Cologne Cathedral:

Memo to self: Don't climb nearly 600 stairs on a winding stone staircase on day two of vacation. I climbed to the top of Cologne Cathedral where I snapped this shot which includes the Rhine River. The view was good, but for several days the Advil was better.

The Cologne Cathedral has a great website, including a live cam. Much of the site is in English. You can even listen to the bells. Since the "Koelner Dom" has the shrine to the Three Kings, its a perfect place to visit during Advent. There is also a very nice Christmas Market outside the Cathedral. The little red roofs that you see in the picture on the website are the stalls where you can buy little gifts and something to eat and drink.

While I was in Cologne I went to an Evensong service at the Cathedral. There is a sound to music in a Cathedral that is quite amazing.