Cologne Cathedral

The cornerstone for the Gothic church was laid back in 1248 - but construction work continued into the 19th century. During World War II the cathedral was hit by 70 aerial bombs, leaving damage that took years to repair and reconstruct. To this day the cathedral needs a lot of care and renovation work because it is subjected to difficult environmental and weather conditions. This is also why it is affectionately known as the "eternal building site" - which in itself shows how important the building is to people.