A visit of the Cologne Cathedral leaves me with mixed feelings. The Cathedral impresses with its enormous size and the pure Gothic style, although it took more than 600 years to complete the building. I agree with other reviewers: the outside is dark, the surrounding square is ugly and crowded, the interior is rather plain and too crowded and very noisy. In most cases when visiting a cathedral, I get a peaceful and reverent feeling, though I'm not religious. But in the Cologne Cathedral I never get such emotions.

So, what are the positive points? First, the western portal with its figural decoration. Second, the treasury. In general that's not my favourite type of artwork, but in Cologne, the treasury is impressive. Third, the view at night from the opposite bank of the Rhine. The huge size of the cathedral is even more evident. And finally, the entrance to the tower. In 2009, a new entrance from the outside was built in order to avoid long queues inside the cathedral. First, the entrance leads downstairs through a tunnel in the outer wall. I would not recommend to climb the tower, but you should have a look at these massive foundations (photo).

The cathedral was completed in 1880, however, since then it is permanently in repair and renovation. No doubt this is a good thing. For centuries they say in Cologne: If the Cathedral is finished, the end of the world is coming.