Two views of the Gothic styled Kölner Dom, which took an astonishing 632 years to complete, although to be fair, it also lay dormant for 300 of those years. It was finally finished in 1880. Fortunately, the stained glass windows were removed before the Allied bombings in WWII, and the twin spires survived to continue being a navigational landmark.
A slightly more than five minute walk from the Cathedral will take you to the Hauptbahnhof, where you can catch a train for the 1 3/4 hour journey to Mainz.
Mainzer Dom, (aka St Martin's Cathedral) a mostly Romanesque styled cathedral with some Baroque additions, was founded around 975 and dedicated in 1009 whereupon it was immediately destroyed by fire. It would be engulfed in flames six more times in its history. Once you've followed your way to the 80 metre tall tower, you'll find yourself in the Market Square, a popular and busy meeting place.
Cologne must be one of the most impressive cathedrals in the world. But Mainz is also stunning!
ReplyDeleteMy cathedral is here.
I like the view of cathedral and river, those spires are impressive and obviously well built to survive bombing.
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These cathedral postcards are amazing! I love the intricate details in their contrasting architectural styles. It’s incredible to think about the centuries of work and dedication that went into building these colossal structures, and they have endured through the centuries, despite facing numerous challenges.
ReplyDeleteA Tale of Two Cathedrals
I like that first postcard view. It did take a long time to complete! Not a cathedral, "just" a church, but they still aren't done with Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
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https://lisasgardenadventureinoregon.blogspot.com/2024/07/thursday-postcard-hunt-cathedrals.html
The cathedral of Cologne is so majestic! I like the first postcard point of view.
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