科隆大教堂Cologne Cathedral

The Cathedral of Cologne is one of Germany's most important architectural monuments and part of the Top Ten Sights and Attractions in Germany. This Gothic masterpiece, located in the heart of Cologne, is the third tallest cathedral in the world and boasts the highest church spires ever built. The construction of the Cologne Cathedral began in 1248, in order to house the precious relict “Shrine of the Three Holy Kings”. It took over 600 years to complete the Cathedral, and when it was finished in 1880, it was still true to the original plans. In World War II, the city center of Cologne was leveled by bombings;the Cathedral was the only building that survived. Standing tall in an otherwise flattened city, some said it was divine intervention; a more matter-of-fact explanation is that the Cathedral of Cologne was a point of orientation for the pilots.

科隆大教堂是德国最重要的纪念性建筑之一，同时也位列德国最佳景点的前十名。该教堂位于科隆市中心，是哥特式建筑风格，也是世界上高度排在第三名的大教堂，并拥有最高教堂尖顶。科隆大教堂始建于1248年，当初是为了保存“东方三圣王”的尸骨而建立的。这座教堂历时600多年，直到1880年才完成，不过教堂的风格始终没有改变。第二次世界大战期间，科隆市中心几乎被夷为平地，只有科隆大教堂幸免于难。当时有人说是神保佑它才完好无损，还有一种更符合现实的说法就是，它在给飞行员们导航。