Construction on the Kolner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) began in 1248 as a pilgramage destination to house the shrine of the three magi. It must have been a union shop that built it as it wasn't completed until 1880, I keed, I keed. The cathedral is Germany's most visited landmark and is very, very, impressive in person. It is over 500 ft tall at its peak and was the tallest structure in the world until the Washington Monument overtook it in 1884.
You can get a sense of the size of the structure in the photo below. Notice how small the people are.
The Dom from the rear.
The stainglass windows light the place throughout and each tell a different story. Some date back to the 1500's.
This is the Altar of the Poor Clares from 1350 and is the oldest remaining sacrament altar with a permanently fixed tabernacle.
The rods below indicate how long the current Archbishop's tenure has been.
The sculpture in the center is from the 1600's.
Throughout the Dom there are many tombs like the one below
The following photos are from the ambulatory and its seven chapels. It is the oldest part of the Dom and dates back to 1265.
This is the monument of Archbishop Phillip von Heinsberg and dates back to about 1300 and depicts the Cologne medieval city wall.
This is the monument of Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden who laid the first stone of the cathedral.
The chapel of the three magi
The stained glass window above the chapel of the three magi is the oldest in the Dom and dates back to 1265 the windows to the left and right are from 1330.
Behind the scaffolding is the shrine of the three magi which is believed to house the bones of the three wise men.
In the background you can see workers refurbishing the wall painting which is originally from the 1300's
Time has worn away most of the work from these paintings
Large (nothing there was small) statue of St. Christopher from 1470.
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