages and hills, covered with forest and vineyards. The city stands on the banks of the river Rhine and some of the best views of the city can be had directly from the river.

Apart from its exceptional intrinsic value and the artistic masterpieces it contains, Cologne Cathedral testifies to the enduring strength of European Christianity. The world feels at home in Cologne, where people meet for a Klsch, a chat or simply a laugh. Life in Cologne is uncomplicated and vivacious. Coutances Cathedral, the spectacular Gothic interior, looking toward the crossing and chancel, showing three vertical stages of the nave- arcade, triform gallery and clerestory windows. The most striking thing about the cathedral is it’s size, it dominates the center of the city, it is also Germany’s largest cathedral. The exterior of the building is perhaps the finest part, it is Gothic to the very core and everything points upwards, the massive towers were the largest building in Europe until the completion of the Eiffel.

One of the most interesting things about cathedral Koln is just how long it took to complete it. The construction initially started in 1248 but due to multiple halts in building, it took over six hundred years before the cathedral was complete. Construction stopped completely on the cathedral in the 16th century, and the city persecuted both Jews and Protestants during this time. In the 19th century Cologne was one of the most important cities in Prussia, and the Prussian royalty supported the completion of the cathedral starting in 1861. However, every year thousands of visitors come to see its main attraction – the magnificent twin-spired cathedral ,which got the title of a World Heritage site in 1996. What many tourists don’t know is the fact, that Germany’s biggest cathedral was one of the few historic buildings which survived the bombs on Cologne Germany during the Second World War. In 1943 the Cathedral was heavily damaged by bombing and in 1996, UNESCO admits the Cathedral in the list of World Culture Heritages as a “masterpiece of Gothic architecture.”