Spectacular Cologne Cathedral dominates the city’s skyline and this UNESCO World Heritage Site is among Germany’s most popular tourist attraction. Built starting in the 1248, it is the biggest cathedral in Germany and one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in northern Europe. The exterior is covered with ornately carved sculptures and the 142-ft-high (43.35 m) nave is magnificent, as are the church’s many treasures. And you can climb one of the spires to a 311-ft (95m) viewing platform for sweeping views in all directions.

On the sixth day of our Rhine River cruise, we toured Cologne. Not suprisingly, we were really impressed with Cologne Cathedral and spent much of our time there. But we also walked through the the old town to the revitalized Rheinauhafen district, and across the Rhine to view the city from a distance.

Below are trip highlights from Dec 28th, 2019 in Cologne, German. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.

Museum Ludwig Position: 50°56.45’N, 6°57.70’E Museum Ludwig houses a wide range of contemporary art, including numerous works by Picasso and Warhol.

Cologne Cathedral Position: 50°56.46’N, 6°57.67’E Cologne Cathedral dominates the skyline beyond Museum Ludwig, with its twin towers rising 515ft (157m) meters above the ground.

Cathedral Interior Position: 50°56.51’N, 6°57.50’E The spectacular interior of Cologne Cathedral, looking down the aisle towards the 142-ft-high (43.35 m) nave.

Treasury Position: 50°56.51’N, 6°57.50’E The Treasury beneath Cologne Cathedral is full of priceless works made of gold, silver, bronze and ivory.

Medieval Statues Position: 50°56.51’N, 6°57.50’E 14th-century sculptures preserved from St. Peter’s Portal at the south entrance to Cologne Cathedral.

St Agilulfus Altarpiece Position: 50°56.51’N, 6°57.50’E Incredible detail on the 16th-century St Agilulfus Altarpiece inside Cologne Cathedral.

Shrine of the Three Kings Position: 50°56.51’N, 6°57.50’E The gold-covered Shrine of the Three Kings is one of Cologne Cathedral’s most prized treasures and, according to legend, holds the remains of the Three Wise Men.

St. Peter’s Portal Position: 50°56.46’N, 6°57.42’E Cologne Cathedral is covered with ornately carved sculptures. This is St. Peter’s Portal, at the south side, the source of the medieval sculptures we saw preserved in the Treasury earlier.

St. Peter’s Bell Position: 50°56.47’N, 6°57.48’E St. Peter’s Bell, partway up the south tower, is the largest free-swinging bell in the world and weighs 24 tonnes.

View from Tower Position: 50°56.47’N, 6°57.43’E The reward for climbing the 533 steps to the viewing platform in the south tower of Cologne Cathedral is excellent views in all directions. This is looking south along the Rhine towards the bridges we passed under yesterday in the AmaMora. The Great St. Martin Cathedral rises above the buildings at left.

Heinzelmannchenbrunnen Position: 50°56.41’N, 6°57.44’E Fountain in Cologne depicting a fairy tale about the Heinzelmannchenbrunnen, a race of gnomes who were said to do all the work of the city during the night so the citizens of Cologne could take it easy during the day. As the legend goes, a curious tailor’s wife tried to catch a glimpse of the the Heinzelmannchenbrunnen and ended up chasing them away.

City Hall Position: 50°56.31’N, 6°57.58’E Modern and historic buildings of the Cologne City Hall. The tower was erected in the early 1400s.

Great St. Martin Cathedral Position: 50°56.32’N, 6°57.77’E The Great St. Martin Cathedral, built in the early 12th century, is another notable Cologne landmark. We got a great view to the building from the Cologne Cathedral viewing platform.

Christmas Market Position: 50°56.22’N, 6°57.61’E A busy Christmas Market in Cologne.

Ice Rink Position: 50°56.19’N, 6°57.64’E Outdoor ice rink adjacent to the Christmas market.

Friedrich Wilhelm III Position: 50°56.16’N, 6°57.65’E Equestrian statue of Friedrich Wilhelm III. He was King of Prussia from 1770 to 1840, a few decades before the 1871 founding of the German empire.

Malakoffturm Position: 50°55.93’N, 6°57.84’E Under the Prussian administration, a double fortress ring surrounded the city of Cologne. The tower Malakoffturm was built in the mid 1800s as part of the Prussian Rhine bank fortifications.

Rheinauhafen Position: 50°55.82’N, 6°57.93’E The revitalized Rheinauhafen district, in a former port area, mixes historic buildings with modern. The three “Kranhauser” (crane towers) are shaped like hoisting cranes, reflecting the district’s commercial past.

Cologne Skyline Position: 50°55.97’N, 6°58.21’E The Cologne skyline from the east side of the Rhine, with Malakoffturm at far left, the Colonius telecommunications tower at center, Great St. Martin Cathedral where the bridge meets the shore, and Cologne Cathedral prominent at right.

Deutz Abbey Position: 50°56.34’N, 6°58.12’E Deutz Abbey is a former Benedictine monastery that was founded in 1003 on the opposite side of the Rhine from Cologne.

KolnTriangle Position: 50°56.41’N, 6°58.12’E The 338ft (1032m) KolnTriangle tower is another prominent Cologne landmark. The top floor and rooftop are a popular public viewing platform with great views to Cologne and the particularly the Cologne Cathedral.

AmaMora Position: 50°56.50’N, 6°58.02’E The AmaMora moored in downtown Cologne, viewed from the opposite bank.

Love Locks Position: 50°56.50’N, 6°57.82’E Cologne was one of the first European cities where love locks appeared, and has not discouraged the practice. The bridge Hohenzollernbrucke is festooned with thousands and thousands of them.

Cologne Central Station Position: 50°56.52’N, 6°57.61’E The beautiful modern canopy over Cologne Central train station. The station is amazingly busy, with trains constantly arriving and departing.

Overhead Wires Position: 50°56.70’N, 6°57.41’E A profusion of overhead wires outside the north end of Cologne Central Station.

Route Map Position: 50°56.58’N, 6°57.43’E Cologne, like most European cities we’ve visited, has excellent train service.

Hohenzollernbrucke Position: 50°56.60’N, 6°57.80’E The bridge Hohenzollernbrucke lit up at night, viewed from the AmaMora berthed in Cologne.

Departing Cologne Position: 50°56.60’N, 6°57.83’E View to Cologne Cathedral lit up at night as the AmaMora moves off the dock at Cologne.

View Aft Position: 50°56.17’N, 6°57.97’E Looking aft across the chessboard on from the upper deck of the AmaMora as we depart Cologne. the bridge Hohenzollernbrucke is on the left and Cologne Cathedral is prominent right of center.

Dusseldorf Position: 51°13.77’N, 6°46.20’E The “Wheel of Vision” is erected each winter in Dusseldorf, Germany and provides wonderful nighttime city views from heated gondolas.

Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map, with the complete log of our cruise. On the map page, clicking on a camera or text icon will display a picture and/or log entry for that location, and clicking on the smaller icons along the route will display latitude, longitude and other navigation data for that location. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.