Although I crossed a different bridge over the Rhine River 120 years after Karl, our view upon arriving in Cologne is the same. The central, dominant landmark in Cologne — then and now — is the Cologne Cathedral.
Finally completed in 1880, the Cologne Cathedral took over 630 years to construct. It’s a masterpiece. With seven centuries since the original architectural plans were conceived, there would have been a risk that the intended design is replaced by the ideas of other builders and newer influences. But the vision for this Cathedral that started in 1248 did not waver. The construction occurred in phases, and the builders were united in applying their skills for a higher purpose, grounded in their Christian faith.
The architecture of the Cathedral is categorized as High Gothic, the style that followed the early Gothic style, having more pronounced or “pointed” design elements. The High Gothic style started in France, evolving the pointed arches into pointed rib vaults, spires and flying buttresses — introducing, in my opinion, some of the most descriptive architectural terms. And let’s not forget, dear reader, mention of my absolute favourite design elements of the Gothic era — the Gargoyle and Grotesques.
Generally, gargoyles were incorporated into buildings to divert water from running down the walls and instead, water would pass onto the gargoyle and exit the open mouth. Grotesques are sculptures that don’t have water spouts and are ornamental to the architecture. Grotesques tend to be distorted humans or animals or bizarre combinations of both. These grotesques serve to protect the building, scaring away evil, so the more outrageous the grotesque, the more effective in protecting the structure.
The Cologne Cathedral is the largest Gothic church in northern Europe, occupying a considerable amount of space at 145 metres long and 86 metres wide. Its imposing towers reaching almost 160m high, achieve better visibility to attract parishioners while symbolizing the desire to reach heaven — the higher the spire, the more readily God could be reached. In addition, there are 108 gargoyles/grotesques on the Cologne Cathedral, including the recent addition in 2018 of a smiling Pope Francis carved above a door.
BONUS:
The bells from the cathedral ring out on the hour, becoming more intricate as the day proceeds. Karl would have heard those same bells ringing out in 1901, and I hope dear reader, you enjoy the sounds from the Cologne Cathedral.
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The Karl Journey is now registered as an official expedition with the Royal Geographical Society