Exploring Cologne, Germany: Sights, Scents, And Cultural Delights

Cologne, Germany is a city of contrasts, blending the few medieval structures that survived World War II with reconstructed areas designed to look as they did before the war, as well as modern architecture. The city has about one million residents and attracts about six million visitors each year.

The city's most famous landmark is the towering Gothic Cologne Cathedral, Germany's most visited tourist attraction. The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The historic city centre of the Rhine metropolis is also worth a visit.

Other attractions include the 12 Romanesque churches, the Chocolate Museum, the Farina Fragrance Museum, the Botanical Garden, the cable car over the Rhine, the Old Town, the Roman Germanic Museum, the Rheinauhafen (Rheinau Harbour) district, the Zoo, and the Flora botanical garden.

For dining, Brauhaus früh am Dom and Peters Brauhaus are recommended for authentic German food and Kölsch, a local beer.

Visit the Cathedral

The Cologne Cathedral, or Kölner Dom in German, is a must-see on any trip to Cologne. This Gothic masterpiece is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting around 6 million people a year. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1996.

The cathedral is the tallest twin-spired church in the world, with its towers giving it the largest façade of any church globally. Construction began in 1248, but it wasn't completed until 1880, with work taking place in several stages over the centuries. The cathedral is 157 metres tall, and visitors can climb 509 to 533 steps to the top for breathtaking panoramic views of the city. The climb is hard work, but well worth the effort. Once you're back on the ground, take some time to explore the breathtaking interior.

The cathedral is free to enter, but there is a small fee to climb to the top of the tower. Opening hours are typically 6 am to 8 pm daily, with tourist visits permitted on weekdays between 10 am and 5 pm, and on Sundays between 1 pm and 4 pm. However, Mass times take priority, so it's worth checking the schedule before your visit. Cologne Cathedral also has strict security measures, with identity checks and bag restrictions in place.

The cathedral is located on Domkloster 4, 50667 Cologne. Nearby attractions include the Hohenzollern Bridge, famous for its thousands of love locks, and the Old Town, which is delightful to wander around, with its narrow cobblestone streets.

Explore the Old Town

Cologne's Old Town (Altstadt) is a delightful place to wander around. The narrow cobblestone streets are scenic, and it's a great place to spend an afternoon.

A good place to start your tour of the Old Town is Cologne City Hall (Rathaus). The building, located between Rathausplatz and Alter Markt squares, is home to the city government and the council offices of the Lord Mayor. The Rathaus's Renaissance porch is the only part of the building that survived the 1945 bombings. Walk around the building to view the carvings on its side.

From the Old Town's City Hall, head to the nearby Alter Markt (Old Market Square). In the middle of the square is a 19th-century fountain dedicated to Jan von Werth, a victorious general who served in the Thirty Years' War. The fountain's reliefs tell the story of the unrequited love between von Werth and Griet, who rejected him because he wasn't from a wealthy family. Alter Markt is also the setting for one of Cologne's famous Christmas markets.

Another square to visit in the Old Town is Fischmarkt, once the fish market. Although the buildings here look medieval, they are much younger. In the early 20th century, the Nazis rebuilt Cologne's Old Town in a sanitised stone-and-stucco style. After World War II, the Old Town was rebuilt in the faux-medieval style we see today.

The Old Town is also home to twelve Romanesque churches, built between 1150 and 1250, which predate Cologne Cathedral. Two of the most notable are St. Gereon, with its gravity-defying decagonal dome, and Groß St. Martin (Great St. Martin's Church), with its modern, almost minimalist interior.

Finally, no trip to the Old Town would be complete without a visit to the famous Cathedral (Kölner Dom). This UNESCO-listed Gothic masterpiece is the tallest twin-spired church in the world and one of Europe's most popular tourist attractions. The cathedral owes its existence to the Three Wise Men, whose bones are housed in a lavishly gilded reliquary inside. The cathedral is also home to the exquisite 10th-century Gero-Crucifix and the Madonna of Milan, a wooden sculpture said to possess miraculous powers.

Take a boat trip on the Rhine

One of the best ways to experience Cologne is by taking a boat trip on the Rhine. This charming river has been an integral part of the city for centuries and offers a peaceful way to see Cologne from a different perspective. Board your boat near the Hohenzollern Bridge and relax as you sail past church spires and impressive buildings.

There are various options for boat trips on the Rhine, ranging from cheap panorama cruises to longer excursions. The largest operator of day cruises and pleasure boats on the Rhine is Köln-Düsseldorfer (KD), which offers several departures per day and has cruises starting from around €17 for a one-hour trip and €25 for two hours.

A typical one-hour sightseeing cruise will take you past top Cologne attractions such as the magnificent, twin-spired Cologne Cathedral, the medieval Old Town, the Hohenzollern Bridge with its thousands of love locks, and the Chocolate Museum. You can also opt for a two-hour evening cruise to see the city's sights illuminated against the night sky.

If you're looking for a longer excursion, most day trips on the Rhine depart from Bonn and cruise to Linz. This route takes you past castles and ruins, including Drachenfels, Rolandsbogen, and the remains of the bridge at Remagen. These cruises usually last around two hours upstream and one and a half hours downstream, with trains available for the return journey if you prefer.

The Rhine River boat cruise season generally runs from April to October, with the high season being from late April to early October when more cruises are operated. Winter cruises are rare, but sightseeing cruises during the Christmas market season are popular, with special party cruises to celebrate the New Year.

Visit the 12 Romanesque churches

Cologne is well-known for its rich cultural history and is home to twelve large Romanesque churches, which are set in a semi-circle around the city centre. These churches, built between 1150 and 1250, are unique to the city and are well worth visiting.

If you're in the Old Town, the Church of Great St. Martin is a must-see. Its soaring architecture makes for some great, artistic photo opportunities. The church dates back to the 10th century and was heavily damaged during World War II. However, it was meticulously reconstructed after the war, and today, you can still see the transition between the old and new parts of the building.

St. Maria im Kapitol is Cologne's largest Romanesque church and is located near the Heumarkt market square. It was initiated by a Benedictine abbess and granddaughter of Emperor Otto II in the 11th century and became the second most important church after Cologne Cathedral. Many authentic furnishings remain, including massive wooden doors with intricate carvings from 1065, stained glass windows, and a plague crucifix from around 1300.

St. Gereon is another impressive church, rumoured to have been built on the grave of a Roman officer who died as a martyr. Over the centuries, the church was enlarged and amended, resulting in its enormous height and decagonal roof. The interior is just as stunning as the exterior, with moody lighting, medieval murals, and gold ornaments.

St. Pantaleon, the oldest of the twelve churches, is located in the Altstadt-Süd quarter and sits on a hilltop spot once occupied by a Roman villa. The interior is dominated by an early Baroque organ, and a shrine holds the remains of Saint Alban, Britain's first martyr.

St. Maria Lyskirchen, dating from the early 13th century, is known for its pink-hued facade. It has maintained its original look, except for a few Gothic additions and some rebuilding of the upper parts in the 19th century. It is also the only Romanesque church that came out of World War II virtually undamaged, with its beautifully painted ceiling still intact.

So, if you're visiting Cologne, be sure to explore these beautiful churches and appreciate their unique architecture and historical significance.

Go to the Chocolate Museum

If you're a chocolate lover, the Chocolate Museum in Cologne is a must-visit. The museum offers a comprehensive look at the history of cocoa and chocolate, with exhibits detailing the entire chocolate-making process, from the cocoa bean to the final praline chocolate confectionery.

The museum is located on an island on the River Rhine and was opened in 1993 by German chocolatier, Hand Imhoff, in partnership with Swiss chocolatier Lindt. It covers 4,000 square metres and includes a walk-through greenhouse, a famous chocolate fountain, and exhibits on the history and production of chocolate.

You can learn about the origins of cocoa in Mesoamerica and see various types of machinery used throughout the industrialisation of chocolate production. There is also a glass-walled production facility and chocolate workshop, where you can watch chocolate products being crafted through mechanised and manual processes.

The museum offers various tours, including a "Fine Tasting" tour, a chocolate-making course, and a family tour. You can also create your own chocolate bar with up to four ingredients of your choice, from smarties to gummy bears.

The museum has a café and a chocolate shop, where you can buy different varieties of Lindt chocolates and other chocolate delicacies.

The Chocolate Museum is a popular attraction, receiving around 650,000 visitors per year. It is suitable for all ages and can be reached by public transport, with an 8-minute walk from the Heumarkt stop (Tram: 1, 5, 7, 9).

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