Crowning the skyline of Cologne, this towering Gothic masterpiece has been a marvel of architectural ambition for over 700 years. With its twin spires piercing the heavens at over 157 metres, it is the tallest twinned-spired church in the world and a marvel of medieval engineering. Construction began in 1248 and, intriguingly, wasn't completed until 1880, with various pauses and changes spanning centuries. The cathedral houses the Shrine of the Three Kings, an ornate golden reliquary said to contain the bones of the Biblical Magi. A true testament to human determination and the intricacies of Gothic art, its colossal facade is laden with captivating sculptures and intricate carvings.