Kolumba is the art museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne, housed in a building by Peter Zumthor that is itself one of the most admired pieces of architecture in Germany. The collection spans 2,000 years of art in the Christian tradition — from early Byzantine icons through medieval goldwork to contemporary art — and is displayed with extraordinary slowness and care. The museum rotates its exhibitions annually and the pacing is contemplative rather than encyclopaedic.
Even visitors with little interest in religious art are often surprised by Kolumba. The building is the thing — the way light enters through the honeycomb brick screen, the ruins of the medieval church visible below the modern floors, the meditative silence of the galleries. Allow two hours and plan to sit in the ruin garden at least once.