Cologne Travel Guide

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TACH KÖLN WORTH SEEING CHURCHES MUSEUMS THE RHINE LOCAL TRANSPORT IMPRINT

Tach Köln

Tach Köln The ÖBB Nightjet brings travellers to Cologne safely, comfortably, and above all, completely stress-free. Whether it’s a business or vacation trip,

traveling by train is not only more comfortable but also signi cantly more environmentally friendly.

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Worth Seeing

Heinzelmännchen (legendary elves) Opposite the largest brewery in Cologne, Früh, stands the Heinzelmännchen Fountain. The fountain depicts the curious tailor's wife from the legend “The Heinzelmännchen.”

The original statue is located in the Cologne Zeughaus, while the copy set up here withstands the weather better.

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Eau de Cologne Johann Maria Farina was the inventor of Eau de Cologne, which he named in honor of his adopted hometown.

When he joined his brother’s company in Cologne in 1709, the rise of “Johann Maria Farina opposite Jülichs-Platz” was unstoppable.

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Musical Dome The Musical Dome was built in 1996 as a venue for the musical ‘Gaudi’. As part of the opera house renovation, the Musical Dome hosted the Opera am Dom from 2012 to 2015.

For the following seasons, the Cologne Opera moved to the StaatenHaus at Rheinpark in Cologne-Deutz. The Musical Dome then resumed its original function as a musical theatre.

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Roman Forum No, one can assume that the ancient Romans did not eat at McDonald's. Nevertheless, a connection to the Roman Empire can be made with the McDonald's branch at Schildergasse 60. The

basement contains remains of the forum, which stood at this location in 50 AD.

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REMAINS OF ROMAN FORUM

Town Hall Due to its documentation, the Cologne Town Hall is the oldest town hall in Germany. The complex, consisting of partially interconnected buildings, stands in the center of the Roman settlement

elevated to city status in 50 AD. The oldest surviving part dates back to 1330.

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4711 Around 1799, Wilhelm Mülhens began selling Eau de Cologne. 4711 is the house number written by French troops on Glockengasse 12.

The current house is not the original address but has developed into a tourist destination. A carillon chimes hourly from the gable.

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Churches

Cologne Cathedral The High Cathedral of St. Peter, as the Cologne Cathedral is of cially known, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. The secondhighest church building in Europe is Germany’s most visited sight. The Shrine of the Three Kings

from the 13th century is the largest goldsmith work of the Middle Ages in Europe. According to a design by architect August von Essenwein from 1887, the oor of Cologne Cathedral was decorated with mosaics over an area of 1,350 m².

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TOMB OF THE THREE KINGS (DREIKÖNIGSSCHREIN)

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Old St. Heribert A small church with a long history. Old St. Heribert was consecrated as early as 1020. Repeatedly destroyed, this gem stands on the right bank of the Rhine in Deutz.

The Cuirassier Monument with a mounted soldier commemorates the time when a barracks still stood here. Today, Old St. Heribert is a Greek Orthodox church.

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St. Heribert The three-aisled pillar basilica is popularly known as Deutzer Dom (Düxer Dom). St. Heribert was built on the site of the former Temple Court at Deutzer Freiheit.

This designation goes back to the Templar Order.

The church houses the Heribert Shrine, dating from 1175.

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St. Kolumba The newly built Archdiocesan Diocesan Museum in 2007 encloses the devotional site dating back to 980. During the near-total destruction in 1943, parts of the outer walls and a Madonna statue

remained intact. In 1947, a chapel was built, which the people of Cologne call “Madonna in the Ruins.”

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St. Kunibert The history of its origin traces back to Saint Kunibert, the Bishop of Cologne born around 600, who founded a church at this site. Fires, hurricanes, and nally the bombs of World War II

repeatedly took a toll on the structure. The reconstruction was completed in 1993.

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Great St. Martin Great St. Martin stands on the site that belonged to the original Roman settlement (Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium).

Already in the 1st century AD, construction took place at this location. Excavations from the early period can be viewed in the crypt.

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Minorite Church The Franciscans began this Gothic structure in 1245. The house of worship was completed in the 14th century. In 1845, Adolph Kolping received his priestly ordination here.

The Minorite Church also houses the tomb of the founder of the Kolping Society. Impressive is the glass cruci x hovering above the altar.

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Museums

Foto: J. Rieger, Köln/Festkomitee Kölner Karneval

Cologne Carnival Museum Here, the cultural heritage of the Cologne Carnival is vividly and clearly presented. The world of the Cologne Carnival is showcased from its beginnings to the present day. You can nd ornate orders and traditional uniforms. The largest carnival museum

in the German-speaking world also features the musical world of the Cologne "Jecken" (carnival revelers). Numerous multimedia spots show impressive reports.

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MAKK - Museum of Applied Arts Cologne Opened in 1989, the MAKK presents comprehensive collections from 800 years of European craftsmanship. The MAKK is the only museum of its kind in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Regularly changing temporary exhibitions provide a good reason for repeated visits. The café, with free Wi-Fi access, is also highly recommended.

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Museum Ludwig The founding of the Museum Ludwig was initiated by a donation from Irene and Peter Ludwig in 1976. The museum opened in 1986. Since then, the exhibition has continuously expanded. Today,

the Museum Ludwig ranks among the world’s most signi cant art collections of 20th and 21stcentury works.

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DUE TO RENOVATION: THE EXHIBITION HAS MOVED TO THE BELGIAN HOUSE (CÄCILIENSTRASSE 46)

Romano-Germanic Museum The Romano-Germanic Museum of the City of Cologne offers a deep insight into the region’s archaeological history. Exhibits from the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages make the visit a truly special

experience. Here, you can also admire intricate goldsmith works from the Migration Period and the world’s largest collection of Roman glass vessels.

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Lindt Chocolate Museum Over three levels, you experience the cultural history of chocolate in the modern glass building.

The museum opened in 1993 and covers an exhibition area of 4,000 m². Here, you can taste

and create your own chocolate. After the exhibition, the CHOCOLAT Grand Café offers a fantastic view of the Rhine.

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CHOCOLATE FOUNTAIN

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Mustard Mill & Shop The Cologne Mustard Museum houses two of the world’s oldest mustard mills. The mills produce 360 kg of the nest cold-ground gourmet mustard daily. The recipes date back to the 15th and 18th

centuries. The mustard has been internationally awarded several times. A completely different, highly worthwhile museum.

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Sports & Olympics Museum The German Sports & Olympics Museum opened at the end of 1999. The permanent exhibition displays artifacts from nearly 3,000 years of sports history, from antiquity to the modern era.

Highlights from the last decade and trendy sports are presented. Sports like sur ng, skateboarding, and BMX are brought to life through lms and original objects.

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The Rhine

Solar Bird The sculpture is by Otto Rumpf, a German sculptor working in Cologne. The Solar Bird is one of the landmarks of the Cologne Rhine Promenade, located between Chocolate Museum and Maritim

Hotel. Rumpf creates his sculptures from industrial found objects. A visit to his residence „Odonien Free State for Art and Culture“ is recommended.

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Crane Houses After the Cologne Rheinauhafen lost its signi cance as a Rhine port, the area was transformed into a leisure and recreation facility.

The groundbreaking for the rst building took place in 2006, and by October 2010, the last house was ready for occupancy.

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Old Harbor Of ce The harbor of ce at Rheinauhafen dates back to 1898. As part of the redevelopment of Rheinauhafen, the listed building was expanded with of ce and storage space.

The building can be visited daily from 10:00 to 16:00 with free admission.

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Siebengebirge (Seven Hills) In 1909, the rst reinforced concrete skeleton buildings in Germany were constructed in the harbor. The complex houses 138 apartments. It is precisely the contrast between historical buildings

and modern equipment that has long made this place one of the landmarks of the Cologne Rheinauhafen.

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Bayen Tower The Bayen Tower was built in 1217 as part of the Cologne city forti cations. The walls of the threestory base are 2.50 meters thick. The octagonal tower was constructed in 1325.

Since 1994, the tower has been the headquarters of the “FrauenMediaTurm” Foundation. It houses an archive on the historical and current women’s movement.

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Flood Pump Station The water level of the Rhine is color-coded here.

At normal water levels, the station glows blue or green. Yellow indicates a raised water level, and red signals a ood.

The underground pumps divert up to 3,600 liters of water per second. This prevents potential back ow of Rhine water into the sewage system.

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Cologne Oval Of ces At Gustav-Heinemann-Ufer, a complex was created whose construction of glass, steel, and concrete offers an unexpectedly colorful experience. The red and green buildings were certi ed as

Cologne’s rst EU GreenBuilding. The Cologne Oval Of ces are certainly a sight worth seeing.

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LanXess Tower The building, constructed in 1970, served as the headquarters of Deutsche Lufthansa from 1970 to 2007. It was completely renovated from 2009 to 2013.

The of ce building now houses the corporate headquarters of Lanxess AG, and in the front part, known as the Rheinetagen, the GÖRG law rm has leased space.

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Cologne Triangle The view from the roof of the Cologne Triangle offers a stunning view of the cathedral and the Hohenzollern Bridge. The skyscraper is 103.2 meters high and has 29 oors.

The platform is open at the top and fully glazed around. For photos of the cathedral (especially in the evening), the spot at Kennedy-Ufer is better suited.

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Die Bastei Auf den Grundmauern eines bestehenden preußischen Befestigungsturms plante der Kölner Architekt Wilhelm Riphahn ein aussergewöhnliches Aussichtsrestaurant.

Der Bau war in Köln umstritten. Man befürchtete, dass eigenwillige Gebäude würde nicht in das Stadtbild passen.

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Local Transport

Schifffahrt If you want to get to know Cologne, a panoramic cruise on the Rhine is a wonderful way to get a good overview.

The Cologne Düsseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt AG, or KD for short, offers many scheduled, panoramic, and themed cruises.

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© www.bahnbilder.de

Busse & Bahnen The Cologne Transport Company (KVB) operates a complex public transport network of buses and trains.

The KVB transports more than 850,000 people daily, using 367 trains and over 300 buses. The KVB's network consists of almost 60 lines.

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Cologne Cable Car (Kölner Seilbahn) Crossing the Rhine at dizzying heights is an extraordinary experience. The Cologne Cable Car was put into operation during the 1957 Federal Garden Show. It connects the Rhine Park with the

Cologne Zoo. The route stretches for almost 1,000 meters, and the journey across the Rhine takes approximately six minutes. The Cologne Cable Car is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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Imprint

Route overview OBB Nightjet and OBB Nightjet Partner

Experience the OBB trains in 360°.

DE02_EN_Köln © 2026 (Vers. 26.0) The team

Copyright

This e-book was made possible through the kind support of the regional tourist of ces and the OBB. German proofreading and editorial: Martin Andergassen.

References

This book was licensed under the Creative Commons License.

Conditions of use: attribution, non-commercial, no editing and distribution under the same conditions only as a complete work! The use of individual photos and text is not permitted.

This eBook is available free of charge.

Text, videos and photos by Rudolf J. Strutz unless otherwise stated. Timetables and travel information: OBB.

Links

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OBB railnet The travel guides are also available free of charge on the OBB online entertainment and internet portal railnet, which is installed on all railjets, nightjets (NG) and cityjets.

All links provided are current at the time of publication of this ebook. Links to tickets usually lead directly to the exhibition location. For tickets and timetables, local public transportation services are linked.

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Book your trip online or view the current timetable online and directly on your mobile phone.

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