Church of St Gereon

Cologne is famous for its churches. No tourist can miss the beautiful churches adorning this major city of Germany. The Church of St. Gereon, Cologne is regarded as the most beautiful Romanesque church. It is not very clear why the Church was built. According to the sources, this Romanesque church is dedicated to the memory of St. Gereon. It is said that St. Gereon was himself a soldier of the Theban legion. He and his companions of 50 soldiers were killed by order of Emperor Maximian, since they refused to kill the Christians. Their bodies were thrown to a well. The Church of St. Gereon, Cologne is the result of a dream that Archbishop Anno had in the year 1069. He dreamt that he should build a church in the place, where the bodies were thrown.

This medieval church of Cologne was built between the years 1151 and 1227.It was built by following the Romanesque style of architecture. On your visit to this medieval church you will find a wonderful ten-sided central vault which can be dated back to 1220. You can even see the remains of the Roman walls over which this vault was made.

In your first visit to this medieval church some of you might get intimidated by its huge interior. But the beautiful stonework will leave you spellbound. Moreover, you will find in this medieval church of Cologne some original 11th century floor mosaics of David and Goliath which survived the wrath of both time and wars. Do not fail to look and take the snaps of the beautiful stained glass windows which enriched the beauty of the Church’s upper sections.

When you visit this Romanesque church, the first thing that will hold your attraction, is the oval cupola of the church. This is the largest occidental dome in the world. It is 21 meters long and 16.9 meters wide. If you are an avid classical music lover then this building is worth visiting for you. Classical concerts are held here every week and you can get to hear brilliant music pieces.

Do not forget the timings of the Church of St Gereon, Cologne. From Monday-Friday it is open from 9am-12:30p.m. and again from 1:30pm-6 p.m. In Saturdays you can visit this place only between 9am-12:30pm; and in Sundays between 1pm and 6pm