Attractions & Shopping

Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral, with its two 157-metre-high towers, has been the city's famous landmark
and Germany's most famous architectural monument for centuries. It took 632 years for Germany's largest cathedral to be completed. The cathedral is one of the most important pilgrimage churches in Europe, attracting visitors from all over the world.


Old Town Cologne
Many are acquainted with Cologne's Old Town. Against the backdrop of Deutz and Hohenzollern bridges, the colorful houses are closely packed together, towered over by the Gothic cathedral and Romanesque Church of St. Martin on the banks of the Rhine. Countless restaurants, bars and snack stands in the narrow alleyways offer an attractive place for tourists and locals to spend some time.

Glockengasse 4711
Home to the world's first internationally acclaimed brand of perfume, Glockengasse 4711 is one of the most well-known addresses in the city of Cologne and an important local landmark. Kölnisch Wasser developed the original eau-de-cologne (Echt Kölnisch Wasser), which was then massively influenced by the French, who took the lead in perfume development. Housed in the original neo-Gothic house, the shop is still a perfumery where visitors can stop by to pick up a bottle of this iconic scent that helped to make the city so famous.

Wahn Castle (Schloss Wahn)
Situated in the south-eastern reaches of the city, this manor house was once the site of a 14th-century moated castle. Having undergone many transformations over the centuries, the building is currently used by the University of Cologne as the Theaterwissenschaftliche Sammlung. The castle was converted into a palace in the mid-18th century by the city's grafen (earls). The interior of the palace is ornately decorated with oil paintings, the most famous rooms being the Garden Hall and the Chinese Room.

Read more about Cologne's attractions here.

Shopping

Cologne is internationally recognized for its shopping, catering to all types of tastes. Hohe Strasse and Schildergasse house the biggest department stores and famous designer shops. You can also find several trendy boutiques on Ehrenstrasse and Breite Strasse, while Mittelstrasse and Pfeilstrasse are renowned for their exclusive designer outlets.

Schildergasse
Schildergasse is the most well-known shopping street in Cologne, serving as the main road that connects Hohe Strasse and Neumarkt. It consists primarily of fashion and shoe shops, cosmetic stores, perfume shops, household goods and toys, opticians and restaurants.

Neumarkt Passage Arcade
Discover the world of Neumarkt Passage at Neumarkt with its high-quality specialty stores located both inside and outside of the arcade. This is the ideal place to do your banking or shopping, stop for a bite to eat, or simply relax and watch the world pass by. Shopping at the Neumarkt Passage in the heart of Cologne is an unforgettable experience.

Apostelnstrasse
Apostelnstrasse is a small, yet elegant shopping street in the heart of Cologne. Here you will find a whole variety of shops here, including opticians, jewelers and goldsmiths.

Read more about shopping in Cologne here.

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Culture & Arts

Culture is an essential part of the buzzing metropolis that is Cologne. The world-class museums attract visitors from all over the world. Moreover, locals of Cologne cultivate extremely lively ancient traditions with the annual Cologne Carnival as the peak of cultural celebrations.

Read more about cultural attractions and museums here.

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Dining, Nightlife & Entertainment

Dining

Cologne is renowned for its remarkable wealth of places to eat and drink. With everything from gourmet restaurants to its famous brewpubs, the city certainly caters for every taste. Nowhere else in Germany has such a high ratio of bars to people or as many first-rate restaurants.

FoodEm Krützche
This venerable building in the old town alongside the Rhine houses a traditional restaurant consisting of several dining rooms, serving classical and Rhenish cuisine.

"Zur Tant" and "Hütter's Piccolo" restaurants
A listed half-timbered building in an exposed location on the banks of the Rhine with panoramic views and a terrace. The bistro offers good homemade cooking, while the restaurant menu features a tempting range of gourmet cuisine.

Read more about local culinary hot-spots and recomendations here.
See a list of restaurants and ratings here.

Nightlife & Entertainment

Cologne's nightspots are concentrated in four distinct quarters. Most obvious of these is the area around Gross St. Martin in the Altstadt, which catches the tourists and businessmen, yet manages to create a distinctive atmosphere in places. Down the road from the university, in the southwestern zone, the Quartier Lateng is more like the real thing as far as mingling with locals is concerned, even if it has lost its trendy edge. The Südstadt, or St. Severins Quarter, now has the most stylish bars and cafes, of the pack. The more relaxed Belgisches Viertel, just to the west of the center, is nowhere near as packed or self-consciously trendy. Very few of the night cafes and bars open before 9pm, but they compensate for this fact by
staying open until the small hours of the morning.

Read more information on Cologne's clubs, bars, beer gardens, brewery taverns and more here.

Performing Arts

Concerts, theatre plays, operas, or ballet performances are held nearly every evening. Tickets and information for all important events can be purchased in advance at the following outlets:

• Theatre box office at Neumarkt, Tel. 21 42 32
• Rudolphplatz theatre ticket box office, Tel. 23 83 57
• Köln Ticket, Roncalliplatz, Tel. 28 01

Read more about Cologne's theaters and performing arts here.

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