Out and about in Cologne

Cologne – What you can do and what you can visit

  1. The Cathedral –"Kölner Dom" is the greatest gothic cathedral in Western Europe.Take a guided tour, climb to the top, see the golden shrine of the Three Magi. Don’t miss the crypts under the cathedral.
  2. Roman- Germanic Museum (next to the Cathedral), shows you the time, when Cologne was founded by the Romans 2000 years ago. See the gigantic Dionysos Mosaic, which was once the dining room floor of a rich Roman’s villa - one of the best preserved of its kind
  3. Romanesque churches; Cologne possesses a ring of twelve large Romanesque collegiate or monastery churches unmatched in other cities
  4. Wallraff Richartz Museum (near town hall "Rathaus") and Diozösan Museum, (near Cathedral); accommodates the most extensive presentation of medieval works of the Cologne school of painting
  5. Museum Ludwig (near Cathedral) exhibits 20th century art, expressionist, Russian avant-garde, Picasso and American pop art, guided tour essential
  6. Visit of the Old town/ Rheingarten with Town Hall, visit to a roman building under the town hall, the "Prätorium", this was the seat of the Imperial governor in Roman times, visit to a beergarden at river Rhine
  7. Visit of a typical tavern, a Brauhaus, the typical restaurant in Cologne where the light Kölsch beer is served (around Old town "Altstadt")
  8. Take a boat-trip on the river Rhine, 90 minutes round trip starting point near Cathedral
  9. Trip to the Drachenfels castle (train to Königswinter with RE, then with the historic Zahnradbahn to the top)
  10. Boat- trip on the romantic part of the river Rhine from Koblenz to Bingen, visiting a medieval castle (Marksburg in Braubach) full
  11. Visit of a concert in the Philharmonic hall (next to the Cathedral), unique concert hall, see newspapers for programme details
  12. City of Bonn; visit to the old part of the city, Beethovenhaus, and nearby small Barock castle Falkenlust
  13. Barock Schloss Brühl Augustusburg, outstanding palace of the Wittelsbach archbishop (by subway)
  14. Rent a bike at main station "Radstation" or at "nextbike" or at Koeln tour at Severinsbrücke; there are plenty of tours on special bike lanes, e.g. medieval town of Zons at the river Rhine (30 kilometers; return with S- Bahn, full day tour, biking possible) there are many special maps with the bike lanes on sale
  15. Visit to the Museum for German history: Haus der Geschichte in Bonn showing the history after world war II (1945) and reunification (no entry fee)
  16. Cologne Municipal Museum showing the history of the Middle Ages and after Kölner Stadtmuseum / Zeughaus (500 meters from the Cathedral)
  17. Chocolate museum, famous museum of the history of chocolate production in Cologne, the most popular museum in Cologne
  18. Panorama view of the Old town with the cathedral from the new LVR Tower, near the Hohenzollerbrücke in Deutz, walk from the main station over the bridge
  19. Rheinpark at the river Rhine opposite the Cathedral, free summer concerts, nice beach restaurants for sundowner with Cologne skyline
  20. Roman style spa: Claudius Therme at Rheinpark, built in the atmosphere of a Roman spa with hot spring water, plenty of different saunas (near Deutz station, take shuttle bus) 20 Euros, more spas to be found in the outskirts of Cologne and in the Eifel hills; near Cologne you find plenty of small lakes for swimming, easy accessible by subway
  21. Bike trip along the river Rhine to the southern districts, crossing the river with a small ferry boat (roundtrip 20 km)
  22. Walking along the "Grüngürtel" ( = the green belt) of Cologne, from the football stadium to Rodenkirchen, a large park with small lakes, restaurants, filled with visitors in the summer time
  23. Visit to fireworks at the river Rhine, July and New year’s eve (from the bridges)
  24. Zoo; modern type of zoo, learn about successful conservation programme for some types of animals, famous for its long running breeding programmes e.g. for the Asian elephant
  25. Botanical Garden Cologne (next to the Zoo) and Sculpture Park, no entrance fee
  26. Visit a modern Musical in the Musical Dome (behind main station in the blue tent)
  27. Swimming in one of the lakes around Cologne, e.g. Escher See, with beach atmosphere; Barbecue in summer at the city lake "Aachener Weiher" (stop Universitätsstraße/Aachenerstraße) with summer open air parties and at the banks of the river Rhine near stop at "Slabystraße"
  28. Museum of Mathematics in Bonn, original old instruments showing the history of natural science
  29. Visit an ice- hockey or football match
  30. Street Carnival (in February or March)
  31. Phantasialand Eventpark (from March to October; 60 minutes ride, one of the largest in Germany) a German type Disneyland – a family attraction
  32. Visit a "Weinfest" during the wine picking season in the nearby regions of the river Ahr and at the Rhine valley (September)
  33. Free concerts of classical European music at the Music university of Cologne near Carl Duisberg Centre; programme: ask at reception
  34. Christmas market in December (near Cathedral)

Full information booklets available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Polish, Flemish, Chinese at the Cologne Tourist information at the Cathedral (opposite main entrance)

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