Dominating the skyline of Cologne is the famous cathedral, which has been the city's most famous landmark for hundreds of years.  One of the more interesting things about this cathedral is just how long it took to complete it.  Although construction began in 1248, it was not completed for over 600 years.  The foundation stone was laid in 1248 and the choir was consecrated in 1322.  After this initial rapid progress, construction work gradually came to a standstill, and by 1560, only a small portion had been built.  The towers weren't added until 1824 - mostly according to surviving medieval plans and drawings.  Finally in 1880, Germany's largest cathedral was completed - 632 years after construction had begun.

The building stands on the site of a 4th century Roman temple.  Then a church known as the "oldest cathedral" occupied this site.  And a second church, the "old cathedral", was built on the site in 818.  It burned down in 1248.

Today, Cologne cathedral ranks as one of Europe's most spectacular cathedrals and is a celebration of the finest aspects of Gothic architecture, with intricate detail and elaborate decoration. It's an amazing feat of both beauty and architecture and holds the record of the largest church facade in the world.  Its twin towers stretch an incredible 515 feet in the air.  For a few years after completion, until the finish of the Washington Monument, the structure of Cologne Cathedral was the tallest in the world.  It still remains the tallest gothic building in the world.  Given the size and age of the church, construction is perpetually underway somewhere on the structure. 

In WW II the cathedral suffered 14 hits by aerial bombs but didn't collapse.  Reconstruction was completed in 1956.  In 1996, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list of "culturally important sites" but in 2004, it was placed on the "World Heritage in Danger" list.  This was a "wake-up" call for the city of Cologne.  After initiating immediate improved conservation management, the cathedral was removed from the danger list in 2005.