Hotels near Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom)

Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the reason most first-time visitors come to Cologne in the first place, and it earns every superlative. Construction started in 1248, stopped for roughly 300 years, and finished in 1880 - which is why the twin spires still look identical despite the medieval crews long being dead. It was the tallest building in the world for four years before the Washington Monument overtook it, and it survived fourteen direct bomb hits in the Second World War when almost everything around it was flattened. The interior is free to enter and holds the gilded Shrine of the Three Kings, the largest reliquary in the Western world.

The real experience is climbing the 533 steps of the south tower to the 97-metre viewing platform. There is no lift, the staircase is a tight spiral, and you will be out of breath, but the payoff over the Rhine and the Hohenzollern Bridge is unbeatable.

Pro Tip: Buy the combined Domforum ticket for the tower plus the treasury for around EUR 9 and go up before 10:00 to beat the tour groups. The cathedral closes to sightseeing during Mass, so check the schedule at koelner-dom.de before you queue.