St. Andrew's Church, Cologne

The Basilica of St. Andrew is one of Cologne's twelve great Romanesque churches, just a few minutes' walk from the cathedral. The three-aisled pier basilica combines Romanesque and Gothic elements.

At a glance

• Style: Romanesque and Gothic
• Location: Altstadt-Nord, near the cathedral
• Famous for: the tomb of Albertus Magnus in the crypt
• Art: a stained-glass cycle (2005–2010) by Markus Lüpertz

History & art

Its roots reach back to the 10th century; substantial western parts survive from the Hohenstaufen rebuilding of the 12th/13th centuries, with a Gothic choir hall and chapels added in the late Middle Ages. Since 1954 the remains of the scholar and Doctor of the Church Albertus Magnus have rested in a Roman sarcophagus in the crypt. Despite wartime destruction, precious medieval wall paintings survive, while the colourful windows by Markus Lüpertz add a modern accent.