Visiting Koln Dom

forbin99,

i cant comment on the tours since i did the DIY (Do It Yourself) version.

There were areas closed off just for your info.

I actually went back 2x since i didnt see the treasury the first and i had some extra time. Ive only been to a few of them throughout my vacations and i thought they had some cool stuff.

with regard to the spire climb, i was there in mid Sept 2013 and the day i was going to do it, it was closed due to some remodeling/restoration work going on. Im not sure they are finished since they had some scaffolding up top.

happy trails.

I would skip the spire climb if I were short of time, but that's a matter of taste. I like the Treasury a lot, and have been there more than once, despite having a fee. (It's on the Museum Card, not the TI Card, I think.) Although the treasury is not huge, you could easily spend 30-40 minutes there, if you look at everything and read the labels. Depending on what's closed, the cathedral is huge and there's lots to see. Don't overlook Gerhardt Richter's stained glass windows. Since the Dom has lots of open hours and is free, you could come back. After all, it's across the street from the Hbf Train Station.

This is the most visited building in Germany. Don't give it the Rick Steves marathon-itinerary treatment. (sorry Rick, I buy your books all the time. But you know what I mean. ...)

After reconsidering our options, I can switch the days so that we go straight to Koln from Munich on Friday and then overnight in the Rhineland that evening. So would you rather spend 4 hours in Koln to simply see the old town and dom or spend 4 hours in Heidelberg to see the old town and castle? I can realistically do either but clearly not both and have plenty of Rhineland time Saturday and Sunday. This is all essentially to get around the timing issues noted above about the dom on a Saturday. I see there is a lot of love for Heidelberg but does it trump Koln in a brief visit scenario?

Thanks!

I like Köln a lot and have spent a lot of time there. The cathedral is impressive, but there are other cathedrals that I like more. So, if it was up to me, I would pick spending 4 hours in Heidelberg over Köln. You need to look at some photos, maybe some videos of both of these cities and see which one appeals to you more.

If you do decide on Köln, and want to climb up to the top of the Dom, make sure you are in shape. When I climb up in the Frankfurt Dom, it is only 323 steps and it still takes me about 20 min. or more to get to the top. The Kölner Dom is a LOT more steps.

For me, climbing up a church steeple is a fantastic way to get a feel for any European town/city. You get a great sense of orientation. This is especially true for the cathedral in Cologne. However, it's not for the faint of heart. The stair case is tight and 508 steps will test your fitness level ...

Go to Heidelberg. Walk to thru the old town to the Corn Market at the end. You will be directly under the castle and can take the finicular up to the castle. It's awsome!

I love Koln too. The Dom is my favorate, maybe even more than St. Peter's - but between the two, Heidelberg would win. They have a small beautiful church in the center of the old town, The Holy Ghost Church, go in if it s open, it's beautiful.