Cologne
View the Carrentals.co.uk Mini Guide to Cologne
Download FREE England Wallpaper
To Download:
1. Click on a wallpaper size and save to your PC.
2. Go to Control Panel - Appearance and Themes.
3. Go to "Change Desktop Background" and select the wallpaper.
The Football Widow's Guide to Cologne
Cologne will host England's third World Cup match against Sweden this summer. If you're planning a visit to the city we've put together a guide with hints and tips for seeing the best of the city while avoiding the football stadium!
Cologne, located on the River Rhine, is Germany's fourth-largest city. Well known for its striking twin-spired cathedral the city has good shopping and leisure facilities, as well as plenty of museums and sites to explore.
Shopping – Cologne's main shopping area begins on Hohe Strasse by the cathedral and branches into Schildergasse and Neumarkt. If you fancy splashing out, visit some of the luxury boutiques found to the west and north of Neumarkt on Pfeilstrasse and Mittelstrasse. For more affordable shopping, Ehrenstrasse offers high street shopping and department stores, selling everything from fashion to cosmetics and household items.
Eating and Drinking – Cologne has more pubs and restaurants per person than any other German city with 26 local breweries. The narrow lanes and many original pubs of Cologne's Altstadt (Old Town) are very popular with visitors to the city with countless restaurants, bars and snack stands in the narrow streets offering authentic food in typical German surroundings.
The Fruh am Dom, located near the cathedral is one of Cologne's most popular breweries and also worth a visit is the Malzmühle (in the Altstadt) whose former guests include President Clinton.
Traditional specialities in Cologne include:
- Kölsch – a light, top–fermented beer served in slim glasses – a typical Cologne beer served in bars all around the city
- Himmel un Ääd – fried black pudding with potatoes and apple sauce
- Rheinisch Sauerbraten – a marinated roast beef
- Rievkooche – potato pancakes
Sightseeing – Cologne's well–known gothic Cathedral, or the 'Dom' as it is known in German, is the first sight you will notice when taking the main exit from the central station. With its two 157-metre-high towers, the cathedral is the city's most famous landmark and took over 600 years to complete. The cathedral is a particular favourite with tourists and taking the 509 stair climb up the towers is well worth the effort with great views of the city from the top.
Cologne is also well known for its many museums. In the immediate vicinity of the cathedral, you will find Museum Ludwig, showcasing Germany's finest modern art, meanwhile, further south the popular Imhoff Stollwerk Schokoladenmuseum, offers insight into the origin, production and marketing of chocolate.
The city's Rheingarten park and old quarter are also firm favourites with locals and tourists alike, offering a great place to enjoy a stroll and stop off at one of the traditional breweries.
Within the medieval city walls there are also twelve large Romanesque collegiate and abbey churches that are considered to be among the most important churches in western Europe and are another popular tourist attraction in the city.
For a tour of Cologne from the water, why not try a trip down the Rhine with one of the many tour companies found along the river bank. Whether you take a short tour, a day trip or an evening event on board, a Rhine cruise is an absolute must on any visit to Cologne.
Where to stay – As with most major European cities, Cologne has a variety of accommodation on offer, ranging from the luxury Hyatt Regency on the bank of the Rhine facing the cathedral, to more basic hotels and hostels for visitors on a budget. For something a little more imaginative, try the 11-storey Am Wasserturm hotel, built in what was once Europe's largest water tower.
Getting there – The Cologne/Bonn Airport is located approximately 17 km from the centre of Cologne offering daily domestic flights within Germany as well as flights to most other European cities.
Driving throughout Cologne is fairly easy with the streets laid out in five concentric rings – the outermost ring is the Autobahnring from where the circular roads radiate inwards towards the city centre.
Useful Links:
