Guided Tour of the

Excavation Site

Today’s Gothic cathedral stands as Cologne’s bishop’s church, part of a long tradition. It rises above a site with over 2,000 years of architectural history, which has been revealed through archaeological investigations.

After nearly 80 years of intensive research, the excavations beneath Cologne Cathedral are among the most extensive church excavations in Germany. The vast spaces beneath the cathedral’s floor offer a glimpse into a huge archive of archaeological remains, including over 2,000 fragments of walls and foundations, road paving, floors, pits and graves, framed by the mighty foundations of the Gothic cathedral.

Emerging from Roman residential development, one of the oldest Christian centres outside the Mediterranean region arose here. The so-called Old Cathedral, built during the reign of Charlemagne, dominated the cityscape for centuries as Cologne’s bishop’s church, until the start of construction on the present-day cathedral heralded its end. Walk through the massive foundations of the south tower on a tour through 2,000 years of Cologne’s history and, with a view down to the base of the Gothic foundations, gain an impression of the great achievement of the medieval master builders.