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'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.
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.
Address: Museum of Applied Art, An der Rechtschule, D-50667 Köln, Germany
Hours:
11am-5pm; Closed: Mon
Guides: Interpretive sessions sometimes available.
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.
Tips: Hanseatic Hall and Rent Chamber only on conducted tours.
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).
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).
Address: St Gereon's Church, Gereonshof 4, D-50670 Köln, Germany
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.
Address: St Maria in the Capitol, Kasinostrasse 6, D-50676 Köln, Germany
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.
Address: St Pantaleon's Church, Am Pantaleonsberg 6, D-50676 Köln, Germany
Both the Wallraf-Richartz Museum and the Ludwig Museum are located in a building which is also the site for a photographic museum. The Museum's exhibit European paintings by famous artists.
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.
Address: Church of the Holy Apostles, Apostelnkloster 10, D-50672 Köln, Germany
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.
Cologne houses.
Address: Great St Martin's Church, Martinspförtchen 8, D-50667 Köln, Germany
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Address: Cologne Cultural Center, Rheinauhafen, D-50678 Köln, Germany
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.
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.
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.
Address: Museum of Chocolate, Rheinauhafen 1a, D-50678 Köln, Germany
Hours:
January 1 to December 31: 10am-6pm; Sun:11am-7pm; Sat:11am-7pm; Closed: Mon
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
Address: Vorverkaufskasse-Oper der Stadt Köln, Offenbachplatz 1, D-50667 Köln, Germany
Tips: The availability of tickets depends on the production. A repertory opera with house singers is much easier than a new production with name singers. Because of the small size of the house and the fact that name singers may not play here as often as other houses, tickets can be difficult to obtain at times. Tickets go on sale two weeks before the performance. The box office is open weekdays 11am-2 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. and one hour before the performance and Saturday from 11am-2 p.m.
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.
6 km/4mi north of Cologne is Altenberg Cathedral (also known as the Bergischer Dom), one of the finest examples of the Early Gothic of the Rhineland (1255-1379). It has a richly furnished interior (Gothic stained glass, tombs of princes and abbots, a beautiful "Annunciation").
15km/9mi northeast of Cologne lies Bergisch Gladbach (pop. 104,000), the main feature of interest in which is the Bergisches Museum (mining, industry, craft production), with displays illustrating country life and buildings, a reconstruction of a mine shaft, traditional craft techniques, etc.
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Cologne Cathedral
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Cologne Cathedral, Cologne
Cologne Cathedral, Cologne
Cologne Cathedral, Cologne
Cologne Cathedral, Cologne
Cologne Cathedral, Cologne
Cologne Cathedral, Cologne
Cologne Cathedral, Cologne
