Cologne Cathedral Editorial Image

A man dressed like a Roman soldier is posing in front of Cologne Cathedral. Cologne Cathedral (High Cathedral of St. Peter) is a Roman Catholic Church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a World Heritage Site and a renowned monument of Gothic architecture. It is Germanys most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day. Construction of Cologne Cathedral commenced in 1248 and was halted in 1473, leaving it unfinished. Work restarted in the 19th century and was completed, to the original plan, in 1880. It is 144.5 meters (474 ft) long, 86.5 m (284 ft) wide and its towers are approximately 157 m (515 ft) tall. The cathedral is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and has the second-tallest spires (after Ulm Minster). Its two spires give it the largest façade of any church in the world.