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

Scotland contains some of the oldest (and most famous) castles in the world, and they each have a story to tell about this country’s fascinating, but violent and turbulent, past.On record, there have been around 3000 castles built in Scotland over the centuries, with about half of them still in existence today. The architecture, furnishings, art, and artifacts - even the ruins of some castles—all have stories to tell about those who lived and worked there. And almost all of Scotland’s castles, w