Cologne Cathedral architecture at a glance
Cologne Cathedral is a High Gothic basilica with five aisles, a wide transept and a double-tower front on the west side. Building took many phases, but the design stayed one medieval plan. That is why the cathedral looks of one piece, even though parts date from the 13th century and others from the 19th and 21st centuries.
It is not a fully medieval building. The roofs over the nave and transept rest on iron structures from 1860 and 1861, and the cathedral was completed only in 1880. The windows span even more time, from 1848 to 2007. If you want the story behind these phases, read the history of Cologne Cathedral.
Gothic facade and towers
The west front is what most visitors see first.
The twin-tower front
Two towers frame the west front. The south tower measures 157.22 m and the north tower 157.18 m. The two heights differ by only a few centimetres.
Tracery and portals
Gothic tracery covers the facade. Figures stand around the west portal. Walk close to see the carving, then step back to take in the full height.
What you can climb
The ordinary tower ticket gets you up the south tower. That is 533 steps to a platform at about 100 m (97.25 m by the exact figure), without a lift. The Cologne Cathedral roof tour is a different product and opens workshop, tower rooms and roof areas. See the tower climb guide for hours and prices.
A view that shows the plan
From the south tower you look over the Rhine and the city. The climb also gives you a feel for the scale of the building. You cannot walk freely through every part of both towers.
Our pick: the old town in VR
VR glasses show the old town around the cathedral as it once looked.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Cologne Cathedral tours
Guided visits, roof and excavation tours and city walks, with live prices and availability.
The interior: nave, choir and vaults
Height, light and stone.
Inside, the nave rises to a height of about 43.4 m. The exact number depends on where it is measured, from 43.35 m to 43.58 m. The tall vault over the choir shows Gothic architecture clearly, because every line pulls the eye upward.
The floor plan is a cross, with the long nave and the wide transept. The mosaic floor in the aisle is easy to miss if you only look up. The page on inside Cologne Cathedral covers the shrine, the Gero Cross and the main artworks.
The Gothic vault
Look along the nave to the choir. The vault rises high above you and leads the eye toward the choir.
Cologne Cathedral windows from 1848 to 2007
Two very different periods of glass.
| Window | Where | Date | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bavarian windows | South aisle | 1848 | Five windows donated by Ludwig I of Bavaria, made by the Royal Glass Painting Institute in Munich and unveiled on 14 August 1848 |
| Richter window | South transept | 2007 | 106 m² of 11,263 coloured squares, 9.6 cm each, in 72 colours |
The two could hardly be more different. The Bavarian windows are 19th-century painted glass. The Richter window has no saints: its squares are placed at random, with mirrored sections, so the effect is colour and light. On a sunny day the colour falls on the floor of the transept.
Where the old and the new meet
Both windows belong to the same Gothic building. For most visitors, the Richter window is the easiest one to remember.
Cologne Cathedral architecture: frequently asked questions
What style is Cologne Cathedral?
It is a High Gothic cathedral, a five-aisle basilica with a wide transept and a double-tower west front. The medieval plan was kept through the long building phases.
Is Cologne Cathedral entirely medieval?
No. Work ended in 1880, and the roofs over the nave and transept rest on iron structures from 1860 and 1861. The windows range from 1848 to 2007.
How tall are the towers?
The south tower is 157.22 m and the north tower 157.18 m. The tower platform you can climb is at about 100 m, at 97.25 m by the exact figure.
What is special about the Richter window?
It dates from 2007 and covers 106 m² with 11,263 coloured squares in 72 colours. It shows no figures, only a random arrangement of colour with mirroring.
Is this the official Cologne Cathedral website?
No. This is an independent visitor guide to the building and the visit.