Cologne Tourist Attractions
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Top Tourist Attractions in Cologne
This old cathedral city on the Rhine (which is spanned by eight bridges within the city limits) is one of the most important traffic junctions and commercial centers in western Germany. The highway encircling Cologne provides a link between ten highways, numerous international trade fairs are held in the city, and there is much shipping traffic between its river port and the North Sea. Cologne is the see of an archbishop and a university town, with several higher educational establishments in addition to its University.
Cologne Cathedral
Cologne's grand Gothic Cathedral is the city's best landmark building. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the Cathedral is a masterpiece of the Middle Ages.
Cultural Center
Between the Cathedral and the Rhine is Cologne's Cultural Center, inaugurated in 1986 with the opening of the new Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Ludwig Museum and Philharmonic Hall.
Wallraf-Richartz Museum and Ludwig Museum
To the east of the Roman-Germanic Museum in Cologne is a building that houses both the Wallraf-Richartz Museum and the Ludwig Museum. Between them they cover a wide range of European painting, with works by Rembrandt, Manet, Renoir, Leibl, Liebermann and Slevogt. The Wallraf-Richartz Museum is particularly strong in the work of the Cologne school. There are also collections of prints and of contemporary painting.In the same building is the Agfa-Foto-Historama, a photographic museum displaying photographs and photographic apparatus since 1840.
Cologne Philharmonic Hall
Below the level of the Roncalliplatz in Cologne is the Philharmonic Hall, with seating for 2,000 rising in concentric segments of a circle.
Roman-Germanic Museum
On the south side of the Cathedral in Cologne is the Roman-Germanic Museum. Exhibits of particular interest are the Dionysus Mosaic (second century A.D.) and the 15 m/50ft high funerary monument of Poblicius (first century A.D.), both of which were discovered in the course of excavations in the city. The museum also displays other mosaics, Roman glass, domestic pottery and sculpture, and much else besides. The Treasury contains Roman and Germanic gold jewelry.
Diocesan Museum
Nearby Cologne's Roman-Germanic Museum, at Roncalliplatz 2, is the Diocesan Museum, with sacred art from Cologne and the Lower Rhineland. Also in the museum are several tombs and reliquaries.
Great St Martin's Church
To the south of the Cologne Cathedral, close to the Rhine, stands the church of Gross St Martin (consecrated 1172), with a massive tower over the crossing, a trilobate choir and richly articulated walls.
St Andrew's Church
West of the Cologne Cathedral, in Komödienstrasse, is the 15th C. church of St Andreas (Andrew). In the crypt, in a re-used Roman sarcophagus, are the remains of St Albertus Magnus.
Municipal Museum
In the Zeughausstrasse in Cologne is the Regierungsgebäude (1951-52; government offices), opposite which is the rebuilt Zeughaus (Arsenal), now housing the Municipal Museum (material on the history of Cologne, including a large model of the town).At the end of Zeughausstrasse, on left, is the Römerturm (Roman Tower; first century A.D.), a relic of the Roman town walls.
St Gereon's Church
To the northwest of the Arsenal in Cologne is St Gereon's, the city's most unusual Romanesque church, with a long choir (11th C.) built on the ten-sided domed structure dating from Roman times (enlarged in 1227).
Museum of Applied Art
Southwest of the Cologne Cathedral, in the street called An der Rechtschule, is the Museum of Applied Art, with a collection of applied and decorative art from the medieval period onwards. The museum moved to these premises, previously occupied by the Wallraf-Richartz Museum, in 1988.
Old Town Hall
To the south of the Cathedral in Cologne stands the Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus), with a Renaissance portico. In the Hansasaal (Hanseatic Hall) are Gothic figures of eight prophets and the nine "good heroes" (pagan, Jewish and Christian). There is a carillon in the tower.
Roman Praetorium
Southwest of the Town Hall in Cologne is a 12th C. Jewish ritual bath (mikve). Under the Spanischer Bau are remains of the Roman Praetorium (Governor's Palace; open to visitors).
Gürzenich
South of the Praetorium in Cologne is the Gürzenich, the city's most important old secular building (1437-44), originally a warehouse and banqueting hall. It has been restored and is now used for a variety of events and occasions.
St Maria in the Capitol
Near the south end of the Hohe Strasse in Cologne is the church of St Maria im Kapitol (11th-13th C.), built on the site of a Roman temple. In the nave are two beautifully carved early medieval doors (1050-65). Located under the choir is a large crypt.
Church of Holy Apostles
From the Hohe Strasse, near the Gürzenich in Cologne, Schildergasse (pedestrian zone) runs west to the Neumarkt, on the far side of which is the Late Romanesque church of the Holy Apostles (11th-13th C.).The tower with its helm roof was built in the 12th C.
Schnütgen Museum
Southeast of the Neumarkt in Cologne, in the old church of St Cecilia, is the Schnütgen Museum (sacred art). On the west side of the museum is the Josef Haubrich Kunsthalle (exhibitions).
St Pantaleon's Church
In the extreme southwest of the central area in Cologne stands the church of St Pantaleon (10th-17th C.; restored), with the tomb of the Empress Theophano (d. 991), wife of Otto II.The stonework of the church is Romanesque and is considered an art-historically significant building.
Deutz
On the right bank of the Rhine in Cologne is the district of Deutz, linked with the left bank by the Severinsbrücke (1959; a road bridge 691 m/755yd long), the Deutzer Brücke (1948; road bridge), the Hohenzollernbrücke or Dombrücke (rail and pedestrian bridge) and the Zoobrücke (1966; road bridge), and by a cableway, the Rheinseilbahn, between the Zoo and the Rheinpark.The district of Mülheim, to the north, is reached by way of the Mülheimerbrücke, a suspension bridge built in 1949-51 (road bridge; 315 m/345yd long).
Trade Fair Grounds and Rheinpark
In Deutz, a district of Cologne, are the Trade Fair Grounds, the Kongresszentrum Ost (congress and conference center) and the beautiful Rheinpark "Dancing Fountain," mineral baths).
Oper der Stadt Köln
As with a number of German cities, Cologne lost its opera house to Allied bombs during the war. The Grosses Haus of the Oper der Stadt Köln, which seats 1,346, was a controversial building when it opened in 1957 with its five jutting balconies in a trapeze-shaped building made of concrete, glass and brick. The season basically runs from September until early July. A schedule can be ordered by writing to the box office. Vorverkaufskasse-Oper der Stadt Köln, Offenbachplatz, 5000 Köln 1, Germany
Lothar Huebel
The Lothar Huebel, located at Breite Str. 118-120, is not only valuable as a commercial area, but also as an historical area. The display includes rare African, Asian, and Polynesian artifacts. It also includes charms, sculptures, jewelry, and more.
Museum of Chocolate
The Imhoff-Stollwerck-Museum presents and intriguing display on the history of chocolate that spans over 3,000 years. Visitors can taste fresh chocolate from the fountain.
Romantic Summer Festival
Cologne becomes a cultural haven between May and September every year. Street theater, dance performances and open-air concerts are held throughout the city, especially in the Rheinpark, the main festival venue.
4711 House
Visit the house of the famous perfume, eau de Cologne, at 4711 House on Glockengasse. Of note are the carillons that chime every hour.
More Germany Resources
- Cologne Travel Guide by iExplore
Map of Cologne Attractions
Map - Cologne
