Cologne Cathedral

The ground plan design of Cologne Cathedral was based closely on that of Amiens Cathedral, as is the style and the width to height proportion of the central nave. The plan is in the shape of a Latin Cross, as is usual with Gothic cathedrals. It has two aisles on either side, which help support one of the very highest Gothic vaults in the world, being nearly as tall as that of the Beauvais Cathedral. Externally the outward thrust of the vault is taken by flying buttresses in the French manner. 

The choir retains a great many of its original fittings, including the carved stalls, despite French Revolutionary troops having desecrated the building. A large stone statue of St Christopher looks down towards the place where the earlier entrance to the cathedral was, before its completion in the late 19th century.

The nave has many 19th century stained glass windows. A set of five on the south side, called the Bayernfenster, were a gift from Ludwig I of Bavaria, and strongly represent the painterly German style of the time.

Externally, particularly from a distance, the building is dominated by its huge spires, which are entirely Germanic in character, being openwork like those of Ulm, Vienna, Strasbourg and Regensburg Cathedrals.

Cologne Cathedral is also known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter) is a cathedral in Cologne, Germany.  It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture. The cathedral is the tallest twin-spired church in the world, the second tallest church in Europe after Ulm Minster, and the third tallest church of any kind in the woWith its huge twin spires that stretch 157 meters into the air, Cologne Cathedral boasts the largest facade of any church in the world. Coated in sculptures and fine carvings, it is a magnificent sight, as is the revered Shrine of the Three Kings that lies within