The cathedral in Cologne is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a massive, beautiful, gothic…read more architecture style cathedral. It has gorgeous stained glass windows and entry is free, just the tower climb & treasury is a small fee. The tower climb has a little over 500 steps if you're brave enough to take that workout. It is also known for housing the Shrine of the Three Kings.

First visited the cathedral on May 24, 2024 during our Basel to Amsterdam Viking River Cruise. Had…read moreonly a few hours in the city, and it was cold and rainy. Came back on June 22, 2025 during our Grand European Viking River Cruise. Wife and I went in briefly, wearing long pants, to meet the dress code requirements. This despite temperatures in the 90s during the great heat wave of 2025. In my younger days I would have tried taking the 533 steps to the top of the Cathedral tower, but wife was in no shape to do that. Our boat docked about 1.5 miles north of the Cathedral. We got a new vantage point to view the Cathedral at night from the river. Sailed past the lighted Hohenzollern bridge at 10:20pm with the Cathedral in the background. The new lighting done to save energy barely could be seen, compared to the old lighting which lit up the sky. Undoubtably I was the only person wearing a Hawaii hat visiting the cathedral that day.