Cologne, Germany
April 28, 2026
Our first stop on the cruise was at Cologne. The German spelling is Köln. The name comes from the Latin word for colony. In our walk to the famous cathedral we were shown remaining bits of the Roman wall.
The cathedral is the tallest twin-spired church in the world and the tallest cathedral, according to Wikipedia. Constuction began in 1248 and was completed in 1880. Allied bombers in World War II used it as a landmark. It took fourteen hits, but remained standing. The rest of the city was flattened.
This triptych is in the south trancept chapel. It represents the visit of the Three Kings.
The modern window is abstract. It really is like a bunch of colored pixels.
The Shrine of the Three Kings is a gilded box behind the high altar. It was made about 1190 and supposedly contains the bones of the Three Kings, acquired by the 1164 conquest of Milan. The box was opened in 1864, and really does contain bones.
A few strays shots from along the walk to the cathedral:
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