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You may be wondering why I am writing about the Shrine of the Three Kings, a seemingly small part of the Cologne Cathedral and not about the cathedral itself. Well, I know that to experience the Shrine, you will have to visit this magnificent church (which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site) - so, I do not have any concerns in this regard. But my focus on the Shrine is to stress its importance in the Christian tradition. In fact, the Shrine is the very reason the Cologne Cathedral exists; the original cathedral was found to be too small to accommodate legions of pilgrims who visited it after the relics of the Magi were brought there from Milan in 1164. And up until now, the Shrine of the Three Kings remains the most celebrated work of art in the cathedral as well as one of the greatest religious symbols of Christian religion.

Today, the Cologne Cathedral is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting many thousands of people every day including many who travel there as a Christian pilgrimage. According to the UNESCO inscription it represents "a masterpiece of exceptional intrinsic value" and "a powerful testimony to the strength and persistence of Christian belief in medieval and modern Europe." In addition to the Shrine and despite the devastating damages to the cathedral during World War II, it contains other unique masterpieces and treasures. Among them are:
- High altar on a huge (15 feet or 4.6 m) slab of black marble,
- Wooden sculpture depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary and infant Jesus (circa 1290),
- Eleven church bells, four of which are medieval; one of them, St Peter's Bell was cast as recently as 1924 and weighing 24 tons (almost 53,000 pounds) is the largest free-swinging bell in the world,
- Stained-glass windows, the largest set of remaining in Europe 14th century windows,
- Series of tombs of 12 archbishops between 976 and 1612.

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Most international flights (including overseas flights) to Germany arrive either to Frankfurt Rhine Main International Airport (FRA), the largest airport in Germany, served by all major international airlines, or Franz Josef Strauss International Airport (MUC) located near Munich, Germany's second largest airport. With the exception of transatlantic destinations, you can also use Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS), the third largest in Germany.

Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) is an international airport located in the Cologne-Bonn area 9.2 miles (14.8 km) from Cologne city center and 9.9 miles (16 km) from Bonn. Many domestic (including low-cost) and some foreign airlines operate domestic, European and Middle East international routes from this airport. It takes 15 minutes to get to Cologne by S-Bahn (local train) and one way ticket is €2.40. The railway station to the center of Cologne is in the basement level of Airport Terminal 2. The trip takes about 15 minutes with a stop next to the Cathedral in the center of the city. The cost of the trip to the center of the city by taxi is about €25. All major car rental services operate at the airport. They are located near gateway D Terminal 1.

Cologne is served by two major train stations - Köln Hauptbahnhof and Köln-Deutz. The city is connected to Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels by ICE and Thalys High Speed trains. To reach Cologne from Frankfurt airport you can use ICE (InterCityExpress) trains (one-hour trip) with one-way tickets is from $109 to $168. There are slower trains (about two hours) which use the slower but more scenic route along the Rhine Valley via Koblenz. The tickets are cheaper: from $40 to $60.

If you arrive to Düsseldorf International Airport you also can get to Cologne by train. The trip takes from 20 to 50 minutes depending on train (high speed or not). The cost is from $30 to $40.

The following Web sites can be helpful in checking train schedule and purchasing tickets:
- DB Bahn
- Rail Europe
- Eurail.Com

There are many highways in Germany running to Cologne - Autobahns A1, A4, A3, A57, A555. It takes about two hours to get from Frankfurt to Cologne by car. The fastest route is Autobahn A3. German autobahn have no general speed limit (some portions of highway have local and conditional limits), but the advisory speed limit (Richtgeschwindigkeit) is 81 miles (130 km) per hour. Many sections of autobahn in Germany are modern, containing three lanes in one direction and an emergency lane. Though speed limit does not exist the safety in German autobahns is better than in European highways.

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You can visit Cologne all year round. Generally, the period between June and September is a good time to visit Germany when the weather is warm, mild and pleasant. The highest average high temperature is about 75 °F (24 °C) in July and August, with average lows during these months about 55 °F (13 °C). The lowest temperatures take place in December - January with average highs of about 42 °F (6 °C) and average lows of about 37 °F (3 °C). Precipitation in Cologne is spread more or less evenly throughout the year around 2.5 inches (64 mm) every month picking in July and August (around 3.5 inches or 89 mm).

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- Maria Suite am Dom (Marzellenstraße 66, Altstadt, 50668 Cologne), a four star hotel with rates from €200 (double occupancy, prices are per room/night, all taxes and service included). The hotel located within minutes walk from Cologne Cathedral and main train station. There are 4 rooms in the hotel.
- Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom (Domplatz / Trankgasse 1-5, Altstadt, 50667 Cologne), a five star hotel with rates from €200 to €500 (prices are per room/night, all taxes and service included). The hotel is across the square from Cologne Cathedral. Hotel has 142 rooms. Research and book hotels in or near Cologne, Germany

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Sightseeing.

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Cologne Cathedral is open every day all year round. Opening times: November to April 6:00 AM - 19:30 PM, May to October 6:00 AM - 21:00 PM The access to the Cathedral is restricted during the Mass and the shrine is closed during confessions confession (Mon-Fri 7-9 AM, Sat 2-4 PM). There is no entrance fee to the Cathedral but visitors are asked for donations. Visit the Cologne Cathedral Web site for detailed information regarding the cathedral.

In the historic underground vaults of the Cathedral there is a separate treasury chamber (Domschatzkammer, ) with many pieces of art, historic and religious artifacts. Among other things there is the original Shrine of the Three Kings. Admission fee to the treasury is €4.

Visitors may access Cathedral's the southern tower (open from 10 AM to 6 PM) where you will have to climb 509 steps to its top and enjoy the panorama of the city. Admission to the tower is €3. Combined entrance fee for the treasure chamber and tower is €6.

There are many other attractions in Cologne that you may want to see while visiting this Germany's fourth-largest city. Here is the list of most important of them to start off your research:
- 12 Romanesque churches, outstanding examples of medieval church architecture. Among them are Great St. Martin Church, Basilica of St. Severin, Church of the Assumption, Holy Trinity Church,
- Several medieval houses including Cologne City Hall, Gürzenich, Overstolzenhaus as well as three medieval city gates,
- Roman-Germanic Museum featuring art and architecture base on the Cologne's history,
- The Museum Ludwig with one of the most important collections of modern art including Dali, Warhol, Chagall, Malevich and Picasso collections,
- Wallraf-Richartz Museum with European painting from the 13th to the early 20th century,
- NS Dokumentationszentrum - Gestapo headquarters and prison preserved in its original state, a reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust,
- Cologne carnival, one of the biggest annual street festivals in Europe; it starts officially 11 November and continues until Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent taking place 46 days before Easter).

The Rhine Valley and area around Cologne is worth of exploring. Consider spending some time in beautiful little towns on your way to Cologne by train. In particular, if you are traveling from Frankfurt to Cologne, choose the route via Koblenz.

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Tags: art and culture (26); Basilica of St. Severin; CGN; Church of the Assumption; Cityscape (10); Cologne; Cologne Bonn Airport; Cologne carnival; Cologne Cathedral; Cologne City Hall; Domschatzkammer; DUS; Dusseldorf International Airport; FRA; Frankfurt; Frankfurt Rhine Main International Airport; Franz Josef Strauss International Airport; Fredrick Barbarossa; Germany (3); Gospel of Matthew; Gothic (2); Great St. Martin Church; Gurzenich; Heritage site (22); High altar; Historia Trium Regum; history (31); Holy Land; Holy Trinity Church (2); ICE; InterCityExpress; Koblenz; Koln; Koln-Deutz; Koln Hauptbahnhof; Kolsch; Magi; Mosan art; Mosan Romanesque art; MUC; Museum Ludwig; Netherlandish art; North Rhine-Westphalia; NS Dokumentationszentrum; Overstolzenhaus; Palestine (2); Pilgrimage (14); Rainald of Dassel; Religion (18); Religious architecture (17); Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area; Rhine Valley; Roman-Germanic Museum; Sacred place and sanctuary (20); Saint Helena; sarcophagus; S-Bahn; Shrine (10); Shrine of the Three Kings; Site of legend (2); Stained-glass windows; St Peters Bell; Three Astrologers; Three Kings; Three Wise Men; Treasury chamber; UNESCO World Heritage Site (19); Wallraf-Richartz Museum

Web Sites:   Museen in Köln
  The Cologne Cathedral

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