The Cologne Cathedral stands as Northern Europe’s grandest Gothic church, boasting the world’s most expansive church façade thanks to its two towering spires. Work on the Cologne Cathedral commenced in 1248, only to stall around 1560 and remain incomplete. Remarkably, it wasn’t until 1880 that the cathedral was finished according to its initial Medieval blueprint, marking over six centuries of construction. (Video courtesy of ilo.ln) | History In Pictures

19th Century Paintings