Holiday Destination: Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth largest city 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. Cologne is located on both sides of the Rhine River. The city's famous Cologne Cathedral is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. The University of Cologne is one of Europe's oldest and largest universities. Cologne is a major cultural centre of the Rhineland and has a vibrant arts scene. Cologne has an excellent public transport network consisting of trams, local trains and buses. Bicycles are also available for hire on the northern side of the Hauptbahnhof. Local transport systems rarely provide announcements in English, but network maps are commonly available to assist with your journey. Those wishing to explore area away from the central city should plan their journey and potential connections before leaving. 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 Cologne Trade Fair hosts a number of trade shows such as Art Cologne, imm Cologne, Gamescom and the Photokina. Maternus, who was elected as bishop in 313, was the first known bishop of Cologne. The city was the capital of a Roman province until occupied by the Franks in 459. In 785, Cologne became the seat of an archbishopric.

Climate

Summer 21.3 °C (70.3 °F), Winter (-0.7) °C (30.7 °F)

Tourist Season

September and October Months is the best for tourism.

Accommodation

Hotels, Flat and Apartments.

General Information Of Cologne

• Land Area: 156.43 sq mi (405.15 km2)
• Population: 10 Lakh.
• Capital City: Cologne.
• Language: German and English.

Tourist Attraction in or Near by Cologne

Cologne Cathedral

Cologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and is a World Heritage Site. It is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day. Construction of Cologne Cathedral commenced in 1248 but was halted in 1473, leaving it unfinished. Work recommenced in the 19th century and was completed, to the original plan, in 1880. It is 144.5 metres long and its towers are approximately 157 m tall. The cathedral is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and has the second tallest spires and largest façade of any church in the world.

Cruising the River Rhine

It would be a crime to come to Cologne and not experience a river cruise along one of the world's most well known waterways, where you will pass many appealing attractions as you sit back and enjoy the views. Germany's oldest river is steeped in legend and has been the inspiration for countless songs and art works, while it has also been the basis of the city's economic success since Roman times. Still a busy port city, visitors can catch a day cruise to enjoy the nearby scenery, taking in some of Germany's famous wine country along the way.

Museum Fur Angewandte Kunst

The Museum fur Angewandte Kunst Koln is a decorative arts museum in Cologne, Germany. The collections include jewellery, porcelain, furniture, weaponry and architectural exhibits. Until 1987 it was called the Kunstgewerbemuseum Decorative Art Museum. 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.

Cologne Zoo and Aquarium

Cologne Zoo is the perfect family attraction and boasts an enormous collection of animals, including one of the biggest elephant parks in the whole of Europe. Other top attractions include the monkey island, giraffes, hippos, an indoor rainforest area, a modern owl house and an outstanding group of aquariums, where many brightly coloured marine fish reside, amongst beautifully landscaped coral reefs. If you time your visit right you will be able to enjoy the feeding displays and talks, which feature the zoo's penguins, sea lions and otters.

Phantasialand

Phantasialand is an amusement park in Bruhl, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany that attracts approximately 1,75 million visitors annually. The park was opened in 1967 by Gottlieb Loffelhardt and Richard Schmidt. Although starting as a family oriented park, Phantasialand has also added thrill rides, especially during recent years. Furthermore, following the example of Europa Park, they have decided to attract business customers beside the regular ones, calling it Business der neuen Dimension business of a new dimension. With all the attractions that you would expect from an adventure theme park, kids and adults alike can get splashed on the water rapids, spook themselves in the mystery castle, or simply lay back and relax in the lovely park. International cuisine is served up at various on-site themed restaurants, so that thrill seekers do not have to leave the grounds for anything.

EL-DE Haus

EL-DE Haus, officially the NS Documentation Center of the City of Cologne, 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 jeweler Leopold Dahmen, and the building takes its name from his initials. In 1934, the Nazis rented 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.

Accessibility

Bus Terminal

Goldammerweg stop, #141, #143

Stieglitzweg 1
Cologne, Germany

Solingen Burger Bahnhof

L-407 Road
Cologne, Germany

Mode Bus Stop Sellner

Grafenberger Allee 145
Dusseldorf, Germany

Airports

Dusseldorf International Airport: For international flight.

Cologne/Bonn Airport: For international flight.

Dusseldorf-Monchengladbach Airport: For international and domestic flight.

Railway Stations

Cologne Central Station

Trankgasse 11
Cologne, Germany

Koln Messe/Deutz

Cologne, Germany

Cologne/Bonn Airport

Heinrich-Steinmann-Str. 12
Koln, Germany