Köln: Chocolate, the Dom and the Climb

Jerry Griffis

5 days ago

4 min read

On October 11, 2021 we took a day trip to Köln (Cologne). The plan was simple: chocolate first, then the Dom (cathedral), and using the family motto, Possum et ego, a climb to the top of the tower. We got there just in time, with only minutes to spare, to be able to go inside and make the climb.

Cologne is one of the oldest cities in Germany. The Romans founded a settlement here in 38 BC, and in 50 AD it was given city rights as Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, which is where the name Cologne comes from. The city was hit hard in World War II and has been rebuilt many times.

The Schokoladenmuseum

We started at the Schokoladenmuseum (Chocolate Museum), which sits on a peninsula in the Rheinauhafen. The name breaks down to Rhein (Rhine) + Au (a flat, low-lying meadow beside a river) + Hafen (harbor), so it is literally the "Rhine-meadow harbor." The museum opened in 1993 and is known as the Imhoff-Schokoladenmuseum, after its founder, Hans Imhoff. You can follow chocolate from the cacao bean to the finished bar, and there is a working production line behind glass where you can watch the bars being made.

The boys in masks next to chocolate-making machinery

Ellie sitting between two golden Lindt bunnies

The Rheinauhafen

Right next to the museum, at the entrance to the harbor, a statue looks out over the river. This is the Nikolausstatue (Statue of Saint Nicholas), who is shown as a bishop holding a crosier (a bishop's staff). Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, which fits a harbor.

The Nikolausstatue (Saint Nicholas) looking out over the Rhine

Nearby, the Kölner Drehbrücke (Cologne Swing Bridge) spans the harbor entrance. Drehen means "to turn," so this is literally a "turn bridge." It is a steel truss bridge from 1896 that rotates to let ships through. Beside it stands the Malakoffturm (Malakoff Tower), a brick tower from the mid-1800s that was part of the Prussian-era fortifications.

The Drehbrücke swing bridge and the Malakoffturm at the Rheinauhafen

In the old town, the colorful gabled houses in front of the Romanesque church of Gross St. Martin are one of the most photographed spots in the city.

Colorful old-town houses below the tower of Gross St. Martin

The Kölner Dom

Then we reached the Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral). The foundation stone was laid on August 15, 1248, but construction stopped around 1473 and the unfinished building stood for centuries with a crane on the south tower. Work resumed in the 1840s, and the cathedral was finally completed in 1880. With its twin spires, 157 meters (515 feet) tall, it was the tallest structure in the world until the Washington Monument passed it in 1884. Cologne was bombed in more than 200 air raids during World War II, and the cathedral was hit many times but did not fall. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.

The scaffolding you see in the photos is nothing unusual. The Dombauhütte (literally the cathedral "building hut," the cathedral's own workshop of masons and restorers) has been repairing the stone constantly for generations, and the saying goes that the cathedral is never really finished.

The Gothic exterior of Cologne Cathedral with scaffolding

Inside, the nave is breathtaking. The ceiling is over 40 meters (130 feet) high, and the whole building is built to pull your eyes up.

Looking down the nave of Cologne Cathedral toward the altar

The cathedral is also a burial place. The grille-covered effigy below is one of many tombs inside.

A stone tomb effigy seen through an iron grille

This bronze effigy is the tomb of Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden, in the Johanneskapelle (St. John's Chapel). He is the archbishop who laid the foundation stone of the cathedral in 1248, so he is buried in the building he started.

The bronze tomb of Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden in the Johanneskapelle

The Shrine of the Three Kings

The real treasure of the cathedral is the Dreikönigenschrein (literally the "three-kings-shrine"), behind the high altar. According to tradition, it holds the bones of the Magi, the three wise men from the Christmas story. The relics were said to have been found by Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, and they ended up in Milan. When Emperor Frederick Barbarossa captured Milan in 1162, his chancellor, Archbishop Rainald von Dassel of Cologne, took the relics north, and they arrived in Cologne in 1164.

After that, Cologne was one of the great pilgrimage cities of Europe, and a huge church was needed to hold the crowds and the shrine. That is the reason this cathedral exists. The shrine itself was made around 1190 to 1220 by the goldsmith Nicholas of Verdun and his workshop. It is the largest reliquary in the Western world. It sits behind glass, so these shots are through the glass.

The Shrine of the Three Kings, photographed through glass

The golden Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral

The Climb

After the interior we went outside and climbed the south tower. There is no elevator, so the whole climb up and back down is on foot: exactly 533 steps. It starts at the tower entrance and goes straight into a narrow stone spiral staircase. It is tight, it is hard to pass other people, and there are small alcoves along the way where you can step aside to rest or let others by. It seems to go forever. Near the top, the stone gives way to a metal staircase that opens onto the platform.

About halfway up, you walk right through the belfry, home of the Petersglocke (St. Peter's Bell). It was cast in 1923, weighs 24 tons, and is the heaviest free-swinging church bell in the world. Locals call it the Decke Pitter, which is Kölsch (the Cologne dialect) for "Fat Peter." It is only rung on major holidays like Christmas and New Year's Eve.

The platform is about 97 meters (320 feet) up, which is not the true top. The spires keep going to 157 meters, about 60 meters higher, but that part is closed to the public. From the platform you can look through the stone tracery and iron grilles over the city and the Rhein.