One stunning cathedral in Europe has recently been all over TikTok, with tourists flocking to the building in real life
The stunning Cologne Cathedral, located in Germany, has recently become the focus of a number of TikToks, with tourists amazed by the building’s unique architecture, one video has even reached over 30 million views.
Many people sharing videos have remarked that the cathedral was “632 years in the making” a fact that might sound incorrect, but is actually true. Construction on the Gothic cathedral began in 1248 but was halted around the 1550s, with the building left unfinished.
In 1814 attempts were made to resume building, but funding was not secured until 1840, with the cathedral being completed in 1880 – 632 years after construction was started.
The cathedral’s rather unique colour is made from a number of different stones, including trachyte and sandstone, while most other buildings of a similar nature are built from limestone.
And it’s not just the exterior that is impressive, with the cathedral’s treasures including The Shrine of the Three Kings, which contains the relics of the Magi (or the three Wise Men), and the 4th century St. Peter’s Staff.
Although the building was not completed during the medieval era, a number of stained glass windows from this time remain, while others have been recreated based on old sketches from this time.
During the Second World War, the cathedral suffered fourteen hits by Allied forces, and while badly damaged, the cathedral remained standing while the rest of Cologne was completely flattened.
In 1996, 116 years after the building was completed and 748 after it was started, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites.
In 2004, the cathedral was even added to the ‘World Heritage in Danger’ list due to plans to construct several skyscrapers nearby. However, these plans were later scrapped, and it was removed from the list in 2006.
Daily maintenance and ongoing preservation and restoration are estimated to cost an average €30,000 per day, but those who have visited this beautiful site will likely say it’s well worth the cost.
When it comes to these ongoing works, the Cologne Tourism website said: “About 100 people from the Dombauhütte (cathedral masonry office) work every day to maintain the Cathedral as Germany’s most popular landmark and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“‘When the Cathedral is finished, the world will end’ is an old Cologne saying. Even after the 632 years of construction, work thus continues on God’s eternal building site.”
