Cologne Travel Guide
A detailed destination guide for your next Germany vacation
Cologne Overview
Founded by the Romans in 38 B.C., Cologne (Köln) lies on the Rhine river, and is the largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia. Besides visiting the awesome Gothic Cathedral, visitors will want to explore the city’s even older Romanesque churches, as well its vibrant arts scene, which includes 30 museums, hundreds of galleries, and music to suit every taste. The famous Cologne Carnival—one of the biggest street festivals in all of Europe—reaches its high point every year on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday.
Cologne (German: Köln) is Germany's fourth-largest city (after Berlin (Berlin vacation rentals | Berlin travel guide), Hamburg (Hamburg vacation rentals | Hamburg travel guide) and Munich), and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants. It is one of the oldest cities in Germany, having been founded by the Romans in the year 38 BC.
Cologne lies on the River Rhine. The city's famous Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. The University of Cologne (Universität zu Köln) is one of Europe's oldest universities.
Cologne is a major cultural center of the Rhineland and has a vibrant arts scene. Cologne is home to more than 30 museums and hundreds of galleries. Exhibitions range from local ancient Roman archeological sites to contemporary graphics and sculpture. The city's Trade Fair Grounds are host to a number of trade shows such as the Art Cologne Fair, the International Furniture Fair (IMM) and the Photokina. Cologne is also well-known for its celebration of Cologne Carnival, the annual reggae summerjam, and the gay/lesbian pride festival Christopher Street Day (CSD).
Within Germany, Cologne is known as an important media center. Several radio and television stations, including Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), RTL and VOX, are based in the city. Pro7 also produces many shows in Studios in Cologne (i.E. TV Total). The city also hosts the Cologne Comedy Festival, which is considered to be the largest comedy festival in mainland Europe.
In 2005 Cologne hosted the 20th Roman Catholic World Youth Day with Pope Benedict XVI.
Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany in terms of inhabitants after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich (Munich vacation rentals | Munich travel guide). Officially, the city still has somewhat fewer than a million inhabitants (as of 31 December 2006: 989,766). However, this might change rapidly as the city's registration rules will change in the course of 2007. Cologne is the center of an urban area of around 2 million inhabitants (including the neighboring cities of Bonn (Bonn vacation rentals | Bonn travel guide), Hürth (Hürth vacation rentals | Hürth travel guide), Leverkusen (Leverkusen vacation rentals | Leverkusen travel guide), and Bergisch-Gladbach).
Where to stay in Cologne?
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Carnival in Cologne
Cologne carnival is one of the biggest street festivals in Europe. In Cologne, the carnival season officially starts on 11 November at 11 minutes past 11 a.m. with the proclamation of the new Carnival Season, and continues until Ash Wednesday. But the so-called "Tolle Tage" (mad days) don't start until Weiberfastnacht (Women's Carnival) or, in dialect, Wieverfastelovend (Thursday before Ash Wednesday), which is the beginning of the street carnival. Hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to Cologne during this time. Generally, around a million people are celebrating in the streets on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday.
Things to See
The center of Cologne was completely destroyed during World War II. The reconstruction of the city followed the style of the 1950s, while respecting the old layout and naming of the streets. Thus, the city today is characterized by simple and modest post-war buildings, with few interspersed pre-war buildings which were reconstructed due to their historical importance. Some buildings of the "Wiederaufbauzeit" (era of reconstruction), for example the opera house by Wilhelm Riphahn, are nowadays regarded as classics in modern architecture. Nevertheless, the uncompromising style of the opera house and other modern buildings has remained controversial.
- Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom) is the city's famous landmark and unofficial symbol. It is a Gothic church, started in 1248, and completed in 1880. In 1996, it was designated a World Heritage site; it houses the Shrine of the Three Holy Kings that supposedly contains the relics of the Three Magi. Residents of Cologne sometimes refer to the cathedral as "the eternal construction site" (Dauerbaustelle).
- Twelve Romanesque Churches: These buildings are outstanding examples of medieval sacral architecture. The roots of some of the churches date back as far as Roman times, like St. Gereon, which originally was a chapel on a Roman graveyard. With the exception of St. Maria Lyskirchen all of these churches were very badly damaged during World War II. Reconstruction was only finished in the 1990s.
- Cologne University, with approx. 44,000 students as of 2005, is the largest university in Germany.
- Farina Fragrance museum, the birthplace of Eau de Cologne.
- Römisch-Germanisches Museum (English: Roman-Germanic Museum) for ancient Roman and Germanic culture.
- Wallraf-Richartz Museum for medieval art.
- Museum Ludwig for modern art.
- EL-DE Haus, the former local headquarters of the Gestapo houses a museum documenting the Nazi rule in Cologne with a special focus on the persecution of political dissenters and minorities.
- Kölner Philharmonie - the Cologne Philharmonic Orchestra Building housing both the Gürzenich Orchestra and the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne.
- RheinEnergieStadion, the major Cologne stadium, primarily used for soccer games, seating 50,997 visitors in national games and 46,134 in international games, home to the local first division (Bundesliga) team, 1.FC Köln.
- Lanxess Arena (formerly known as Kölnarena), a multifunctional event hall, home to the local hockey team, the Kölner Haie (English: Cologne Sharks).
- Kölnturm (English: Cologne Tower), Cologne's second tallest building at 165.48 metres (542.91 ft) in height, second only to the Colonius (266 m/873 ft).
- Colonius - a telecommunication tower with an observation deck (closed since 1992).
- Colonia Hochhaus - Germany's tallest residential building.
- Köln Triangle Tower - opposite the cathedral with a 103 m (338 ft) high viewing platform - in contrast to the cathedral with an elevator and a view with the cathedral over the Rhine.
- Hansa Hochhaus - designed by architect Jakob Koerfer and completed in 1925, it was at one time Europe's tallest office building.
- Rheinseilbahn - an aerial tramway crossing the Rhine.
- Messe Köln (English: Cologne Fair). Exhibition area of 100,000 m2 (1,076,000 sq ft).
- Messeturm Köln (English: Exhibition Tower Cologne).
- Hohe Strasse (English: High Street) is one of the main shopping areas and extends past the cathedral in an approximately southerly direction. This street is particularly popular with tourists and contains many gift shops, clothing stores, fast food restaurants and electronic goods dealers.
- Ford Motor Company plants, assembling the Ford Fiesta and Ford Fusion as well as manufacturing engines and parts; headquarters for Ford of Europe.
- The Panasonic Toyota Racing Formula One team has its factory in the city.
- Schildergasse - extends the shopping area of Hohe Strasse to the west ending at Neumarkt.
- Ehrenstrasse - the shopping area around Apostelnstrasse, Ehrenstrasse, and Rudolfplatz is a little more on the eccentric and stylish side.
- Historic Ringe boulevards (such as Hohenzollernring, Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring, Hansaring) with their medieval city gates (such as Hahnentorburg on Rudolfplatz) are also known for their night life.
- German Sports & Olympic Museum, with exhibitions about sports from antiquity until the present.
- Chocolatemuseum officially called Imhoff-Schokoladenmuseum.
- JavaMuseum - Forum for Internet Technology in Contemporary Art - collections of Internet based art.
[ source: Wikipedia ]
Maps and Driving Directions to Cologne
Travel Insider Tips for Cologne
I hiked up all the Cologne Cathedral stairs to get to the top of the of the cathedral. It was a lot, but so worth it in the end...
Shared by Wahoo Wendy, Mar 2011
Cologne is gorgeous just coming into city and the church is there, I loved all the areas I visited in Germany.
Shared by Carla Tucker Johnson, Apr 2010
Hennef is one nice little town not far from Cologne and Uckerath-the village where my friends Elke & Dieter live is a place I'd love to retire to ! Driving through the winding roads from the Hennef Banhof to Uckerath is an experience I can only hope to relive.
Shared by Sanjay Saha, Sep 2009
Try to stick with the U-bahn and bus system, get a map of the train lines and keep it with you because there aren't maps in every station, some have them and some don't and some only show the route for the specific train line that serves that station (Day tickets are only about 4 Euro and its unlimited use of all public trans. in the city) because taxis are VERY expensive in this city. If you are looking for shopping than Neumarkt can be reached by the number 16 U-bahn only one or two stops from the Central Train Station (Hauptbahnhof), tons of shops and restaurants in this area as well.
Shared by Mitch Roessler, Nov 2009
"The famous Cologne Carnival—one of the biggest street festivals in all of Europe—reaches its high point every year on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday."
Shared by Tanja Wooten, May 2010
An amazing work of art. Just beautiful! Went to see the cathedral in 2010 during a stop over in Cologne on our way to visit my family in Nuernberg
Shared by Robert N' Erika , Mar 2011
I've been to several cathedrals in Europe but, this is my favorite. I always like to go see it everytime I go to Germany.
Shared by Linda Jennings, Oct 2009
You can also visit the chocolate factory museum across from the cathedral on the river. I had been there and its really good.
Shared by Charu Shrotri, Nov 2009
Koeln — known for its great dom, has amazing architecture, the view from the top of the dom is spectacular. Koeln, also known for the chocolate museum, Koelnisches Wasser, and for its river too. Koeln University and Hochschule are also one of the best institutes in Germany. No doubt, its a metropolitan city but at the same time, its Dom makes it contemporary too.
Shared by Jassleen Kaur, Sep 2009
Cologne
[ source: Flickr]
Popular Points of Interest in and near Cologne
Cologne Cathedral (Koelner Dom)
Begun in 1248, the construction of this Gothic masterpiece took place in several stages and was not completed until 1880. Over seven centuries, successive builders were inspired by the same faith and a spirit of absolute fidelity to the original plans. Granted UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1996, the committee noted: Apart from its exceptional intrinsic value and the artistic masterpieces it contains, Cologne Cathedral testifies to the enduring strength of European Christianity.
The Shrine of the Three Kings is a reliquary said to contain the bones of the Biblical Magi, also known as the Three Kings or the Three Wise Men. The shrine is a large gilded and decorated triple sarcophagus placed above and behind the high altar of Cologne Cathedral. It is considered the high point of Mosan art and the largest reliquary in the western world.
In the tower visitors can climb 509 steps of the spiral staircase to a viewing platform about 98 metres above the ground. The cathedral treasury contains many valuable artworks and artifacts.
Hours: November - April 6am - 7:30pm. May - October: 6am - 10pm. Closed during Mass. Check the website for Tower and Treasure Chamber Hours
Admission: Combined Tower and Treasure Chamber: 5 € Adults, 2.50 € Children.
The Roman-Germanic Museum
[ source: Wikipedia ]
The Roman-Germanic Museum (RGM, in German: Römisch-Germanisches Museum) has a large collection of Roman artifacts from the Roman settlement Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, on which modern Cologne is built. The museum protects the original place of a Roman town villa, of which the large Dionysus Mosaic remains in its original place in the basement now, and the related Roman Road just outside. In this respect the museum is an archaeological site.
The museum also is the institution to preserve the Cologne Roman cultural heritage, and therefore preserves wonderful Roman glass from Roman funerals and burial. This archaeological function also includes the supervision of the Cologne underground, which is now under construction.
Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 10am - 5pm.
Admission: 5 € Adults, 3 € Concessions, Free for under 18 years.
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum — Fondation Corboud
[ source: Wikipedia ]
The Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud is Cologne’s oldest museum and one of the foremost picture galleries in Germany. The museum invites you to come face to face with great masterpieces of European art. The Wallraf has one of the world’s leading collections of medieval painting, with Stefan Lochner’s Madonna of the Rose Bower
as its greatest attraction. Other highlights include works by the Baroque masters, ranging from Rubens and Rembrandt to Murillo and Boucher, the German Romantics, French Realism, and Impressionism. Embark on a voyage through 700 years of art history. Thanks to the paintings from the Fondation Corboud, the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum has the widest collection of impressionist and neo-impressionist art in Germany. Manet, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Morisot, Signac and Seurat are all represented by outstanding works, and van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin, Bonnard, Ensor and Munch herald the way to modernism.
Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10am - 6pm (open until 10pm on Thursdays), Saturday and Sunday 11am - 6pm.
Admission: Admission charges vary, depending on whether there is a special exhibition. Adults pay 6 € - 9 €.
Art of the Middle Ages Museum Schnütgen
In the former collegiate church of St. Caecilia one of the most important collections of medieval art in Europe is presented in unique surroundings. There are masterpieces of international standing stretching across 1,000 years: including wooden and stone sculptures, goldsmith work, bronzes and ivory, glass paintings, textiles, church furniture and hand-written scripts.
Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10am - 5pm. Saturday and Sunday 11am - 5pm.
Admission: Adults 3.20 €, Concessions 1.90 €, Free for under18 years.
The twelve Romanesque churches
[ source: Wikipedia ]
Countless legends are told about the construction of the twelve Romanesque churches huddled together within the old city walls. The collegiate churches or monasteries are among the most important throughout Western Europe and document the growth and wealth of high medieval Cologne.
The Via Sacra
ring encircles the old city center and interlinks the city’s Romanesque churches. Twelve of these precious buildings give an impression of Cologne’s importance during the Middle Ages. For centuries, the high crossing tower of Groß St. Martin has been a characteristic feature of the Cologne panorama, which is framed in the north by the twin-tower chancel facade of St. Kunibert and in the south by St. Severin. St. Gereon is the principal attraction in the northern Old Town. The church was named after a Roman officer who refused to fight Christians in Cologne. In the early 13th century, the Roman oval building of St. Gereon was integrated into its today decagon construction, a work of genius. St. Maria im Kapitol, built on the foundations of a Roman temple, is another significant construction of Romanesque art in the heart of Cologne’s Old Town.
Fragrance Museum Farina-Haus
[ source: Wikipedia ]
The Farina fragrance museum is situated across from the town-hall, and near the famous Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in the Obenmarspforten street in Cologne. Founded in 1709, John Maria Farina opposite the Jülichs Place is the eldest fragrance factory still standing and has housed the registered office since 1723.
The museum provides over several floors a very detailed insight into the production methods of perfume throughout the various stages. The focus is primarily laid on Eau de Cologne, and you will therefore discover some particular technical devices such as distillation apparatus which were once used. In addition to the equipment, you will also be able to witness the evolution thanks to various pictures and documents which help trace back history. Moreover, as copyright didn’t exist in those days, a great deal of imitations and forgeries of Eau de Cologne rapidly appeared on the market and a certain number of them are also presented in the museum. Further details as to the changes in the manufacturing of Farina Eau de Cologne are also on display.
Hours: Monday through Saturday 10am - 6pm, Sunday 11am - 4pm.
Admission: 5 €.
Chocolate Museum (Schokoladenmuseum)
[ source: Wikipedia ]
The Cologne Chocolate Museum provides an exciting insight into numerous aspects of history and modern times of chocolate and cocoa. Situated on the Rheinauhafen peninsula on the left banks of the Rhine directly in front of the Old Town near to Cologne cathedral, the Chocolate Museum seems a futuristic ship, made of glass and aluminium. Visitors reach the museum from the Rhine promenade over an old revolving bridge.
A tour of the exhibition extends over three floors of the museum and takes you on a journey through the 3,000 year history of chocolate – from the food of the Gods
for the Aztecs to a modern industrial product.
Hours: Monday - Friday 10am - 6pm. Saturday and Sunday 11am - 7pm.
Admission: Adults 7.50 €, Concessions 5 €.
National Socialism Documentation Centre (EL-DE Haus)
[ source: Wikipedia ]
EL-DE Haus, officially the Nazism Documentation Center, located in Cologne, is the former headquarters of the Gestapo and now a museum documenting the Third Reich.
The building was at first the business premises of Jewish jeweler Leopold Dahmen, and the building takes its name from his initials. In 1934, the Nazis seized the building from him and turned it into the headquarters of the secret police, the Gestapo. Surprisingly, the building survived the Allied bombing of Cologne during World War II, while 90% of the city was destroyed. After the bombings, the basements of the building, which had been used as prison cells and torture rooms for forced laborers and political enemies, were used to store wartime files and paperwork. Inscriptions made on the walls of the prison cells by inmates can still be viewed today. The building was the site of many executions, as well as deaths due to overcrowding and poor hygienic conditions.
In 2006, the National Socialist Documentation Center was awarded the Best in Heritage award, which is given to select museums.
Hours: Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm (open until 6pm on Thursday), Saturday and Sunday 11am - 4pm.
Admission: Adults 3.6 €, Concessions 1.50 €, Children under 18 years Free.
German Sports & Olympics Museum
On around 2,000 square meters of exhibition and event area on two floors various aspects of all kinds of national, international and olympic sports are shown in a permanent exhibition and several changing exhibitions. Visitors can themselves be active at numerous points throughout the museum.
Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10am - 6pm. Saturday and Sunday 11am - 7pm.
Admission: Adults 5 €, Concessions 2.50 €, Family Card 12.50 €.
Related Sites
We collected some useful links related to Cologne. If you know a few more sites not listed here, or also know some insider tips or point of interests for this destination? Please share and submit your Germany travel tip. If approved it will be shown on this page!
- Homepage of Cologne: Cologne, Cologne information portal
- Wikipedia: Cologne
- Interactive city map
- Official city homepage
- Cologne Carnival
- Lit. Cologne
- Kölbner Dom - Official web site
- Kolnturm
- Wikipedia: Cologne
- Wikitravel: Cologne Travel Guide
More about the History of Cologne
The first urban settlement on the grounds of what today is the center of Cologne was Oppidum Ubiorum, which was founded in 38 BC by the Ubii, a Germanic tribe. Cologne became acknowledged as a city by the Romans in 50 AD by the name of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium.
ologne lost its status as a free city during the French period. According to the Peace Treaty of Lunéville (1801) all the territories of the Holy Roman Empire on the left bank of the Rhine were officially incorporated into the French Republic (which already had occupied Cologne in 1798). Thus, this region later became part of Napoleon's Empire. Cologne was part of the French Département Roer (named after the River Roer, German: Rur) with Aachen (Aachen vacation rentals | Aachen travel guide) (Aix-la-Chapelle) as its capital. The French modernized public life, for example by introducing the Napoleonic code and removing the old elites from power. The Napoleonic code remained in use on the left bank of the Rhine until 1900, when a unified civil code (the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch) was introduced in the German Empire. In 1815, at the Congress of Vienna, Cologne was made part of the Kingdom of Prussia, first in the Jülich-Cleves-Berg province and then the Rhine province.
After World War II, nearby Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf vacation rentals | Düsseldorf travel guide) was chosen as the political capital of the Federal State North Rhine-Westphalia instead of Cologne even though it was the largest city in the region. With Bonn (Bonn vacation rentals | Bonn travel guide) being chosen as the provisional capital and seat of the government of the Federal Republic of Germany, Cologne benefited by being sandwiched between the two important political centers of the former West Germany. The city became home to a large number of Federal agencies and organizations. After re-unification in 1990 Berlin (Berlin vacation rentals | Berlin travel guide) was made the Federal capital of Germany.
What makes this Live Like a German Cologne Travel Guide special...
This Cologne travel guide provides you with an overview of Cologne, Cologne pictures, and a local travel guide that suggests many special trips, unique activities, and vacation ideas, that you can't find in a typical Germany travel guide.
Some of this information is compiled from popular and well-known sources (e.g., such as Wikipedia, Wikitravel, and great pictures from Flickr). However, what makes this Germany travel guide special is that most of the travel suggestions and insider tips are provided by local residents, property owners, and our readers, who share and submit their travel tips with us. All submissions are then editorially reviewed to ensure high quality. All this information is logically organized within this destination guide to make it easy for you to find things quickly.
In addition, the Cologne destination guide features restaurant recommendations, restaurant reviews, where to go for grocery shopping, sports activities, getting around, cultural events and highlights, entertainment, and health related information - so you are informed for your travel to Germany, and you can learn about all the cool things you can do during your Germany vacation!
