Cologne is a city in northwestern Germany - map - by the river Rhine. It has a population of 1 Million. Foundation of the city Oppidum Ubiorum by the Ubier tribe app. 38 BC. Cologne originated in about AD 50, when the Empress Agrippina proclaimed "Colonia" a city.

Coat of Arms

Cologne is a City in which you can find your way around in no time. A real centre around the Cathedral (official name: "Hohe Domkirche Sankt Petrus und Maria"). Links: Dom Live-Cam / the Cathedral's dimensions. A tour of discovery starts there. Into the pedestrian's paradise Hohe Strasse, Schildergasse, for instance. Or into the Altstadt (Old Town Centre). Into the many and famous Romanesque churches which surround the City. Into the museums. Wherever you go you will see the towers of the Cathedral showing you the way back. Here are a few tips if you are getting to know Cologne for the first time. Of course, the Dom is a must. The Gotic architecture aspiring to the heavens is second to none in the world. The Cathedral (157 m / 515 ft) was begun in 1248 and completed in 1880. The 15th August 1998 has marked the 750th anniversary of the laying of the foundation stone of the Gothic Cathedral in Cologne by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden. Inside, the Cathedral is breathtaking, the tremendous height, the magnificent windows, the treasures, foremost among them the Shrine of the Three Magi.

Treasures of another kind in the Roman-Germanic museum: 2000 years of Cologne history

Cologne panorama

attractively presented. In the Wallraf-Richartz Museum and the Ludwig museum: the entire spectrum of the world of painting. Cologne's new concert hall, the Philharmonie is here too. In the Altstadt, close to the Rhine, there is a 19th century atmosphere; romantic nooks and crannies at every turn, pubs, bars, ale-houses, waiting to be photographed. Majestically, the Rhine flows past; dotted with white ships: floating enjoyment by day and night. And then there are parks - not just splashes of colour, but spacious recreational areas here and there all over the City. The Rhine Park with its Tanzbrunnen (open air dancing and fountain) right next to the Trade Fair Centre is particularly famous: the summer is packed full of international shows, artists, orchestras.

Cologne - city of the arts, with 9 municipal & many private museums - e.g. the new chocolate-museum - , 120 private galleries, a municipal art gallery, an opera house and many theatres; a trade fair city, host to the world-famous photokina, ANUGA, IFMA, Art Cologne, International Furniture Fair; the most important radio & TV centre in Germany. And a university town too: in 1988 the university celebrated its 600th anniversary.

A guided coach tour through the City organized by the Tourist Office will give you a first impression of what awaits you. The Tourist Office is also the place to go to gather all the information and tips you need for your visit to Cologne, for help in finding accommodation or for answers to any questions you may have.
 (Copyright Tourist Office of the City of Cologne)