By air
Cologne Bonn (CGN), ~15 km
Europe · Germany
Cologne, Germany
A great cathedral on the Rhine
Getting there
Best time to visit
May to September; Carnival in February
Don't miss
Cologne Cathedral
The Old Town
The Chocolate Museum
The Hohenzollern Bridge
Things to do
Climbing the cathedral
Rhine cruises
The Carnival
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
What to pack
Layers
A quieter corner
The Belgian Quarter's cafés
Questions travellers ask
Can you climb Cologne Cathedral?
Yes. Pair the climb with a Rhine cruise.
When is Carnival in Cologne?
In February. Otherwise, May to September is the time to go.
What else should I see in Cologne?
The Old Town, the Chocolate Museum and the Hohenzollern Bridge. For cafés, head to the Belgian Quarter.
What should I drink and eat in Cologne?
Kölsch beer, and Himmel un Ääd.
About Cologne
- Riverside
Where it is
Cologne (Köln) is the largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia and the fourth-largest in Germany, spread along the Rhine in the west of the country between Düsseldorf and Bonn.
History
The Romans founded the city in AD 50 as a colony named after the emperor Claudius and his wife Agrippina, who was born here, and it became the capital of the province of Germania Inferior. Medieval Cologne was one of Europe's largest cities, a free city and a Hanseatic trading centre; its cathedral, begun in 1248, was finished only in 1880, and bombing destroyed most of the old centre in the Second World War.
People
Cologne's people speak German and the local Kölsch dialect, which shares its name with the city's beer, served in slim glasses in traditional brewery taverns. The carnival season opens each 11 November and peaks before Lent with costumed street parties and parades.
Known for
- Cologne Cathedral
- The Cologne Carnival
- Kölsch beer
- The twelve Romanesque churches
- Eau de Cologne and the Chocolate Museum
Did you know?
Eau de Cologne was created in the city at the beginning of the 18th century by the Italian-born perfumer Johann Maria Farina, and cologne became a general word for such scents.
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