Cologne

This delightful city with Roman origins is home to stunning cathedrals and world-famous museums, with a cosmopolitan metropolis that boasts more than one million inhabitants. Cologne is popular with tourists for its gastronomic delights, plazas, and vivacious nightlife, especially during the annual carnival festivities.

The city’s most famous landmark is the 13th century Gothic cathedral, the Dom. Its twin spired structure is remarkably supported by 56 pillars and highlighted by magnificent stained-glass windows.

Art lovers head forthe Museum Complex between the Rhine and the cathedral. It contains paintings from 14th century Dutch and German masters in a beautiful skylit setting.

The Ludwig Museum is the most famous of the eight municipal and the many ecclesiastical and private museums in this cathedral city and provides an overview of major international works of 20th century art. The Römisch-Germanisches Museum gives an impressive account of the history of the Romans along the Rhine.

Cologne is one of Germany's leading gastronomic centres, with outstanding breweries offering unique Kölsch beer and typical Cologne delicacies, to first-class restaurants.

Cologne's nightspots are concentrated in four distinct quarters. The area around Gross St. Martin in the Altstadt is popular with tourists and businessmen, while Südstadt, or St. Severins quarter, has the most stylish bars and cafes. The more relaxed Belgisches Viertel lies just to the west of the centre.

Concerts, theatre plays, operas or ballet performances are held nearly every evening around the city centre.

By car around Cologne you can see the Roman Dionysus mosaic, the Jewish Mikwe, the medieval Overstolzenhaus, Gürzenich hall, and the Opera House.