Cologne Cathedral

Heart Holes: Some are God Shaped

Kölner Dom, Riẞ F. One of the surviving medieval architectural drawings of the Cologne Cathedral.

Why do cathedral attract our attention?

Cathedrals remain top global tourist attractions by combining gravity-defying Gothic architecture with tangible, "living" history that offers a profound sense of connection to the past. Beyond their historical significance, these landmarks act as universal sanctuaries, providing visitors with a rare, quiet atmosphere for reflection in a chaotic world.

Travel with us to Köln, Germany, to investigate.

Video tour

Click the panel below to view “Heart Holes: Some are God-shaped.”

To read more about the Köln Cathedral, start here: Structures of Hope.

Steeple climb

Steeple climb

The awful happened.

Work on the Köln (Cologne) Cathedral sputtered and stalled. After 300 years of labor, this “structure of hope” outpaced its resources. It was unfinished, unfunded, and unroofed in places. The 25-meter wooden Domkran was idle atop of the South Steeple, an arm with no muscle. To make matters worse, the archives (read: building plans) were lost to French revolutionaries in 1794. The vision of a grand cathedral, conceived in the middle of the 13th century, was all but lost.