According to BRIDGAT.COM, Cologne is full of amazing sights, the most important of which is the monumental Cologne Cathedral. A huge, luxurious Gothic building survived the merciless bombing of World War II and remains the main symbol of the city. Its construction began in the 13th century and continued for several centuries in a row. And today, anyone can overcome 509 steps and climb one of the towers going into the sky to admire Cologne from a 157-meter height.
The best view of the cathedral opens from the panoramic platform at the railway bridge on the opposite bank of the Rhine.
Another popular place is the Town Hall Square in the center of the Old Town. The facade of the modern City Hall – a synthesis of an old building, a tower of the 15th century and a new business extension – is decorated with 124 stone statues. Inside, ceremonial halls and an underground museum await visitors, where all kinds of artifacts from the ancient Roman and medieval periods are collected.
Cologne is a city of beautiful temples. The most spectacular of them is the St. Martin’s Church in the Romanesque style, harmoniously blending into the overall architectural ensemble. The Church of the Holy Apostles is famous not only for its majestic exterior, but also for its magnificent stained-glass windows. The Church of St. Gereon is the oldest Romanesque religious building in the city, founded in the 5th century.
Museum of Cologne
Cologne is famous for its incredible variety of interesting museums. It’s worth starting an educational tour with a visit to the Perfume Museum: after all, you can’t visit the homeland of cologne and not get acquainted with the history of its invention. The city is proud not only of perfume, but also of sweets, therefore, it is better to go further to the Chocolate Museum. Visitors to the building, shaped like a ship, will be told all the secrets of preparing the legendary delicacy and will certainly be offered to taste it.
From earthly food to spiritual food: the Ludwig Museum houses a rich collection of surrealism, avant-garde, expressionism, pop art and other iconic art movements. The pride of the exposition is the originals of Picasso. The Wallraf-Richartz Museum has a valuable collection of paintings and drawings covering the period from the Middle Ages to the 19th century (website in English).
A visit to the Nazi Documentation Center in the former headquarters of the Gestapo will remind you of the sad past of Germany. On the walls of the gloomy cellar, inscriptions once made by local prisoners are still visible. You can continue thinking about the meaning of life in the Rautenstrauch-Jost Ethnological Museum: its creators tried to clearly explain the laws of human existence and awareness of the world.
8 things to do in Cologne
- Marvel at the majesty of Cologne Cathedral and then resolutely climb over 500 steps to the top of one of its towers.
- Find all 124 statues on the Town Hall building.
- Purchase a bottle of legendary cologne at the Perfume Museum.
- Take a fresh look at the laws of human life at the Ethnological Museum Rauthenstrauch-Jost.
- Find out what tastes better: “schweinhakse” or “hamchen”.
- Lose count of glasses of Kelsch beer, wandering between noisy pubs.
- Do not resist and buy the same magnet with the image of the Cathedral on the Heuestrasse.
- Spend an unforgettable day with the whole family in the amusement park “Fantasyland”.
Cologne for kids
After walking around Cologne, go to its surroundings: it is there that an excellent park has been built for fun family leisure. This is the world of attractions ” Fantasyland ” with a whole palette of all kinds of entertainment. Here you can ride the “Berlin Carousel”, set sail on the “Viking Ship”, go on the “Spectacular Cruise on the Rough Hollywood Rivers”, or even search for “Colorado Adventures with Michael Jackson”. It’s time to find out what lies behind the promising names!
Tired of the rides, you can move on to a more relaxing, but no less exciting vacation. The Cologne Zoo is one of the oldest and coziest in Europe. Monkeys, okapis, red pandas, pink flamingos and other rare animals and birds live in conditions as close to natural as possible. Elephant houses, an aquarium-terrarium, Pinniped Rock, Owl Monastery and Tropical House with a special microclimate are open here.
Another interesting place is Stadtwald Park: a picturesque forest with a boat station and a small zoo. It is inhabited by deer, donkeys, sheep, turkeys, peacocks and various waterfowl. Moreover, they do not live in enclosures, but on special sites with low fences, so that any animal, if desired, can be stroked and fed.
To complete your acquaintance with the parks of Cologne is in the “Rheinpark” – the most beautiful in Germany. Miniature trains run among well-groomed alleys, unusual fountains and numerous playgrounds, and children’s parties and festivals are constantly held in the southern part.
Cologne Hotels
In Cologne there is a hotel for every taste: there are budget, but at the same time cozy hotels for unpretentious tourists, and concept hotels for sophisticated travelers. Many of them are open in historical buildings and invite guests to fully immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the ancient city. Sometimes the fantasy of local hoteliers literally boggles the imagination: you can stay even in the building of a former water tower (Hotel Wasserturm), even within the walls of an old monastery (Hotel Hopper St. Antonius). Even hostels in Cologne are not quite ordinary: for example, among the design rooms of the Wohngemeinschaft there is a room stylized as a spaceship.
The cost of living in hostels – from 57 EUR, accommodation in a three-star hotel will cost from 68 EUR per day. Rooms in 4 * hotels – from 89 EUR per night, the luxury of five-star hotels is available for 189 EUR per day.
