Shrine of the Three Kings: Cologne Travel Guide (4.8★)

Behind the altar, past the crowds

Most visitors stop in the nave. They look up at the vaulting, take a photo and leave. Keep walking east, past the crossing, and the gold is waiting behind the high altar in a glass case.

The shrine is the reason the cathedral exists. In 1164 Archbishop Rainald von Dassel brought relics said to be the bones of the Magi from Milan to Cologne, and pilgrims followed in such numbers that a new Gothic cathedral was begun in 1248 to hold them. The three crowns on Cologne’s coat of arms refer to these kings.

What you’re looking at

It is the largest reliquary in the Western world, built roughly between 1190 and 1225. The goldsmith Nicholas of Verdun led the early work. The form is a small basilica, made from three sarcophagi: two side by side, with a third resting on top.

Look closely for:

• Gilded silver figures of prophets and apostles seated around the long sides
• Enamel and filigree bands framing each arch
• Gemstones and antique cameos set across the surface, some carved centuries before the shrine was made
• The front end, showing the Adoration of the Magi, with the Virgin enthroned

Traditionally, the front panel is opened around the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January so the crowned skulls inside can be seen. This draws pilgrims, so expect the choir area to be fuller then.

Moving through the cathedral

The building stands at Domkloster 4, immediately beside Köln Hauptbahnhof. The Dom/Hbf U-Bahn station is right below the cathedral square, so you can reach the shrine within minutes of stepping off a train.

You can get into the nave without paying. The treasury and the tower climb are ticketed separately, and prices are posted at their entrances. While you’re at the east end, two more major works are close by:

• The Gero Cross (around 970), one of the oldest large monumental crucifixes north of the Alps, in its own chapel off the choir
• Stefan Lochner’s Altar of the City Patrons in the Lady Chapel, which shows the Magi again
• The Domschatzkammer (cathedral treasury), entered from outside on the north side

Keeping to cathedral manners

This is a working church, not a museum. During Mass, parts of the building close to tourists, and stewards may stop you walking near the choir. If the ambulatory is roped off, wait for the service to end rather than trying to slip past.

• Men take hats off; nobody eats or drinks inside
• No flash, and no photos at all while a service is on
• Keep your voice low; sound carries under the vaults
• Leave large bags behind; stewards may check what you bring in

Sunday opens later, at 11am, because of morning services. Arriving soon after the 10am opening on a weekday usually puts you there before the tour groups reach the east end. People who want a closer view join a guided cathedral tour. These sometimes take you into areas of the choir you can’t enter alone, and details are on the cathedral’s official site.