Cologne is an independent city in the state of North
Rhine-Westphalia with around 1.1 million inhabitants. It is the most
populous municipality in the state and - after Berlin, Hamburg and
Munich - the fourth largest in Germany.
The city on the Rhine
belongs to the administrative district of Cologne, whose
administrative seat it is. The Cologne / Bonn region is the center
of the metropolitan area between Cologne Bay and Oberbergisches Land
with a good four million inhabitants. Cologne is also the Rhenish
population center of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region with around
ten million inhabitants and the Rhineland metropolitan region with
around nine million inhabitants.
The city is one of the most
important travel destinations in Europe because of the important
Cologne Cathedral and its Romanesque churches as well as other
medieval monuments, a city history of over 2000 years, important
events and its cultural and culinary heritage.
Today's
metropolis and former imperial city was founded in Roman times under
the name Oppidum Ubiorum and elevated to the status of city in 50 AD
as Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (Colonia or CCAA for short).
The favorable location on the Rhine with the crossing of important
west-east trade routes and the seat of secular and especially
ecclesiastical power contributed to Cologne's supraregional status
in the Holy Roman Empire. Today it is the seat of the Archdiocese of
Cologne, the largest Roman Catholic diocese in Germany, and was the
seat of the Electorate of Cologne until 1803.
As a Hanseatic
city, Cologne became an important trading location thanks to free
trade. Cologne is of international importance as an economic and
cultural metropolis. The city is one of the most important locations
for the chemical and automotive industry and is home to, partly
together with some of its suburbs, company headquarters and
production facilities of automotive brands such as Ford and Toyota
as well as chemical groups such as Lanxess. The carnival stronghold
is also the seat of many public associations and professional sports
clubs. Numerous television and radio stations such as RTL and WDR as
well as film studios, music producers, publishing houses and other
media companies are located here. Cologne is also one of the leading
centers of the global art trade.
The city is also an
important congress and trade fair location: the photographic
technology fair Photokina, the fitness and health fair FIBO, the
confectionery fair and the video game fair Gamescom are considered
to be the world's leading trade fairs, and Art Cologne is the
world's oldest art fair.
Thanks to the University of Cologne
with around 50,000 students, the Technical University of Cologne
(around 25,000 students) and numerous other universities, the city
is the largest educational and research location in West Germany.
The importance of Cologne as a transport hub is demonstrated by
the extensive long-distance passenger rail transport - there are
three long-distance train stations in the city - as well as the
Eifeltor station, which is one of the largest container handling
stations in Europe. The infrastructure is supplemented by four
inland ports and Cologne / Bonn Airport.
Cologne is divided into 9 districts, which are divided into 86
districts. Within the districts, the people of Cologne usually still
distinguish between different “Veedeln” (Kölsch for districts). The
Martinsviertel, which Cologne residents understand by the old town, is
part of the Altstadt-Nord district and part of the city center district.
Downtown (District 1) − Altstadt-Nord, Altstadt-Süd, Deutz,
Neustadt-Nord and Neustadt-Süd
Rodenkirchen (district 2) - Bayenthal,
Godorf, Hahnwald, Immendorf, Marienburg, Meschenich, Raderberg,
Raderthal, Rodenkirchen, Sürth, Rondorf, Weiß and Zollstock
Lindenthal (district 3) – Braunsfeld, Junkersdorf, Klettenberg,
Lindenthal, Lövenich, Müngersdorf, Sülz, Weiden and Widdersdorf
Ehrenfeld (district 4) – Bickendorf, Bocklemünd/Mengenich, Ehrenfeld,
Neuehrenfeld, Ossendorf and Vogelsang
Nippes (District 5) –
Bilderstöckchen, Longerich, Mauenheim, Niehl, Nippes, Riehl and
Weidenpesch
Chorweiler (District 6) – Blumenberg, Chorweiler,
Esch/Auweiler, Fühlingen, Heimersdorf, Lindweiler, Merkenich, Pesch,
Roggendorf/Thenhoven, Seeberg, Volkhoven/Weiler and Worringen
Porz
(District 7) – Eil, Elsdorf, Ensen, Finkenberg, Gremberghoven, Grengel,
Langel, Libur, Lind, Poll, Porz, Urbach, Wahn, Wahnheide, Westhoven,
Zündorf
Kalk (District 8) – Brück, Höhenberg, Humboldt/Gremberg,
Kalk, Merheim, Neubrück, Ostheim, Rath/Heumar and Vingst
Mülheim
(district 9) – Buchforst, Buchheim, Dellbrück, Dünnwald, Flittard,
Höhenhaus, Holweide, Mülheim and Stammheim
Not least influenced
by the carnival, Cologne is a city with a cheerful and easy-going
atmosphere. The residents are very proud of their city, their language
and also their local beer, the Kölsch. This can be seen in phrases such
as Wo mir sinn, is Kölle (where we are, is Cologne). Other popular
sayings such as Et hätt still joot jejange (it still went well) and Et
kütt wie et kütt (it comes as it comes) or läve un läve losse (live and
let live) testify to a certain serenity and Tolerance.
The joy of
drinking has tradition. By 1830 there were still 360 breweries in
Cologne. Today there are still 24 Kölsch brands, in contrast to the
state capital Düsseldorf, where Altbier is drunk. This drink is frowned
upon in Cologne. This is where the top-fermented light Kölsch is drunk.
There are also a few wine bars close to the wine-growing regions of the
Middle Rhine and Ahr.
Cologne is a city for living, working and
partying. One often speaks of the "melting pot" of Cologne, which is
reflected in the fact that residents with a migrant background are also
beginning to use the Cologne dialect. Migration has had a long tradition
in Cologne since the Romans, right up to such apparently primitive
Cologne residents as the Italian inventor of cologne, Giovanni Maria
Farina, or the Milovic family of puppets and actors from the Balkans,
who Germanized their name to Millowitsch.
Located near the former
capital Bonn, Cologne houses the secret service headquarters of the
Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Federal Office of
Administration and the radio station of Deutschlandradio. Furthermore,
Cologne is the seat of a district president, the regional association of
the Rhineland, several courts and financial authorities.
The city
is divided by the Rhine, with the left side being the historical center
of the city of Cologne and therefore considered by many Cologne
residents to be the "right" side, while the right side of the Rhine with
the Deutz district is referred to as schäl Sick. Deutz was incorporated
in 1888, the other districts on the right bank of the Rhine only in the
20th century. Many tourist attractions are located on the left bank of
the Rhine, while Cologne Trade Fair and the Rheinpark are particularly
important on the right bank.
By plane
Cologne Bonn Airport (IATA: CGN) is connected to the city
center by bus and train with ICE, Regional-Express and S-Bahn (line
S19). From the basement of the airport terminal 2 it only takes about 10
minutes to the main train station platform 10 (subway Breslauer Platz is
closer than the cathedral/main station) for the price of a normal
journey (KVB ticket 1b). Regional express trains can also be used with
this. Get tickets in advance! From 2017 there will be a discount on the
HandyTicket purchased with the KVB app!
By train
The main
station The subway station Dom/Hbf is at the main exit and the side of
the cathedral, the subway station Breslauer Platz/Hbf is at the S-Bahn
platform and the bus station.
Another important train station
with an IC/ICE connection is 3 Köln Messe/Deutz The Deutz Bf/Messe
underground station can be reached via the east exits of the upper
platforms. You can reach it from the main train station via the footpath
over the Hohenzollern Bridge or with any S-Bahn line.
ICEs also
stop at Cologne/Bonn Airport station, which is part of the city of
Cologne. There are also regional train stations: Cologne-South,
Cologne-Ehrenfeld, Cologne-West, Cologne-Porz and Cologne-Mülheim. Other
train stations and breakpoints are served by S-Bahn trains.
With
the IC/ICE, Cologne is connected to all major cities without having to
change trains.
Flixtrain connects Cologne with Düsseldorf,
Duisburg, Essen, Münster, Osnabrück and Hamburg as well as with Hanover
and Berlin.
There are Thalys connections from Paris, Brussels and
Liège.
There are important regional transport connections: in the
north: Mönchengladbach, Düsseldorf, Neuss, Krefeld, Duisburg, Essen,
Bochum, Münster and Wuppertal, in the east: Hagen, Dortmund, Siegen and
Bielefeld, in the south: Bonn, Koblenz, Mainz, Euskirchen and Trier,
westbound: Aachen
As one of the most important and largest hubs
in North Rhine-Westphalia, Cologne is very well connected to the rail
network. You can travel abroad with the ICE (Amsterdam in 2 3/4 hours,
with the Thalys Paris in 3 1/4 hours and Brussels in just under 2 hours,
Zurich with the EC in 6 hours (ICE with change 5'05 h), Vienna ICE in 9
1/2 hours (with (change trains 8 ½ h). From Frankfurt am Main it only
takes 1 1/4 hours.
The S-Bahn network is incomplete. Bonn is not
connected to the S-Bahn, but Bergisch Gladbach, Siegburg, Düren, Neuss
and Düsseldorf are, for example. As a rule, there is a twenty-minute
clock and on Sundays a half-hour clock.
By bus
To reach the
city of Cologne with long-distance buses, there are two long-distance
bus stations, the long-distance bus station Cologne-South is located at
Cologne Bonn Airport (Terminal 2) and the long-distance bus station
Cologne-North in Leverkusen. National and international long-distance
bus lines run here. Coming from Cologne city center, the Cologne-North
long-distance bus station at the Leverkusen Mitte train station can be
reached with lines S 6, RE 1 and RE 5 and the Cologne-South
long-distance bus station at Cologne/Bonn Airport can be reached with
the Lines S 19, RE 6 and RB 27 accessible.
In the street
In
Cologne, environmental zones have been set up in accordance with the
Fine Dust Ordinance. If you don't have the appropriate badge, you risk a
fine of €100 when entering an environmental zone. This also applies to
foreign road users.
Entry ban for vehicles of pollutant groups 1+2+3
(Info Federal Environment Agency)
The A1 E31, A4 E40 and A3 E35
motorways form a ring road around the city of Cologne. Other autobahns
lead from the north (A57 on the left bank of the Rhine and A59 on the
right bank of the Rhine) towards Düsseldorf and from the south (A555 on
the left bank of the Rhine and A59 on the right bank of the Rhine)
towards Bonn into the city.
The feeder roads (Venloer Strasse,
Bonner Strasse, Neusser Strasse, Luxemburger Strasse, Aachener Strasse),
the Rhine bridges, Rheinuferstrasse, the Cologne rings and canal roads
and the north-south route are the traffic arteries to the city centre.
However, they are congested, especially during rush hour.
There
are multi-storey car parks all over the city centre. These are also
often overcrowded and quite expensive. There are cheaper parking options
in Cologne-Deutz at the exhibition center (on the right bank of the
Rhine), in Kalk (Cologne Arcarden, day ticket €3 if you buy it directly
after entering the car park) or at the university. However, it is also
difficult to get hold of a free parking space here.
Overall, at
least during the day, it's better to park outside and take the bus or
train into the city.
With a valid VRS ticket, these parking
spaces can be used for 24 hours without additional costs (such as
parking fees). You can find out where the bus and train go and how to
get to a good point by car to change trains at KVB AG.
Environmental zones have been set up in the city center since January
2008. Since July 1st, 2014, you can only drive in with a green sticker.
For more information, including purchasing fine dust tickets, see the
Cologne environmental zone
By boat
The piers of the Rhine
shipping companies are located directly in the access area of the city
center on the Rhine. Various companies operate river cruises along the
entire navigable Rhine from Rotterdam to Basel. Sections or a detour to
the Moselle are also offered. The shorter trips are interesting for day
trips, e.g. B. to Bonn or to the Siebengebirge in Königswinter. There
are also round trips on the Rhine lasting one to two hours. There is
almost no passenger shipping on the Rhine during the winter months.
There is a passenger ferry from the old town to Deutz near the
cathedral and at the exhibition center/Rheinpark. There is also another
ferry for people and cars in the north of Cologne in the district of
Langel (Merkenich). It runs daily from Langel across the Rhine to
Leverkusen-Hitdorf.
By bicycle
Rhine cycle path, signposted on
both sides of the Rhine in the Rhineland as "Rheinschiene adventure
trail". The Rhine Cycle Path is the main axis of national cycle tourism.
BahnRadWeg – The 92 km long cycle route runs along the railway line from
Aachen to Cologne. Attention: The route is not a railway cycle path, but
accompanies the railway line on field paths and side roads. Route
information can be found on the website of the VCD district association
Aachen-Düren.
Adventure route Rhein-Erft – from the Cologne Zoobrücke
through the inner green belt via Frechen into the Erft valley.
On
foot
On the Römerkanal hiking trail, website
Jakobsweg Metz-Köln
The Jakobsweg from Metz to Cologne, via Trier and the Eifel.
Public transport
The "Stadtbahn" is a combined subway and tram. In
the inner city area, the Stadtbahn runs on the east-west axis above
ground, from north to south and underground on the rings. Important
central connection points are the stations Breslauer Platz/Hauptbahnhof
and Dom/Hauptbahnhof, which enable the changeover from long-distance and
regional trains as well as the S-Bahn to the city rail service, as well
as the stations Neumarkt (changeover north-south / east-west) and
Rudolfplatz (changeover Rings / East-West). As part of the preliminary
operation of the north-south urban railway, it is already possible to
change at the Heumarkt station in the direction of the main station.
The surrounding area can also be reached with the Cologne city
railways. You can take line 1 to the Bergisch-Gladbach districts of
Refrath and Bensberg (Bensberg - Refrath - Kalk - Deutz - Neumarkt -
Rudolfplatz - Braunsfeld - Junkersdorf - Weiden). Line 4 goes to
Leverkusen-Schlebusch on the outskirts of Cologne. Line 7 uses the
tracks of the former Cologne-Frechen-Benzelrather railway (KFBE) and
runs to the suburb of Frechen (Zündorf - Porz - Poll - Deutz - Neumarkt
- Rudolfplatz - Lindenthal - Marsdorf - Frechen). By far the longest KVB
light rail lines, lines 16 (via Wesseling) and 18 (via Hürth, Brühl and
Bornheim), run on two different routes to the former federal capital
Bonn.
During the day (Monday to Saturday) from around 5 a.m. to 8
p.m. they run on most lines every 10 minutes, until around 12 a.m. every
15 minutes and from around 12 a.m. until just after 1 a.m. on the 30th
-minute clock. Detailed information in the Cologne line network map
(PDF). On Sundays, the trains run every 15 minutes until midnight, and
then every 30 minutes. In the nights before Saturdays, Sundays and
public holidays, the trains run every 30 minutes, sometimes every 15-20
minutes. Some bus lines then also run every hour (sometimes every 30
minutes). Due to the heavy traffic in the inner city tunnel between the
Appellhofplatz and Poststraße stations, there are often small traffic
jams, and the line speed of the trains is very low here. The tunnel of
the north-south urban railway will remedy the situation, which is
currently being used in the preliminary phase from the north to the
Heumarkt station and from the south to the Severinstrasse stop. Since
the collapse of the Cologne City Archives is further delaying the
construction work between Heumarkt and Severinstraße, the full opening
of the route will only be possible in a few years.
Because the
entire city center is built on Roman structures, the subway construction
in Cologne was more difficult than in other cities. Many people
criticized the construction of the subway for not paying enough
attention to the Roman relics.
Important: It is not advisable to
use line 1 (especially in the Deutz to Weiden section) when 1. FC Köln
is playing, as the lanes are hopelessly overcrowded. Although special
trains are used on game days from Neumarkt, the rush to the normal
trains is also very large.
Bus lines supplement the tram service.
They drive both in the city center, but especially in the suburbs. Some
important bus lines have a timetable similar to that of the railways,
but many run less frequently, i.e. only every 20 to 30 minutes even on
weekdays. Due to the overlapping of several lines, however, there is
again a 10-minute cycle on central sections.
Some national bus
lines connect Cologne with Solingen (line SB25, from the bus station at
Breslauer Platz), Remscheid and Wermelskirchen (line 260, from the bus
station), Odenthal and Bergisch Gladbach (line 434, from Mülheim Wiener
Platz), Hürth (line 978, from bus station), Bergisch Gladbach-Bensberg
(SB 40, from the bus station) and Bonn (SB 60, from Cologne/Bonn
Airport).
On bus lines outside of Cologne (and Bonn) and on bus
lines that are not operated by the KVB (also within Cologne // almost
always bus lines that do not belong to the 100 lines), the ticket must
be shown to the bus driver or bought when boarding become.
On
some connections, the S-Bahn can also be a fast connection.
KVB
tickets
The new ticket machines, which the KVB has now installed in
most trains and buses and at many central bus stops, accept coins, EC
cash and major credit cards. Banknotes are generally not accepted by the
machines. In addition to KVB vehicles, trams operated by Stadtwerke Bonn
also run on lines 16 and 18, whose ticket machines generally only accept
coins and bank cards.
The machine shown on the right belongs to
the previous generation and is becoming increasingly rare. Coins are
ideal for paying with these devices, as these machines do not accept
banknotes. Card payment is only possible with a girocard, alternatively
with a cash card function.
Alternatively, you can use the ticket
machines of Deutsche Bahn, where you can also buy KVB tickets (control
panel -> VRS). Another way to pay with banknotes is at the customer
centers or points of sale (see below). Tickets for the Cologne city area
(price category 1B) are also available from the TransRegio ticket
machines, which also accept coins, banknotes, EC cards and credit cards.
The older machines in the trams and buses also only partly accept EC
cash. To add to the confusion, there are some machines that don't use
girocards, only cash cards. The first strip of a strip ticket must be
validated inside the tram or bus.
There are generally no ticket
machines installed in S-Bahn and regional trains. Here, the purchase
and, if necessary, the validation must take place before the start of
the journey in front of or on the platform. However, normal single
tickets and day tickets are already validated at the time of purchase
(note the information on the screen of the ticket machine).
There
is also the option of buying tickets online or by mobile phone ticket
(when using the "DB Navigator", "VRS information" or "KVB app" apps).
The latter are 5% cheaper than conventional tickets once you have
registered Tickets (single tickets 10%). In addition, tickets can also
be bought in the customer centers / points of sale (also with
banknotes), for example to (H) Neumarkt and Dom/Hbf.
fares
A
Level 1b City Ticket is required for any journey within the Cologne city
area.
A single ticket costs €3, children: €1.60
24-hour ticket for
one person €8.80. The ticket is valid for 24 hours after validation.
A weekly ticket (Mon.-Sun.) costs: €27.20.
Other ticket options:
24-hour ticket for 5 people. It costs €13.40 and is valid for up to five
people for one day in Cologne. The ticket is valid for 24 hours after
validation.
Short-distance tariff (boarding point + 4 stops): €2 (as
of January 1st, 2020).
More information at the KVB or in their
customer centers (e.g. Neumarkt, Dom/ Hauptbahnhof or Ebertplatz)
Tickets purchased online or via smartphone app are up to 10%
cheaper!
Information on journeys beyond the city area is
available from the Rhein-Sieg transport association or in the rapid
transit plans. The VRS ticket advisor page tells you which price level
you need for which location or stop. There is also an extra rail network
map for tourists with information on sights (also in English and
French): [1] The Deutsche Bahn app is suitable for planning journeys
within the city with a smartphone; she also knows the bus service. The
Rhein-Sieg VRS transport association app is a bit more detailed and easy
to use. Both apps are available for iOS (i.e. iPhone, iPad & Co.) and
Android.
Small train Chocolate and Zoo Express
2 small train
lines run every 30 minutes from the castle wall at the cathedral to the
chocolate museum and the zoo. One-way fare: €5, child: €3, return: €9,
child: €5.
Rhine cable car
From the end of March to the end of
October, the Rhine can also be crossed by cable car. From the top you
have a great view of the Rhine panorama of the city center from a height
of more than 40m. The station on the left bank of the Rhine is next to
the zoo (city rail line 18, stop Zoo), the station on the right bank of
the Rhine in the Rheinpark next to the zoo bridge and the thermal bath
"Claudius-Therme" (bus lines 150, SB25 and 260, stop thermal bath). The
cabins have four seats and, depending on the rush, run at short
intervals of up to 20 seconds. Operating hours are from 10:00 a.m. to
6:00 p.m. On some days of the year there are also evening and night
trips. Driving is not possible in strong winds. The ticket costs €5.00
for a single journey and €8.00 for a return journey. Children up to the
age of 12 travel at a reduced rate, schoolchildren, students,
pensioners, etc. unfortunately do not. There are combination tickets
with a visit to the zoo or for a round trip: With the cable car over the
Rhine, then a walk through the Rheinpark, back over the Rhine with the
passenger ferry and then with the small train back to the zoo.
By
bicycle
The bicycle is a common means of transport used by the city's
residents. There are bike lanes along most major roads, which are
relatively narrow compared to other cities and unfortunately not always
in good condition. Visitors to the city are recommended to use the bike,
especially when the weather is nice, as an alternative to bus and train,
especially along both banks of the Rhine.
An additional ticket
must be purchased to take a bicycle with you on public transport. It is
not advisable to take bicycles with you at peak times.
Cologne
has a good network of bike-sharing bicycles that can be rented
spontaneously and parked anywhere within the defined city area. The
leading and cheapest provider
The bicycle is a common means of
transport used by the city's residents. There are bike lanes along most
major roads, which are relatively narrow compared to other cities and
unfortunately not always in good condition. Visitors to the city are
recommended to use the bike, especially when the weather is nice, as an
alternative to bus and train, especially along both banks of the Rhine.
An additional ticket must be purchased to take a bicycle with you on
public transport. It is not advisable to take bicycles with you at peak
times.
Cologne has a good network of bike-sharing bicycles that
can be rented spontaneously and parked anywhere within the defined city
area. The leading and cheapest provider is Deutsche Bahn with Call a
Bike (€0.10 per minute). Every half hour costs €1, the daily fee is €9.
There is also an annual fee of €3. Call a Bike members from other cities
can also rent the bikes in Cologne. This service is not available in
winter.
The provider nextbike, which rents out bicycles under the
name KVB-Rad, is a little more expensive. 15 minutes cost 1 €, 24 hours
cost a maximum of 15 €, but unlike the DB offer in the central city
area, you are not dependent on fixed stations here, instead the bikes
can usually be parked there free of charge on the side of the road (in
the pink flex zone a little further out of town). However, the return
costs an extra EUR). Fixed stations are gradually being set up at the
Stadtrad where the bikes can be borrowed and returned, and returning
them there is again free of charge.
The General German Bicycle
Club (ADFC) offers a bicycle city map for the cities of Cologne, Hürth,
Frechen, Pulheim, Leverkusen and Bergisch Gladbach.
Park
Cologne is very cramped and parking spaces in the city center are rare.
20 minutes of parking on the street costs €1, in the multi-storey car
parks the hour costs €1.70 − €2.40. In the districts outside the city,
50 cents per half hour are due on the street.
Car sharing
In
Cologne there is a well-equipped network of car rental companies that
work according to the car sharing principle, which is different from
conventional car rental companies. At Cambio and Flinkster, to rent a
car, you go to certain stations scattered around the city and usually
have to bring the car back there. The most modern car-sharing variant
was introduced by Daimler with Car2Go and BMW with Drive Now in 2012.
These specially marked vehicles can be found scattered across the city
and can be rented spontaneously and parked anywhere within the defined
urban area. For the two providers, this affects large parts of the area
on the left bank of the Rhine, but only the Deutz district on the right
bank. Such vehicles have not yet been found at the airport. The method
pays off better for short distances than for longer ones. Example: If
you are thinking of renting the Car2Go-Smart or the Drive Now-Mini
directly in front of you on the street after the cinema or the club at
night when the next train is only 30 minutes away, you can go home or to
the airport in 10 minutes Driving to the hotel costs around €3 for the
10-minute drive. Members of the services from other cities can also use
the Cologne Car-Sharing offers.
Hohenzollern Bridge
The
Hohenzollern Bridge is a railway bridge over the Rhine from the main
station to Deutz station. Built between 1907 and 1911, it had 4 tracks
and a road bridge with tram tracks. It was destroyed in 1945 and rebuilt
in 1952, initially with 2 tracks. In 1959 and 1987 it was expanded by 2
tracks each. Only the bridgeheads with equestrian statues remain from
the southern part of the bridge for road traffic. Today's bridge has a
pedestrian and cycle path. On the southern side, the bars are full of
love locks. Padlocks with names are often hung on the grating as a sign
of solidarity, and the key is then thrown into the Rhine. On the Deutz
side, north of the bridge, the Rheinpark begins with the dancing
fountain.
On the Deutz side, the German Alpine Association has
maintained a climbing facility with around 850 square meters since 1998.
Churches
Cologne cathedral. There is more about the cathedral and
the ascent of the tower at Wikivoyage.
Cathedral treasury. In the
historical cellar vaults from the 13th century on the north side of the
cathedral you can see precious reliquaries, liturgical utensils and
vestments as well as insignia of the archbishops and cathedral chaplains
from the 4th to the 20th century, medieval sculptures and Franconian
grave finds. Open: Daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Public tours: Thursdays
at 3:00 p.m. Price: Admission: €6, reduced: €3, families: €12.
You have a particularly beautiful view of the cathedral and Cologne's
old town (especially in the evening hours) from the other side of the
Rhine in Cologne-Deutz (e.g. from the Rheinboulevard or the freely
accessible platform on the eastern bridge head of the Hohenzollern
Bridge).
Buildings
Old Town Hall and Praetorium
Old Town
Hall. A typical Renaissance building is the so-called "Laube" built in
1569-73. The Hansa Hall, built around 1330, the 61m high late Gothic
tower built from 1407-14, and the Löwenhof from 1540/41 are still
preserved. The parts destroyed in World War II were partially rebuilt
and expanded with modern wings
Praetorium, under the "Spanish
Building" rebuilt after World War II. The remains of the Roman
governor's palace from the 1st to 4th centuries are under the Spanish
building. A visit is only possible again when the MiQua Museum, which is
currently under construction, has been completed
The
Archaeological Zone, a 10,000 m² excavation area on which a large Jewish
museum is being built, has been created around and on the town hall
square. Here was one of the most important Jewish urban quarters in
Europe.
In front of the town hall is the ritual Jewish immersion
bath (mikveh) from the 12th century with the 20m deep shaft in which the
immersion baths were carried out with "living water" from the
groundwater flow of the Rhine. · Currently closed due to the
construction of the new MiQua museum.
Gürzenich
Gürzenich,
Martinstrasse 29-37. The gothic festival and dance hall near the
Heumarkt was built by the citizens in 1441-47. In the Middle Ages,
emperors and kings were received here. Until the 19th century it was
mainly used as a department store. Balls, concerts and carnival events
now take place in the hall building, which was restored in 1952-55.
The adjacent church ruins of Alt St. Alban are a memorial for the
dead of both world wars with the stone figure The Mourning Parents by
Käthe Kollwitz. The church, which was destroyed in World War II, was not
rebuilt, only the walls were secured. You can look inside through the
iron doors. From the staircase of the Gürzenich and from the
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum you can also look directly into the open space
of the church.
Patrician house
Overstolzenhaus, Rheingasse 8 .
Romanesque patrician house from the 13th century with monumental facade
and stepped gable. Inside it is decorated with Gothic murals. For a long
time it was the seat of the Cologne Stock Exchange. Today the house is
used by the Art Academy for Media.
The Veedel (district)
The
people of Cologne don't live in one of the 86 "official" districts of
Cologne, but are connected to their Veedel. The Altstadt-Nord consists
of the Veedeln Altstadt (Martinsviertel), Friesenviertel, Eigelstein and
Kunibertsviertel.
For the people of Cologne and also for
tourists, the Martinsviertel around the Groß St. Martin church between
Heumarkt, Alter Markt and today's Rhine is the old town, even if the
entire area within the rings is officially listed as Altstadt-Nord and
Altstadt-Süd. Outside the rings are the districts of Neustadt-Nord and
Neustadt-Süd, while Deutz is on Schäl Sick, the wrong side of the Rhine.
Martinsviertel (old town)
The Rhine district around St. Martin
was an island until the 10th century. It was only when a dead arm of the
Rhine was filled in that a direct connection to the old town was created
with the Alter Markt and the Heumarkt.
Up until the 1920s, this
core district of the city became increasingly impoverished. The building
fabric and the hygienic conditions of the small and cramped houses
deteriorated dramatically. During the tenure of Mayor Konrad Adenauer,
plans for the renovation were made, which were only carried out by the
National Socialists in 1935. Through the gutting and merging of
neighboring houses, through numerous new buildings based on historical
models and the simultaneous retention of the historical streets, an
"exemplary" old town was built, which was supposed to be reminiscent of
an ideal-typical "German" Middle Ages. The houses, which were badly
damaged in the war, were largely rebuilt after the war according to the
ideas of the 1930s. As a result, the Martinsviertel and the Rhine
panorama were able to preserve their typical medieval appearance.
During the day there is a lot of international hustle and bustle in
the Martinsviertel between the pretty colorful houses with the narrow
gables and high roofs. During the day you only hear a few sounds from
Cologne. The old town is not Veedel at all, some claim, more of a
tourist magnet than a place to live. But in the evening, when the
tourist buses have left again, the people of Cologne become visible
again and the "jote Fründe zesamme" are there again.
City and
Friesian Quarter
The city's shopping streets are west of the
Gürzenich and the town hall. Further west to the ring is the lively
Friesenviertel with many smaller shops.
egg stone
The
Eigelstein road was part of the Roman military road that led to Xanten.
The mighty Eigelsteintorburg was built in the Middle Ages (1228 - 1260)
as part of the northern city wall. The "Kölsche Boor" has been guarding
a niche in the castle for over a hundred years. In the pedestrian zone
of the "Eijelsteinsveedel" (Eigelsteinviertel) cafés and restaurants
around the Torburg and in the direction of Ebertplatz lure you to linger
in the open-air season. North of Ebertplatz, the street continues with
Neusser Strasse. There are also some attractive restaurants there.
Agnesviertel
The Agnesviertel is located between the Ringen, the
Rhine, the inner canal road and the railroad tracks (depot). This Veedel
was created after the city wall was razed in 1880 (subsequent
construction of the new town) and lasted until 1920. A special feature
of the quarter are the many Wilhelminian style buildings (especially
along Weißenburgstraße - this has an avenue of plane trees on the wide
central reservation and is also a meeting place in summer residents to
play boules). The center of the Agnesviertel is the Agneskirche - the
second largest church in Cologne after the Cologne Cathedral - with the
surrounding Neusser Platz, which has some nice cafés and restaurants and
also a bookcase, only the traffic on Neusser Straße is a bit disturbing
here. Other sights include the Justice Building on Reichenspergerplatz
and the Old Fire Station (used as a fire station until the 1970s,
originally intended to be demolished but thanks to the commitment of the
citizens it was preserved. Nowadays it is used as a self-governing
socio-cultural centre, with offers for children, young people and
citizens of the Veedel, information and cultural events as well as flea
markets take place regularly.).
Südstadt and Severinsviertel
The southern part of the city extends from the Severinsviertel into the
southern Neustadt, the demarcation to the Severinsviertel is fluid. That
is why the two Veedel names have meanwhile become synonyms for the
entire district between the access road to the Severins Bridge in the
north and the railway line in the south. The Südstadt is named after a
saint, Bishop Severin, whose burial church is on Severinstraße. It is
called “Vringsveedel” in Kölsch. The Severinsviertel has mutated from
the former left-wing Südstadt biotope around Chlodwigplatz into a rather
non-political, but still popular area for going out and living. The
Severinstraße itself, the business heart of the district, follows a
Danish/Dutch traffic concept in which the demarcations between sidewalks
and roadways are eliminated. The cars (and bicycles) are only allowed to
drive at a maximum speed of 20 km/h. Walking towards the city center at
the northern end of Severinstraße, you pass a large construction site at
Waidmarkt, the excavation pit for the collapsed historical archive of
the city of Cologne.
Rheinauhafen
The architecturally
interesting new district at the former Rheinauhafen is located south of
the city center. Here are u. a. the Chocolate Museum and the Sports and
Olympic Museum. Not everyone's taste, but the particularly expansive
"crane houses" are impressive. The rest of the development consists
partly of new buildings and partly of converted warehouses. The
waterfront promenade was redesigned up to the southern railway bridge.
Opposite the chocolate museum is the small mustard museum, actually it's
just a shop with a historic mustard mill, to which you have free access
and where you can get detailed and competent information about this
spice. There are also paid guided tours (3 €) every hour. The products
offered are of high quality and can be tasted.
Bayenturm,
southern city fortifications in the Middle Ages to the Rhine. Since
1990, the tower has housed an extensive library on women's history, art
exhibitions, etc. The association Frauenmuseum - Kunst, Kultur,
Forschung e.V. is the sponsor. Please login. Open: Mon - Fri 10 a.m. - 5
p.m
Harbor office north of the Bayenturm
Rings
About
20m inward from the semicircular ring roads from Theodor-Heuss-Ring to
Ubierring was the city wall with 12 gates, which enclosed the medieval
city (Altstadt). From 1881 it was demolished and a representative ring
road was created for strolling along the lines of Vienna and Paris,
usually referred to as the Rings by the people of Cologne. The houses on
the ring were aristocratically decorated, and outside the old ring wall,
middle-class residential areas emerged in the new town towards the end
of the 19th century.
Above all, the western section between
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring and Barbarossaplatz is a business and entertainment
mile. The area around Chlodwigplatz is also densely populated with bars.
The other parts of the ring are mostly offices and residential
buildings. Three of the old gate castles of the city wall have been
preserved: the Severinstor is on Chlodwigplatz, the medieval
Hahnentorburg on Rudolfplatz and the Eigelsteintor on Ebertplatz.
Green belt
The Neustadt is bounded on the outside by the inner
green belt. After the demolition of the old city wall, this area was
initially kept free as a fortress belt. After the First World War, a
green area was laid out on it, which encloses the city center in a
semicircle. The inner green belt is separated from the new town to a
large extent by the railway, the border to the outer parts of the city
is formed by the four to six-lane inner canal road bordering on the
green belt.
Belgian quarter
West of the Hohenzollernring to
the inner green belt lies the upscale residential area with pretty Art
Nouveau facades, galleries and pubs.
Quarter Lateng
Lively
student district around Zülpicher Straße. It's busier on weekends than
most other parts of the city.
Klettenberg
This district, which
was created around 1900 on the drawing board, consists essentially of
four-story houses built around 1904. The district was practically
undestroyed in World War II, the building fabric is well preserved. Some
houses in the style of the Bauhaus architecture were built later after
the expansion of the quarter. The need for the district arose from the
constantly growing number of civil servants who could no longer find
apartments in the center. When Klettenberg was built, these people were
promised a tram connection that would take them dry-shod from the city
center to their residential area. This line still exists today as
underground subway line 18, runs along Luxemburger Straße to
Klettenbergpark with its small lake, where the district ends. The
streets run roughly parallel, only Siebengebirgsallee crossing the
district - a homage to Broadway in New York City. The only natural
stream in Cologne on the left bank of the Rhine runs under the
Luxemburger Straße, but nothing can be seen of it anymore: the
Duffesbach.
In the center of Klettenberg is the Merscher bakery
(Nonnenstromstraße corner Siebengebirgsallee), which is known for its
sourdough rye breads. The former trendy pub Petersberger Hof (corner of
Petersbergstraße and Siebengebirgsallee) is now mainly frequented by
non-Cologne residents, but is one of the most important pubs in the city
during the carnival. One of the best butchers on the eastern edge of
Klettenberg, along the Gottesweg, is the Odenkirchen company, some of
which has organically certified products.
Klettenberg can be
hiked within half an hour. Interesting is the Beethovenpark to the
north-west (initiated by Konrad Adenauer) and the Sülz student quarter
to the north. There are significantly more shops in Sülz than in the
quiet residential area of Klettenberg. See Cologne Klettenberg.
Aspic
Sülz is considered the quarter of the better-off young families
in the city. It borders the university and is bordered to the south by
Luxemburger Strasse from Klettenberg.
Deutz
The central
district on the right bank of the Rhine with the former Roman fort
Divitia is also known as Schäl Sick (wrong side). Here lies the Cologne
trade fair and the extensive Rheinpark north of the Hohenzollern Bridge.
You have a wonderful view of Cologne's old town from the banks of the
Rhine. The bank was redesigned between Hohenzollen Bridge and Deutzer
Bridge. By the end of 2015, the Rheinboulevard was rebuilt as a 516m
wide perron with steps for sitting and walking.
CologneTriangle.
You have a fantastic panoramic view of the city center from the panorama
platform of the LVR tower. The next stop is 'Köln-Messe/Deutz' with the
Deutsche Bahn or 'Bf Deutz/Messe' with the KVB. However, it is nicer to
walk across the Rhine from the main station via the Hohenzollern Bridge,
it takes less than ten minutes. You can't miss the tower (next to the
Hyatt). The ascent to the platform is done with a fast elevator. At the
top, you cover the last few meters up to the roof via stairs. The
construction of the KölnTriangle from 2004 to 2006 was not without
controversy, the high-rise building was only intended to be the first of
a series of high-rise buildings on the right bank of the Rhine. For this
reason, Cologne Cathedral was on the Red List of World Heritage in
Danger from 2004 to 2006. After the city of Cologne's high-rise planning
was rejected in 2006, the cathedral was removed from the Red List of
World Heritage in Danger. Open: Observation Deck: May 1 – September 30:
Mon – Fri: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sat, Sun and public holidays 10 a.m. to 11
p.m.; 1 October – 30 April: Mon – Fri: 12pm – 8pm; Sat, Sun and public
holidays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed for safety reasons during
thunderstorms and storms. Price: ascent: 5 €, children up to 12 years:
free.
city walls and gate castles
Roman period
A 4 km long
and 7.7 m high city wall with 9 gates and 22 towers was built around 50
to 70 AD. A few testimonies from her have survived to this day, e.g. B.
a part of the north gate at the cathedral, the Roman tower, the
Helenenturm and the Ubiermonument (port tower).
middle Ages
In
1180 the 7.5 km long medieval city wall with 12 gates and 52 defensive
towers was built in a semicircle. The city wall ran along today's rings.
After the wall was demolished, a long, magnificent boulevard with
representative houses was laid around the old town on the outside. Of
the 12 gates, the following are still preserved:
Eigelsteintorburg in
the north,
Hahnentorburg at Rudolfplatz in the west
City wall at
the Sachsenring
Ulre gate at the Sachsenring
Severinstorburg in
the south on Clodwigplatz in the Severinsviertel
A section of the
wall has also been preserved on the Hansaring, but without a gate.
Another remnant of the city fortifications is the Bayenturm, originally
the south-eastern end point of the city wall. A small tower has been
preserved on Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer.
Museums
Romano-Germanic
Museum, Roncalliplatz 4, 50667 Cologne. Tel.: +49 (0)221 22 12 44 38,
fax: +49 (0)221 22 12 45 90, e-mail:
roemisch-germanisches-museum@stadt-koeln.de. Closed for a few years
since January 2019 due to extensive renovation. Alternatively, part of
the exhibition can now be seen in the Belgisches Haus (Cäcilienstraße
46). Archaeological exhibits from Cologne's history. Roman mosaic dating
from 220 AD. It can be viewed through the windows from the outside in
the evening. It shows scenes from the world of Dionysus. Open: Wednesday
to Monday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Price: €6, reduced €3, students free.
Archaeological Zone and Jewish Museum below and on the Town Hall Square
- At the original locations, visitors will find monuments from two
millennia. The excavation project presents the history of Cologne, from
the mighty ruins of the Roman governor's palace to the fragile remains
of one of the most important Jewish quarters in Europe.
Museum
Ludwig, Heinrich-Böll-Platz. Tel.: +49 (0)221 22 12 61 65, e-mail:
info@museum-ludwig.de . Extensive collection of 20th century and
contemporary art (significant works of expressionism and pop art; one of
the most important Picasso collections; also Russian avant-garde and
expressionism; contemporary art). Regular temporary exhibitions. Price:
Admission: €12, reduced €8, families €24, children under 18 years: free
in the permanent collection, groups €9 per person.
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Obenmarspforten (at the Cologne City Hall).
Tel.: +49 (0)221 221 211 19 wikipediacommons. Works from the Middle Ages
to the 19th century. Open: Tues - Sun and on certain public holidays: 10
a.m. - 6 p.m.; 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month until 10 p.m. Price:
€9, reduced €5.50.
Museum for Applied Arts − MAKK, at the law school,
near Wallrafplatz. Tel.: +49 (0)221 - 221 267 14 (ticket office), +49
(0)221 - 221 238 60 (secretariat), fax: +49 221 221 238 85, e-mail:
makk@stadt-koeln. en. Collections: furniture and interior art, jewelry,
design, ceramics, textiles and fashion, paintings and sculptures,
porcelain, fine arts of the 20th century, glass, metal art, graphics and
posters, book art. The internationally renowned design collection is one
of the highest quality and largest collections of its kind in Europe.
Open: Tues - Sun 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Price: Admission to the permanent
collections: €6, reduced: €3.50, combined ticket: €8 - €12, reduced: €3
- €9.
Museum of East Asian Art, Universitätsstraße 100. Tel.:
+49(0)221-221-28608, e-mail: mok@museenkoeln.de wikipediacommons. −
Large collection of artworks from China, Japan and Korea. Open: Tue −
Sun from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 1st Thursday of the month from 11 a.m. to 10
p.m. Price: Admission to the collection: €6, reduced: €3.50, during
special exhibitions: €9.50, reduced €5.50.
Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum, Cäcilienstr. 29-33. Phone: +49(0)221 221 -
313 56 . The Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum is the only ethnological museum
in North Rhine-Westphalia and has one of the ten largest ethnological
collections in Germany. Open: Tues to Sun 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thurs 10
a.m. to 8 p.m., every 1st Thursday until 10 p.m. Price: Admission to the
permanent exhibition: €7, reduced: €4.50, special exhibition only: €4,
reduced: €3, combined ticket with Museum Schnütgen: €10, reduced: €7.
Audio guide: €2. Edit info
Museum Schnütgen, Cecilienstr. 29-33.
Phone: +49(0)221 221-22 310 . predominantly ecclesiastical and also
profane treasures (approx. 8th-15th centuries) in the former Romanesque
church of St. Cecilia. Access via the new building. Not wheelchair
accessible everywhere. Open: Mon: closed, Tues-Sun: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.,
Thurs: 10 a.m.-8 p.m., every 1st Thursday until 10 p.m. Price:
Admission: €6, reduced: €3.50.
Imhoff Chocolate Museum, in the
Rheinauhafen. Phone: +49(0)221 931 888-0. The history of the cocoa bean
is shown in the museum and there is also the industrial production of
chocolate products to see, which can also be purchased directly in the
museum shop. Open: 10am - 6pm, closed Mondays in Nov, Jan - March.
Price: Admission: €12.50, reduced: €9, students / children: €7.50,
family ticket: €30.
German Sports and Olympic Museum, in the customs
port, near the Chocolate Museum. Tel.: +49(0)221 33 609 0, e-mail:
info@sportmuseum.de . Trend sports, Open: Tue - Sun: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Price: Admission €6, reduced €3, family ticket €15.
NS Documentation
Center, Appellhofplatz 23-25. Tel.: +49(0)221 2212 6332. The building,
which used to be the headquarters of the Cologne Gestapo, offers media
stations, information boards and exhibits as part of the extensive
exhibition. In the basement is the former Gestapo prison, complete with
the prisoners' distressed inscriptions. The building is also known under
the name "ELDE-Haus", phonetically derived from the initials of the
builder Leopold Dahmen. Open: Tue-Fri 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat, Sun 11 a.m.-6
p.m., 1st Thursday of the month (except public holidays) 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Price: Adults EUR 4.50, reduced EUR 2.00, free admission for students
and children / young people under the age of 18.
Odysseum. The
Odysseum Adventure Museum offers a varied range of stations that will
captivate young and old researchers. Temporary changing exhibitions
round off the overall picture. There is also the "Museum with the Mouse"
Price: Admission: €16, reduced €12, families €44,
Theaters and
concert halls
The large playhouse with opera and theater has been
under renovation since June 2012 and is expected to remain closed until
2024. The alternative venues are Depot 1 and 2 on the former Carlswerk
in Cologne-Mülheim and the Staatshaus in the former exhibition center in
Deutz.
Cologne has over 30 private venues in the Cologne theater
scene, such as B. the cabaret Senftöpfchen-Theater.
The Gürzenich is
only rarely used as a concert hall. Numerous meetings are held there
during the carnival period, otherwise there are often congresses or
receptions. The municipal philharmonic orchestra is still traditionally
called the Gürzenich Orchestra, but mostly plays in the philharmonic.
There are sometimes concerts in the large and small broadcasting halls
of the WDR broadcasting center (Wallrafplatz entrance).
Philharmonic
The Philharmonie with 2000 visitor places is located in
the basement between the basements of the Museum Ludwig and the
underground car park as well as between the cathedral and the Rhine.
Cologne Opera
The Cologne Opera House has been undergoing
renovations since June 2012 and will continue until at least autumn
2024. From 2012 to 2015, the new main venue was the »Oper am Dom«, the
musical dome. The Staatshaus am Rheinpark in Deutz has been a substitute
venue since 2015.
Musical Dome
The Musical Dome is an
originally provisional venue for musicals next to the main train station
directly on the Rhine. From 2012 to 2015 it also served as a substitute
venue for the Cologne Opera. The round blue polyester roof is a shining
point on the banks of the Rhine, especially at night when viewed from
the Deutz side of the Rhine.
Parks, gardens and recreation areas
One of the largest parks in Cologne, the Rheinpark is located on the
north right bank of the Rhine directly after the trade fair. This park
is also accessible via a cable car across the Rhine, which starts from
the Zoo and Flora. The Flora, the botanical garden of Cologne, is also
very worth seeing.
Bank of the Rhine
The Altstadt-Rheinufer
(on the left bank of the Rhine), also known as the Rheingarten, has been
a popular promenade since the Rheinuferstrasse was tunnelled. The
extension via the Rheinauhafen to the southern bridge was completed in
2010. There is also a beautiful footpath and cycle path to the north
directly on the banks of the Rhine.
The Deutzer Ufer (on the
right bank of the Rhine) between the railway bridge and the Deutzer
Bridge was converted into a stepped promenade bank between 2013 and
2015. The remains of the former Roman fort Divitia were also excavated.
Park − the former Federal Horticultural Show grounds north of the
Deutzer Bridge between the Rhine and the exhibition center are popular
with the people of Cologne for local recreation. Here you will find
spacious meadows for picnicking and a large children's playground. A
small park railway also runs in the area, fare for the circuit: €3.50.
In April the trees are in full bloom.
The Tanzbrunnen is a culture
and leisure park with an open-air stage between the exhibition center
and the Rheinpark. In the summer season, various markets such as the
fish market or the flower and garden market attract visitors to the
extensive area. • Calendar of events
Rheinterrassen − excursion
restaurant above the entrance to the Rheinpark.
Rheinboulevard −
Rhine promenade between Rheinpark and Pollerwiesen. It was redesigned
from autumn 2013 to summer 2015 and received a large water staircase
between the Hohenzollern and Deutzer bridges.
Rheinseilbahn:
Germany's oldest cable car, which crosses a river, was built in the
1950s. It connects the zoo and flora with the Rheinpark on the right
bank of the Rhine. Since 1966 it has crossed the Zoobrücke, which also
crosses the Rhine here. Operation from the end of March to the beginning
of November, daily from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Fare: €4.80, return: €7.50,
children: €2.70 / €4.00.
Flora
Botanical Garden Cologne, next
to the zoo (arrival: Stadtbahn “Zoo/Flora”) wikipediacommons. A walk is
definitely recommended. Today, 10,000 plant species from all vegetation
zones are cultivated here outdoors and in greenhouses. Between 2011 and
2014, the event hall of the Flora (also called Flora) was completely
renovated. The house has regained its original domed roof and reopened
in June 2014. The greenhouses (exception: subtropical house) will be
renovated from 2018 to 2023 and can therefore not be visited at the
moment. Open: Garden: 8am to dusk, Greenhouses: October to March 10am to
4pm, April to September 10am to 6pm. From January 24th to April 21st
2014 the annual camellia exhibition runs in and around the subtropical
house. Price: Admission to the Flora is free.
Other parks and
gardens
In the south and west of the city between the military ring
road and the A4 motorway is the long outer green belt, which invites you
to take long walks or run through the woods. North of the district of
Bocklemünd there is a continuation to Neusser Landstraße, which is
unfortunately interrupted by a motorway, a railway line and a barracks.
Apart from the extensive green areas, the Outer Green Belt is also
attractive because of the Decksteiner Weiher, located in the southwest,
with the café-restaurant "Haus am See" on its banks.
The inner green
belt is located on the edge of the new town and, with a few
interruptions, runs in a semicircle around the city center, parallel to
the inner Kanalstraße or Universitätsstraße. It essentially consists of
two sections. The northern section begins on the banks of the Rhine next
to the Zoobrücke with the sculpture garden and leads to the railway
bridges on Escher Straße. The southern section begins behind the railway
tracks on Herkulesberg - a mountain made from the rubble of World War II
- and then leads past the Aachener Weiher and the main university
building to Luxemburger Straße. A further extension towards the banks of
the Rhine is being planned.
South of the A4 motorway in
Rodenkirchen are the free forest botanical gardens with their foreign
trees, the Friedenswaldinfobemachen and the Finkens Garten, lines 16 and
17, (H) Rodenkirchen.
The Stadtwald in Lindenthal between Aachener
Strasse and Dürener Strasse is home to a small animal park and a
beautiful mixture of forest, grassy areas and bodies of water (partly
laid out as a canal) (line 1, (H) Clarenbachstift, lines 7, 13, 136, (H)
Dürener Straße/Gürtel, lines 7 and 136, (H) Brahmsstraße). The city
forest merges into the outer green belt via a pedestrian bridge. There
is also a small lake, the Adenauerweiher. In the other direction, there
is also a connection to the Aachener Weiher and the inner green belt via
the Lindenthal canals.
Japanese Garden on the outskirts of Leverkusen
The oldest park in Cologne is the Stadtgarten on Venloer Strasse
(underground station Hans-Böckler-Platz, lines 3,4,5). Although it is
not very big, it has many old trees and a pub with a beer garden.
Numerous concerts take place in this pub, the musical focus is jazz of
all kinds. You can cross a bridge from the Stadtgarten to the Mediapark,
which was only planted a few years ago, and another bridge leads from
there to the inner green belt (see above).
The busiest is in the
Volksgarten, a medium-sized park in the southern part of the city (line
12, Eifelplatz stop). When the weather is nice, everyone from small
children to pensioners meets here, there is also a pedal boat rental on
the small pond and a beer garden.
The large Cologne cemeteries are
not necessarily part of the parks, but are still suitable for quiet
walks under old trees. Above all, the Melatenfriedhof, the north and
south cemeteries are ideal. On the Melatenfriedhof you can also admire
many old grave monuments, many prominent Cologne residents are buried
there and on the Südfriedhof.
In Cologne, on the right bank of the
Rhine, there are not many parks apart from the Rheinpark. However, you
can walk along almost the entire right bank of the Rhine in Cologne
(bicycle is also possible) and you will always come across smaller green
areas.
But there are some more extensive forest areas a little
further out on the right bank of the Rhine. The best known is the
Königsforst (city rail line 9 to the final station Königsforst). Here
you can walk for hours through the forest. Many hiking trails of
different lengths are marked so that you don't get lost. To the south is
the Wahner Heide, which z. T. Nature reserve is. This extends to the
neighboring town of Troisdorf. (Line 9 to (H) Königsforst, then line 423
to (H) Gut Leidenhausen, line 161 to (H) Grengel Mauspfad or S12 / S19
to (H) Troisdorf, then line 507 to (H) Wahner Heide / Fly Mountain,
Jägerhof or Altenrath.) Unfortunately, it can get noisy in both areas as
the airport is right next door. There is also a larger forest area in
the north-east of the city between the Dünnwald district of Cologne, the
Schildgen district of Bergisch-Gladbach and the Schlebusch district of
Leverkusen S 11 to Cologne-Dellbrück).
Cologne Zoo (line 18, stop: Zoo/Flora), Riehler Straße 173. Tel.: +49
(0)221 567 99 100, e-mail: info@koelnerzoo.de. Founded in 1860, third
oldest zoo in Germany. In 2004 it was voted the most beautiful zoo in
Germany
Especially worth mentioning: − The PRIMARY FOREST HOUSE
for great apes (1985)(the only one of its kind in Germany) - Two
enclosures for big cats ("The RAIN FOREST") − A TROPICAL and BIRD HOUSE
dedicated to the primeval forests of Southeast Asia - ELEPHANTS Park
(largest of its kind in Europe)- HIPPODROME (Hippos, Nile crocodiles,
antelopes).
With the Clemenshof there is also a department for rare
breeds of domestic animals in Cologne Zoo
Special events at the
Cologne Zoo: Long zoo night tents in the zoo night tours in summer
Various
Colonius - The Cologne telecommunications tower in the
west of the city has not been accessible to visitors since 1992. There
is no tenant for the revolving restaurant in the tower. The tower, which
opened in 1981, is the tallest structure in the city at 266m.
Cologne
is also the location for numerous art galleries, such as B. Gallery
Karsten Greve, Gallery Thomas Zander.
City tours
Stay away from the expensive, guided city tours!
Everything you get to see can usually be visited for free (if you have
to pay an entrance fee, you also have to pay for a guided tour!). Be
careful not to pay 20 euros for someone to chat to someone on the
cathedral platform for an hour with facts about the cathedral, which you
can also read up on the inside! When it comes to city guides, you have
to make sure that they are up-to-date. You should visit the tourist
information right at the foot of the Domplatte. There are some free, new
and interesting city guides there. Stop: cathedral/ main station.
Segway Tour Cologne (Seg Tour GmbH), An Groß St. Martin 6. Tel: +49
221 27260597, email: info@segwaytour-koeln.de. City tour on different
routes through Cologne with the electric standing scooter "Segway®". In
addition to the Classic Tour to the most famous sights, there is also a
historical tour to choose from. Also bookable for events, company
outings or bachelor parties. Price: EUR 85.00. Accepted payment methods:
Cash, Master, Visa, Amex, Apple Pay, Google Pay, EC.
Cherrytours
Cologne - My city tour (Cherrytours GmbH), An Groß St. Martin 6. Tel.:
+49 221 27747031, e-mail: office@cherrytours.de. City tours privately or
in small groups for individualists, for those who are interested and not
only want information about the cathedral. Tours available daily, also
in different languages. Individual start and end points possible on
request. Price: from 15 EUR. Accepted payment methods: Cash, Master,
Visa
A new alternative for individualists who are lazy to read:
You can download an acoustic city guide through Cologne onto your own
mp3 player or iPod and set off. Another audio city guide to download in
MP3 format is the so-called "City Guide to Hear", which is also
available in English.
Cologne feeling
The rustic and cozy pubs
around the Alter Markt and Heumarkt or the large breweries throughout
the old town provide the Cologne feeling. Kölsch, the famous Cologne
beer, is served there and Rhenish, mostly hearty specialties are served
(see also the sections on cuisine and nightlife).
Carnival
Carnival start on November 11 at 11:11 am on the Heumarkt and in the old
town;
The event on the Heumarkt with the big stars of Cologne
carnival music starts at 10 a.m. and is usually completely overcrowded
with up to 70,000 visitors a short time later, so that the entire square
is cordoned off by the police. The sanitary facilities (especially for
women) are hopelessly overloaded. The official program ends in the late
afternoon, but the celebrations continue in the old town. The television
/ WDR broadcasts live.
The ghost train in Cologne on February 3,
2024, from 7 p.m., since 2020 on the Saturday before Weiberfastnacht
Women's Carnival on Thursday, February 16, 2023 - the start of Cologne's
street carnival with the handing over of the city's keys to the prince
of the triumvirate. Throughout Cologne, people celebrate on the streets,
in pubs and offices until late at night. Tie wearers should also beware
of women with scissors on this day. The shops are closed from midday or
completely.
Schull- and Veedelszöch on Tulip Sunday, February 19,
2023 in the city center
Rose Monday procession on Mon, Feb. 20. 2023
Nubbel burning on Violet Tuesday (February 21, 2023) – The Nubbel is
burned in front of many Cologne pubs. The straw doll has to serve as a
scapegoat for all transgressions committed during the carnival period.
In all Cologne Veedeln the Nubbel has to pay.
Cologne Pride
(Christopher Street Day)
The Cologne Pride Festival takes place every
year on the first weekend in July. In the two weeks beforehand there is
already an extensive supporting program (at various locations in the
city), from Friday to Sunday there is a street festival (with a stage
program and various stands) in Cologne's old town (Heumarkt, Alter
Markt). The highlight is the parade through Cologne city center that
starts on Sunday at 12 noon on the Deutzer Bridge. The KVB offers a
discounted ticket for the CSD weekend.
Christmas markets
Christmas market at Cologne Cathedral on Roncalliplatz, over 100 free
stage events under the tent of lights · Underground station: "Dom/Hbf.".
Christmas market in Cologne's old town on the Alter Markt and Heumarkt
Underground stations: "Rathaus" and "Heumarkt".
Market of Angels on
the Neumarkt Subway station: "Neumarkt".
Vringsadvent on
Chlodwigplatz with the world's largest Feuerzangenbowle
Nikolausdorf
− Christmas market on Rudolfplatz
Christmas on the water - Harbor
Christmas market at the chocolate museum
Christmas Avenue − Gay and
Lesbian Christmas Market
Christmas market in the Stadtgarten, a bit
smaller, but with a relatively cozy atmosphere
Mulled wine in the
Veedel - Christmas markets in the districts
Wellness
Claudius
Therme (at the Rheinpark at the Rheinseilbahn. The 150 bus runs from the
Deutz/Messe train station to the Therme), Sachsenbergstr. 1. Thermal
baths, sauna, beauty & wellness, physiotherapy, gastronomy.
KölnBäder
GmbH operates 13 swimming pools with different facilities in the city of
Cologne, with admission prices starting at 4 euros for adults.
Supermarkets are often open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
or 10 p.m., in some cases longer.
A special feature of Cologne -
which is comparable to Germany only in the Ruhr area - are the kiosks
("Büdchen"). Such a kiosk can be reached almost anywhere in Cologne
within a few minutes and, in addition to a wide selection of drinks,
usually also offers the most important things for everyday needs
(hygiene items, a small selection of groceries). The special thing is
that the kiosks are usually open well after 8 p.m. In the nightlife
districts also until late at night.
For shopping you can go to
the Schildergasse and Hohe Straße (stops: Dom/ Hauptbahnhof, Neumarkt,
Heumarkt) if you are looking for branches of the big chains.
Ehrenstrasse and Breite Strasse (bus stops: Neumarkt, Appellhofplatz)
tend to offer smaller shops and alternative shopping opportunities.
On the right bank of the Rhine you can go shopping at Deutzer
Freiheit, (H) Deutzer Freiheit (city rail lines 1, 7 and 9) or (H) Bf.
Deutz / Messe or (H) Bf. Deutz / LanxessArena (regional express and
regional train lines). , all S-Bahn lines, the Stadtbahn lines 1, 3, 4
and 9 as well as some bus lines)
If you are unfamiliar with the area, you are usually advised to go to
the old town. In fact, many areas of the old town are free of traffic
and there are numerous traditional and international inns, pubs and
restaurants. Here you get not only international dishes and drinks, but
also the Cologne culinary specialties and of course the "Kölsch".
For many Cologne residents, the old town is either too expensive or
overcrowded with tourists. One prefers to go to the nightlife areas,
along the rings.
Rhenish specialties
Himmel un Ääd - fried
black pudding with mashed potatoes and apples
Halve Hahn - thick
slice of middle-aged Gouda on a rye roll with onions and mustard - met
Öllich and Mostard
Kölscher caviar - blood sausage with onions, Flönz
is the name of the blood sausage
Rievkooche - a typical Rhenish
potato specialty.
Hämchen met suure Kappes - pork knuckle with
sauerkraut
A crust actually stands for a crust of bread, but is also
the expression for a schnitzel on a slice of rye bread baked with a
fried egg. But it can also mean a small portion of goulash with little
roasts as a warm crust or a crust of goulash.
Ädäppelszupp - potato
soup
Suurbroode or Soorbrode - Rhenish sauerbraten with raisins,
dumplings and apple compote.
Upscale
1 Moissonier (2 stars, French bistro style, small star
restaurant with about 50 seats. You should reserve.w: Menchon: "Cook of
the Year" from "Feinschmecker", video on the restaurant page), Krefelder
Str. 25. Price: e.g. B. Menu 78€.
2 Himmel und Äd, Kaygasse 2. Tel.:
+49(0)221 2008171. 1 star, regional German fine cuisine. Open: Tue - Sat
6.30 p.m. - 10 p.m. Price: €15. up to 75 €.
3 La Poêle d'Or,
Komödienstr. 50. Tel: +49(0)221 13986777. 1 star, French modern fine
dining. Open: Tue - Sat 12.00 - 14.00 and 18.30 - 22.00. Price: €26 to
€95".
4 Taku, Trankgasse 1-5 / Domplatz. Tel.: +49(0)221 2703910. 1
star, Asian modern fine dining. Open: Tue - Sat 12.00 - 14.00 and 18.00
- 21.30. Price: 35€ to 119€. Last modified: Sep.
5 Alfredo, Tunisstr.
3. Tel.: +49(0)221 2577380. 1 star, Italian cuisine. Open: Mon - Fri
12.00 - 15.00 and 18.00 - 23.00. Price: €48 to €74.
6 Hase
Restaurant, Sankt-Apern-Strasse 17, 50667 Cologne. Tel.: +49 (0)221
254375, e-mail: reservierung@hase-restaurant.de. Open: Mon - Sat 12.00 -
16.00 + 18.00 - 23.00.
7 La Société, Kyffhäuser Str. 53. Tel.:
+49(0)221 232464. 1 star, modern French cuisine. Open: daily 6.30 p.m. -
11 p.m. Price: €60 to €80.
8 Maitres at Landhaus Kuckuck, Olympiaweg
2. Tel.: +49(0)221 485360. 1 star, French cuisine. Open: Wed - Sun 7
p.m. - 10 p.m. Price: €38 to €99.
9 maiBeck, Am Frankenturm 5. Tel.:
+49(0)221 96267300. 1 star. Open: Tue - Sat 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and
from 5:30 p.m., Sundays from 12:00 p.m. continuously. Price: Menu: €42 -
Carte: €41-55.
Poisson, Wolfstrasse 6-14, 50667 Cologne. Tel.: +49
(0)221 27736883, fax: +49 (0)221 27250559, e-mail:
menue@poisson-restaurant.de. Near the Neumarkt, which is currently rated
with 16 out of 20 points in the Gault Millau. Open: Tue – Fri 12pm – 3pm
+ 6pm – 10pm, Sat 12pm – 10pm, Sun + Mon closed.
If you are
interested in the extraordinary in the culinary field, you can take tram
line 1 in the direction of Bensberg to Bensberg Castle and embark on a
culinary journey in the Vendôme restaurant. Joachim Wissler, one of
Germany's ten three-star chefs, has been cooking here since 2000 and was
voted "chef of chefs" by his colleagues in 2012.
More business
cards for restaurants can be found in the sub-articles describing the
districts.
Especially in the evening, the above-mentioned breweries are of
course worthwhile. However, those who are particularly nocturnal should
not plan to end the evening there, as most breweries close comparatively
early.
Cheap
In addition to the old town (see below), the
student quarter, the so-called Kwartier Latäng, at Zülpicher Platz and
Barbarossaplatz (the same as for the bus stops) has the highest density
of pubs. The core of the district is between Zülpicher Strasse and
Luxemburger Strasse and along Zülpicher Strasse. However, you will not
find the classic Cologne pubs here, but rather bars, cafés, restaurants,
snack bars, clubs and one or the other surprise. It makes the most sense
to "explore" the neighborhood at the weekend. So everyone can find
"their" place. The audience is represented up to about 30 years, but the
age does not matter. The prices are mostly student-friendly. Cocktails
are particularly cheap, as many bars have a happy hour, in some this
"hour" lasts the whole evening, so that you can often get good cocktails
for about four euros.
The district of Ehrenfeld is slowly
developing into a trendy district. There are also pubs, bars,
restaurants and clubs here. They are concentrated in Alt-Ehrenfeld.
The most popular parties and concerts are e.g. B. in the Luxor, Rose
Club (both Luxemburger Str.), Live Music Hall (Ehrenfeld), BUILDING 9
(Deutz) or E-Werk (Mülheim) in a good price range. New clubs such as Die
Werkstatt (Silver Pig Party) in Ehrenfeld and the Vault at Westbahnhof
also developed quickly.
Middle
It is also often a bit more
expensive in Cologne's "Südstadt" (bus stops: Chlodwigplatz, Ubierring).
The Südstadt with its bars and pubs is still more of an alternative
compared to other districts - even if you don't always notice it.
Breweries and pubs
You will find a rustic atmosphere at scrubbed
wooden tables, will be served by the Köbes (Jakob, female Köbesses call
themselves Köbinen), who will hopefully bring a sense of humor if you
come out as someone unfamiliar with Cologne (a certain prickly
detachment from the guest is a prerequisite for employment). The Köbes
will replace an empty Kölsch glass with a full glass without being
asked. If you don't want to drink anything else, you have to put the
beer mat on the glass. If this doesn't help either, you have to leave
the glass half full. These places are mostly frequented by guests over
the age of thirty.
Selected breweries and pubs can be found here
with addresses and links to OpenStreetMap and in the other district
articles.
Cheap
In addition to the newly built youth hostel in Deutz on
Siegesstr. 5 (bus stop: Messe/Deutz), the Köln-Pathpoint youth hostel at
Allerheiligenstraße 15 north of the main train station and the
relatively remote Cologne-Riehl youth hostel in the Riehler Aue am Rein
(bus stop: Boltensternstr.), the backpacker hostel station near the
train station and Blacksheep-Hostel directly in the Kwartier Lateng and
in the Belgian Quarter the "Hostel for special living experiences", Die
Wohngemeinschaft (bed in a dormitory from €21.50). Centrally located on
the Cologne Ring Road, the Pension Otto is an ideal place to stay (room
€25 - €65).
1 Pathpoint-Cologne Youth Hostel - Backpacker Hostel,
Allerheiligenstraße 15, 50668 Cologne. Phone: +49(0)221 13 05 68 6-0,
fax: +49 (0)221 13 05 68 6-70, e-mail: info@pathpoint-cologne.de.
2
A&O Cologne Cathedral, Komödienstrasse 19-21, 50667 Cologne. Tel.: +49
(0)221 46 70 6 - 47 00. Inexpensive hotel right by the cathedral.
Feature: 41 rooms. Payment types accepted: debit card, credit card.
3
A&O Cologne-Neumarkt, Mauritiuswall 64/66, 50676 Cologne. Tel.: +49
(0)221 46 70 6 - 47 00. Feature: 173 rooms. Price: beds in multiple
rooms from €8. Payment types accepted: debit card, credit card.
4 A&O
Cologne Central Station, Ursulaplatz 10-12. Tel: +49(0)221 4993 7050,
Email: booking@aohostels.comfacebook. Feature: 39 rooms. Payment methods
accepted: debit card, credit card.Last modified: Nov 2017 (information
may be out of date)
Middle
If you are looking for a party
stay, you should settle down at the Artisthotel MonteCristo. In addition
to the rooms, which are inexpensive by hotel standards (from €49), the
late check-out at 5 p.m. is particularly worth mentioning.
Upscale
The hotels Dom-Hotel, Excelsior Hotel Ernst, Hotel im
Wasserturm, Hilton Cologne, Hyatt Regency Cologne and Maritim Hotel
should be mentioned here with the appropriate ambience.
B&B
Those who do not want to stay in a hotel will find many guest rooms and
holiday apartments in Cologne. Especially during trade fairs, these
accommodations are usually the only available accommodations in Cologne.
Apartment in Cologne. Inexpensive holiday apartment in Cologne.
Feature: pension.
The first university in Cologne was founded in 1388, making it one of
the oldest universities in Germany. In the Middle Ages, numerous
scholars of international standing taught at her Albertus Magnus, after
whom the current university was named. The university was closed by the
French and was not reopened until after the First World War. In addition
to the university, numerous other universities have been established in
Cologne in recent decades.
University of Cologne – The
university, refounded in 1919 by Konrad Adenauer, is the largest
university in Germany and offers a wide range of subjects with a focus
on the humanities and medicine. It is located in the southwest of
Cologne and can be reached via the Köln-Süd train station or the
Universität tram stop. The core of the university is on the left and
right of Universitätsstraße. A "student path" leads from the city center
via the university campus to the university clinic, characterized by the
ward block, in Lindenthal. In the 2005 summer semester there were a
total of 47,200 students, more than 10% of them from abroad. The Faculty
of Philosophy accounts for the largest share with over 15,000 students,
followed by the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences with almost
9,000 students.
Technical University of Cologne - The former
university of applied sciences was renamed the Technical University of
Cologne in September 2015, although the new name only describes part of
the courses. In addition to various technical fields (e.g. mechanical
engineering, computer science, architecture), social science and
economics subjects can also be studied here. The TH has two centres: one
is in Deutz, the other in the south of the city between Chlodwigplatz
and the banks of the Rhine. Around 24,000 students study at it.
German Sports University - The sports university located next to the
stadium area in Cologne-Müngersdorf is attended by almost 6,000
students. In addition to teacher training courses, numerous areas of
sport are researched and taught there, such as training methods, sports
medicine and doping analyses.
University of Music and Dance -
with almost 1,600 students, it is the largest music university in
Germany. Almost all common musical instruments, singing and dancing are
taught. The university is located in the northern part of the old town
near Eigelstein and Ebertplatz.
Catholic University - This is a
merger of four Catholic universities of applied sciences in North
Rhine-Westphalia. The head office is at the largest location in Cologne,
more precisely in the northern part of the city near
Reichenspergerplatz. Around 3,000 students are enrolled in the two
departments of social sciences and nursing sciences.
Art Academy
for Media - This state university with around 300 students emerged from
the former art school. In the media city of Cologne, she does not focus
on painting and sculpture, but on media art, i.e. film, video, sound art
and photography.
In addition to the universities mentioned above,
there are several private universities whose courses are mostly in the
field of economics or media.
The largest industrial employer in Cologne is undoubtedly the Ford
factory, which has been manufacturing in Cologne-Niehl since 1931.
Another industrial focus is the Cologne chemical belt. In the north and
south of the city - sometimes even beyond the city limits - there are
several chemical industry companies. Among them are well-known large
corporations such as Degussa, Shell, Hoechst and Bayer. Almost half of
the Bayer works in Leverkusen are located in the city of Cologne, and
the city limits also run right across the factory premises at the
Dormagen Chemical Park. The chemical company Lanxess, which was spun off
from the Bayer group, has its headquarters in Cologne. Other branches of
industry have largely disappeared in recent decades: the formerly
important engine manufacturer Deutz AG - after all the inventor of the
Otto engine - has shrunk considerably in recent decades and the once
large cable manufacturers are almost non-existent. Railways, cable cars
or lighthouse beacons are no longer built in Cologne.
The largest
institutional employer with over 6,500 employees is the Cologne
University Hospital. The other universities also offer numerous jobs in
teaching, research and administration. The WDR is Europe's largest
broadcaster and has its main building in the heart of the city. Another
component of the media city of Cologne is Germany's largest private
broadcaster RTL. Deutschlandradio, the federal broadcaster, also has its
headquarters in Cologne. Other commercial broadcasters based in Cologne
are VOX, NTV and Terranova and, of course, a wide range of companies
that do their work around the international TV center of Cologne. The
media also includes the press group DuMont-Schauberg, which not only
publishes all of Cologne's daily newspapers, but has also taken over
other newspapers.
Another focus in the working world is the
insurance industry with the original Cologne insurance companies
Agrippina and Colonia, which today belong to the international insurance
groups of the Zurich Group and Axa. After Munich, Cologne is the second
power in the country with around 60 main administrative offices, led by
Gerling, DKV and Gothaer. Every twelfth employee in the insurance
industry in Germany works in Cologne. Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the only
DAX company with its headquarters in Cologne and employs several
thousand people there (including subsidiaries). Other large employers
are the public administrations and courts. In addition to the city
administration, the Federal Office of Administration, the district
government and the headquarters of the Rhineland Regional Council are
located in Cologne.
Basically, the safety instructions (in crowded trams, at the stops
and at the main station; pickpockets) do not differ from other German
cities. However, one should always be a little cautious.
Certain
areas are not inherently unsafe, but you should be particularly vigilant
and use your common sense there (Ebertplatz (concrete architecture, dark
corners) // around the main station // rings (there and on Zülpicher
Straße there is a no-arms zone) // Neumarkt (especially the pedestrian
underpass and underground station exit in the direction of
Josef-Haubrich-Hof) partly drunk people) // Zülpicher Straße between
Zülpicher Platz and Südbahnhof at the weekend (possibly drunk people)).
For this reason, some central public squares and streets have been under
video surveillance for a number of years.
Particular care should
be taken at carnival time (the fifth season) when the jesters (Jecken)
occupy the streets and pubs. Then there is a lot of alcohol involved and
unfortunately also one or the other aggression.
Wellness and relaxation can be found in the Claudius Therme, the
Mauritius Therme, the fairly new Neptunbad and the public baths
Agrippabad and Müngersdorfer Stadion. The green belt around Cologne
offers designated jogging paths.
In some urban green areas (Inner
Green Belt (between Venloer Straße and Vogelsanger Straße),
Adenauerweiher, Friedenswald, Lohsepark) there are free fitness courses
with equipment and suitable instructions for fitness exercises.
Cologne has numerous clinics of different sizes that cover the entire
city area. Resident specialists of all disciplines with an emergency
medical service and pharmacies with a night service are available.
a selection of medical and dental emergency services in Cologne
Dental emergency service Cologne Mediation by A&V e.V. (mediated only to
affiliated doctors): 0221-29010200
Tourist info
Service Center & The Cologne Shop,
Kardinal-Höffner-Platz 1 D - 50667 Cologne. Tel.: +49 (0)221 34 64 30,
e-mail: info@koelntourismus.de. Service center and Cologne shop. Open:
Mon - Sat 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sun and public holidays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
News
On the radio
Public broadcasting: WDR 2 (frequency 100.4
or 98.6), hourly; Traffic news every half hour during the day, otherwise
every hour
Private: Radio Köln (frequency 107.1), every half hour
during the day, otherwise every hour, traffic reports such as news
On
TV
Public broadcasting: WDR: Current hour (all of NRW) 6:45 p.m.,
local time from Cologne (Cologne and the surrounding area) 7:30 p.m. The
local time from Cologne can only be received in Cologne and the
surrounding area.
Church services
Holy Masses in Catholic
Churches near Central Station:
Dom, Domkloster 3 (next to the main
station). Cologne Cathedral Sun: 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 12
p.m., 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m.; Mon-Sat: 6:30am, 7:15am, 8am, 9am, 6:30pm
St. Andreas, Komödienstr. 8. Sankt Andreas Sun: 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m.,
6:00 p.m.; Mon-Fri: 12:05 p.m.; Sat: 9:00 a.m., 5:00 p.m
St. Mariae
Himmelfahrt, Marzellenstr. 26th Assumption of the Virgin Mary Sun: 11:00
a.m.; Wed, Thu: 10:30 a.m.; Sat: 5:00 p.m., 6:30 p.m
Minorite Church,
Kolpingplatz 5. Sun: 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m.; Tue-Fri: 9:00 a.m
The main evangelical church in Cologne is the Antoniterkirche on
Schildergasse. Church services Sun 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. There is a
10-minute devotional at 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Next to the
church there is an information point that provides information about the
Protestant churches and institutions in the greater Cologne area
(opening hours: Mon-Sat 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.).
Miscellaneous
All four German cell phone networks are also easily available in the
subway in Cologne. Internet cafés are mainly found where there is
usually more going on - so most likely in the nightlife districts
described above.
Hotspot areas on OpenStreetMap (Cologne City
website)
From April to the end of October there are public free
drinking water fountains in the city (Zeppelinstrasse (near Neumarkt),
Eigelstein (near Ebertplatz, at the Eigelsteintor), Elsassstrasse /
corner of Bonner Strasse (near Chlodwigplatz), Deutzer Freiheit (on the
square near St. Heribert), at Kurt-Hackenberg-Platz (near the cathedral,
main station, Hohenzollernbrücke, bronze, two-part) and in the
Rheinauhafen (at the skate park)). There is also a drinking water
fountain in the city districts.
Geographical location and climate
The urban area extends over
405.17 km² (230.25 km² on the left bank of the Rhine, 174.87 km² on the
right bank of the Rhine). In Germany, only the city states of Berlin and
Hamburg and four small and medium-sized towns in Saxony-Anhalt and
Brandenburg have a larger urban area.
The city's topographical
reference point, the top of the north cathedral tower, is at 50° 56' 33"
north latitude and 6° 57' 32" east longitude. The highest point is
118.04 meters (Monte Troodelöh in Königsforst); the lowest 37.5 meters
above sea level (in the Worringer fault).
The city is located in
the Cologne Bay, a funnel-shaped river valley landscape shaped by the
Rhine between the gradual rising slopes of the Bergisches Land and the
Eifel immediately after the Rhine emerges from the Rhenish Slate
Mountains. This sheltered, favorable location means that Cologne has a
mild climate.
Cologne is located in the greater area of the
transition zone from a moderate maritime climate to a continental
climate with mild winters (January mean: 3.0 °C) and moderately warm
summers (July mean: 19.0 °C). The average annual precipitation is 802
millimeters, which is the average for Germany and significantly higher
than in the Rhein-Erft district to the west (Erftstadt-Bliesheim: 631
mm) or the Jülich-Zülpicher Börde (Zülpich: 582 mm), which gives
commuters the impression of a "rain holes" awakened.
The
Cologne-Stammheim weather station can be used as a representative of the
urban climate in Cologne. It can be seen that the winter temperatures
are among the mildest in all of Germany and the minimum temperatures are
very high due to the urban microclimate. The mean values from the period
2015-2020 are quite similar to the values from the Lyon climate mean
over the years 1961-1990.
In the last 30 years, the long-term
mean temperatures in Cologne have risen noticeably; while the average
daily maximum temperature in July for the period 1961 to 1990 was around
23 °C, it is around 25 °C for the years 1991 to 2020. The winters have
also become warmer; while the average daily maximum temperature in
January for the years 1961 to 1990 was 4.5 °C, it was 5.9 °C for the
period 1991 to 2020.
However, the average precipitation profile
has hardly changed, the average annual precipitation has remained about
the same. On the other hand, the number of hours of sunshine has
increased over the past 30 years from 4.1 to 4.4 hours per day on a
long-term average.
Energy production, industry and transport are the main causes of
anthropogenic air pollution. Within the scope of the previous clean air
planning, considerable successes could be achieved for almost all air
pollutants, here in particular for the fine dust, which was still
critical at the beginning of the 2000s. To protect human health, the
annual limit value for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) of 40 µg/m³ was set across
Europe in 2010. To protect vegetation, a critical value of 30 µg/m³ NOx
is used as the annual average. These limit values are still being
exceeded over a large area in Cologne.
In order to permanently
reduce air pollution, the district government of Cologne drew up a clean
air plan for the first time in 2006 in accordance with Section 47 (1) of
the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG). The subject of such a clean
air plan is the description of the exceedance situation, the polluter
analysis, the consideration of the probable development of the pollution
situation and the development of measures that should lead to a
reduction in air pollutants. Therefore, on January 1, 2008, the first
environmental zone in North Rhine-Westphalia was set up in Cologne,
extending over the inner city area. Since compliance with the limit
values for nitrogen dioxide could not be achieved as a result, the clean
air plan was updated and the environmental zone was extended to almost
the entire city area on April 1, 2012. After a gradual introduction,
since July 1, 2014, only motor vehicles with a green sticker may enter
the environmental zone.
Since the applicable limit value for
nitrogen dioxide was still exceeded at nine measuring stations in
Cologne in 2016, the district government had to update the current clean
air plan for the city of Cologne. Overall, at all measuring points
affected by limit value violations, the share of emissions from road
traffic accounts for the highest proportion of the existing pollution
situation. A large proportion results from the nitrogen dioxide
emissions from diesel vehicles. The fine dust annual mean limit has been
complied with at all measuring points in Cologne since 2009. The
locations of the areas in which increased loads occur cover a larger
area around the inner city and individual areas in the outskirts of the
city. The five biggest problem areas are the Clevische Ring
(Cologne-Mülheim), Justinianstrasse (Deutz), Neumarkt (City), on
Aachener Strasse (Weiden) and Luxemburger Strasse (Sülz). In this
respect, there is a need for action to further reduce air pollution in
the planning area.
Since mid-August 2019, trucks over 7.5 tons
have been banned from entering Cologne city center as part of the clean
air plan. Delivery traffic and residents are not affected by the ban.
The city of Cologne has been taking part in the “Earth Hour”, which has
been held annually by the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) since 2007.
Cologne is located on the southern edge of the Lower Rhine Bay for
the most part in the area of the lower terraces, which rise slightly in
terraces from the Rhine. The geological substructure in the city area is
formed from up to 35 meter thick deposits from the Ice Age (Quaternary).
They consist of gravel and sand from the Rhine-Maas system. Foothills of
the Rhenish lignite mining area reach as far as Kalk: around 1860 the
lignite mine Union Neu-Deutz was founded there. The Sünner brothers'
brewery is located on the site today, and was able to use the
groundwater that penetrated the tunnel. Tertiary and Devonian strata
follow in the deeper underground.
The soil composition is
characterized by the fertile soil of the alluvial plain on the Rhine. In
the western parts of the city, they are covered by loess, which has
weathered into high-yield, arable clay soils (parabraunerden). They are
often associated with fertile colluvia that developed in depressions
from washed-off soil material. At the end of the last Ice Age, the Rhine
deposited sandy to loamy sediments in the adjacent Rhine plain to the
east, which is broken up by silted up oxbow lakes. From this, high-yield
brown soils and brown soils were formed, which are also used for arable
farming. In the Rheinaue, fertile brown floodplain soils were created by
periodic flooding from alluvial soil material. The extreme east of the
city area is already part of the base of the Rhenish Slate Mountains.
Geologically older terrace sands and shifting sands are widespread here,
from which mostly poorer brown soils, acidic podzol brown soils and, in
the case of dense subsoil, waterlogged pseudogleye emerged. These rather
inferior soils are used as heaths or for forestry purposes. Gleye,
influenced by groundwater, formed along streams and in channels there,
as well as in the Rheinaue.
Due to tectonic movements of the
Rheingraben fault, pronounced terrain edges developed around Cologne,
such as the Ville near Frechen. Immediately to the west of this is
Germany's most active earthquake zone, the epicenter of which is in the
district of Düren. To prevent earthquakes, the Department of Earthquake
Geology at the University of Cologne installed a measuring network with
19 "strong-motion stations" between Aachen, Bensberg, Meckenheim and
Viersen in 2006 and expanded to 24 stations by 2018. Micro-earthquakes
that are imperceptible occur several times a month in the Bay of
Cologne.
The Rhine, known as the Lower Rhine after emerging from the slate
mountains south of Cologne, reaches the city at Godorf and leaves it at
Worringen. The gradient of the river is about 0.2 parts per thousand.
Its current water level can be read off the clock on the Cologne gauge.
Normally, this shows 3.48 meters, which means a water depth of approx.
4.48 meters in the fairway.
Cologne was repeatedly affected by
floods. The worst recorded flood occurred in February 1784, when a
temperature jump began after the extremely long and cold winter of
1783-84. The Rhine was frozen solid and the melting snow and the
breaking ice resulted in a record water level of 13.55 metres. The
floods, on which heavy ice floes were floating, devastated large parts
of the bank buildings and all ships. The Schollengang destroyed
individual buildings, including fortifications; there were 65 dead. The
flood of water and ice completely destroyed the district town of Mülheim
am Rhein on the right bank of the Rhine, today a district of Cologne.
In the 20th century, the three hundred floods of 1926, 1993 and 1995
reached water levels of up to 10.69 metres. A flood protection concept
has been implemented since 2005, which protects the city up to a water
level of 11.90 meters with fixed or mobile walls. The Rhine had low
water on several occasions. At 8 a.m. on September 20, 2003, the Rhine
reached the 0.8 meter mark at the Cologne gauge. This fell below the
lowest recorded value from 1947. However, this negative record was
broken in October 2018. First, the record mark was reached on October
18th. On October 23, the water level was only 0.67 m. However, the level
of 0 meters means that the 150-metre-wide fairway in the middle of the
river still has one meter of water depth. Inland shipping had to accept
restrictions and was not stopped completely, as was the case on the
Elbe.
The amount of water moving through the city depending on
the water level is shown below: 0.80 m (lowest water level): 630 cubic
meters/second; 3.48 m (normal water level): 2000 m³/s; 6.20 m (high
water mark I): 4,700 m³/s; 8.30 m (high water mark II): 7200 m³/s; 10.0
m (flood protection in the old town, Rodenkirchen and Zündorf): 9700
m³/s; 10.69 m (January 1995 flood): 11,500 m³/s.
Cologne is the center of a metropolitan area that has around two
million inhabitants. In a closed settlement area, the following cities
border clockwise, starting in the north-east, directly on the urban
area: Leverkusen (district-free city), Bergisch Gladbach and Rösrath
(Rheinisch-Bergischer district), Troisdorf and Niederkassel (Rhein-Sieg
district), Wesseling, Brühl, Hürth, Frechen and Pulheim (all
Rhein-Erft-Kreis), Dormagen (Rhine-Kreis Neuss) and Monheim (Kreis
Mettmann).
The town of Wesseling was incorporated into Cologne on
January 1, 1975, and regained its independence after a court decision on
July 1, 1976.
The city of Cologne is divided into 86 districts, which are combined
into 9 districts. The city of Cologne numbers the city districts from 1
to 9 and the districts from 101 to 105, 201 to 213, 301 to 309, 401 to
406, 501 to 507, 601 to 612, 701 to 716, 801 to 809 and from 901 to 909
, where the hundreds digit is the borough number. However, the district
number has no connection with the postal code.
Within the
districts, the people of Cologne still distinguish between different
“Veedeln” (Kölsch for districts), whose residents often maintain social
ties and contacts reminiscent of village communities. However, the
boundaries and names of the Veedel vary considerably depending on the
perspective of the residents. The Office for Urban Development and
Statistics has defined 371 districts for statistical evaluations -
strictly speaking, parts of districts including the districts themselves
- which include residential areas with few residents and settlements as
well as commercial areas.
Cologne has extensive green spaces, which are designed as parks in
the urban area and mostly managed forests in the outskirts. There are
also 22 nature reserves, for example the Worringer Bruch in the extreme
north of Cologne on the left bank of the Rhine, a former branch of the
Rhine that is now silted up. It offers a home for rare animal and plant
species and a characteristic meadow and forest landscape. On the right
bank of the Rhine there are mainly open forest and heathland landscapes
such as the Wahner Heide, the Königsforst nature reserve and the
Dünnwalder forest. According to the 2016 area survey, Cologne has 5406
hectares of forest, which corresponds to 13.3% of the city area.
The fauna shows a very high number of culture followers. In addition to
pigeons, mice and rats, which are ubiquitous and often perceived as a
nuisance, red foxes have migrated to the urban area in significant
numbers. They can now be found in the city center, where they use
allotment gardens and parks as their territory. As a result of the
improvement in water quality, the Rhine flowing through Cologne has once
again become home to many formerly existing and newly immigrated
species.
Various non-native animals have settled in Cologne's
green spaces, benefiting from the mild climate. Larger populations of
Ring-necked Parakeets and the Great Alexander Parakeet live in the
Melaten Cemetery and on the grounds of the Riehler Heimstätten, among
other places. Originally introduced to Germany from Asian mountain
regions (India, Afghanistan) for zoo and apartment keeping, these
parrots/parakeets have established themselves as neozoa. The information
about the size of the population ranges from a few 100 specimens to over
1000 pieces.
Development of the city name
The name of the city of Cologne is
derived from its Latin name Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. The
current name developed from Colonia via Coellen, Cöllen, Cölln and Cöln
(see section “Prussian rule” and Cologne). The city is called Kölle in
the Cologne dialect Kölsch. In most Romance and a larger number of other
languages, the Latin origin of the name is still recognizable (e.g.
Italian and Spanish Colonia, Portuguese Colônia, Catalan Colònia, French
Cologne, Polish Kolonia, Turkish Kolonya, Arabic كولونيا, DMG Kōlōnyā).
antiquity
The ancient name of the city, Colonia Claudia Ara
Agrippinensium (CCAA), goes back to the Roman Empress Agrippina:
Claudius' wife was born on the Rhine and had the Ubier settlement
Oppidum Ubiorum raised to the status of a city in 50 AD; city rights
were officially granted on July 8, 50. In Roman times, Cologne was the
seat of the governor of the province of Germania inferior.
In
January 69, Aulus Vitellius had himself proclaimed emperor by the local
Roman-Germanic legions, receiving the sword of Gaius Iulius Caesar,
which was kept in the local temple of Mars, as a symbol of his claim to
power. He also put the nickname Germanicus to himself. Together with
vexillations of the British legions, parts of the troops stationed on
the Rhine then marched to Italy: This withdrawal of important parts of
the troops was to bring about a very dangerous situation for the Romans
in Germania during the Batava rebellion of the same year.
Roman
coin finds suggest that the city's water supply from the foothills
existed from about 30 AD. Probably around 80 AD, the city received one
of the longest Roman aqueducts ever, the Eifel aqueduct.
early
middle ages
Cologne was an important city in the early Middle Ages.
Against the background of the gradual decline of the Roman Empire, it
was conquered by the Franks around the year 455. Until the beginning of
the 6th century, Cologne was the main town of an independent Frankish
sub-kingdom, then merged into the kingdom of Clovis I and retained
strong independence in the area of the Ripuarians. The Roman population
lived in the city alongside the Frankish conquerors for a long time. In
the course of the 6th to 8th centuries there was a complete
acculturation between the two populations. The mutual influence of the
Franconian and Latin dialects can be verified from sources. The Franks
quickly took over the cultural achievements of the Roman city
population, for example in the area of building technology or glass
production. Towards the end of the Merovingian period, Cologne was a
residence city. From the Carolingian period at the latest, the bishop or
archbishop of Cologne was one of the most important people in the
empire.
In 862, Cologne was attacked for the first time by
Vikings arriving by ship. There was devastation and looting. The Vikings
subsequently settled permanently on the Waal and Lek, and brisk trade
developed between the Normans and the Rhinelanders. In the winter of 881
the peaceful period ended. The Vikings invaded the Meuse region and
plundered numerous towns and cities. At least three of their ships
appeared off Cologne at the end of December and the Nordic warriors
demanded tolls. In January 882, after tough negotiations, Cologne paid
the Normans a high danegeld in silver. The city was therefore initially
spared. The Vikings then drove up the Rhine in February, plundering and
burning Bonn, Andernach and Trier.
On the return journey or
during their summer campaign in 882, the robbery horde again demanded
danegeld from the people of Cologne, which the squeezed people of
Cologne could not muster. Their city was then also burned. After the
devastation, the people of Cologne strengthened the dilapidated
Roman-era walls, which proved very useful the following year, 883,
during the next Viking visit. Unlike the newly rebuilt cities of Bonn
and Andernach, Cologne did not go up in flames that year.
Under
the Ottonians, Cologne played an important role in bringing the East
Frankish-German Empire closer to the Byzantine Empire, since Empress
Theophanu, a Greek by birth and wife of Otto II, resided there as
regent. From the 10th century onwards, a series of foundations of
monasteries began, which produced Romanesque church buildings.
Subsequently, under the leadership of important and politically
experienced archbishops, Cologne achieved an unchallenged status as a
spiritual center. The Archbishop of Cologne was Elector of the
Archbishopric and Electorate of Cologne, which was founded in the middle
of the 10th century. The transfer of the bones of the Magi from Milan to
Cologne by Archbishop Rainald von Dassel in 1164 made the city an
important destination for pilgrims.
Largest city in medieval
Germany
In the High Middle Ages, Cologne became the largest city in
the German-speaking region with around 40,000 inhabitants, so that its
city fortifications had to be expanded several times. From 1180
(documents dated July 27 and August 18, 1180) the then longest city wall
with twelve gate castles and 52 defensive towers in the ring wall, 22
gates and small gates in the Rhine wall was built and completed around
1250. It was more massive than the wall of King Philip II Augustus in
Paris, which was built at almost the same time, and was 7.5 km long. The
twelve gates - seven mighty twin-tower gate castles (of which the
Eigelsteintor and Hahnentor are preserved), three huge tower gate
castles (of which the Severinstor is preserved) and two smaller
twin-tower gates (see Ulrepforte) - integrated into the semi-circular
city wall - were intended to remind of the heavenly Jerusalem.
The name "Holy Cologne" was first mentioned in a document in 804. Since
the 12th century, alongside Jerusalem, Constantinople and Rome, Cologne
has had the designation Sancta in its city name: Sancta Colonia Dei
Gratia Romanae Ecclesiae Fidelis Filia - "Holy Cologne by the grace of
God, faithful daughter of the Roman Church." The name "Dat hillige
Coellen" or the "Hillige Stat van Coellen" was a concept of this time.
Even today, Cologne is popularly called “et hillije Kölle”. It was
decided to build an unrivaled size and impressive church to give the
relics - especially those of the three kings - an appropriate setting.
The cornerstone of Cologne Cathedral was laid in 1248.
Late
Medieval Cologne
On May 7, 1259, Cologne received the staple right,
which gave the citizens of Cologne a right of first refusal for all
goods transported on the Rhine, thus contributing to the city's
prosperity. Years of fighting between the Archbishops of Cologne and the
patricians ended temporarily in 1288 with the Battle of Worringen, in
which the army of Archbishop Siegfried von Westerburg (1275–1297) was
defeated by Count Adolf V. von Berg and the citizens of Cologne. From
then on, the city no longer belonged to the archbishopric, and the
archbishop was only allowed to enter it for religious ceremonies.
However, the official elevation to the Free Imperial City lasted until
1475. The clashes between the patrician council and the guilds not
represented in the council led to the bloody Cologne weavers' uprising
on November 20, 1371.
In 1396, a bloodless revolution finally
ended patrician rule in Cologne. It was replaced by a corporative
constitution based on the organization of the gaffs. This was preceded
by a dispute within the Cologne patriciate, in which the party of the
griffins with their leader Hilger Quattermart von der Stesse was
disempowered by the party of the friends of Konstantin von Lyskirchen.
Hilger Quattermart's relative Heinrich von Stave was executed on January
11, 1396 on the Neumarkt, many of the griffins were sentenced to life
imprisonment.
On June 18, 1396, Konstantin von Lyskirchen tried
to restore old patrician rights. The craftsmen's and merchants' guilds
who protested against this were sent home by him "off their high
horses". The guilds then arrested the friends in their meeting room. The
griffins were freed. On June 24, 1396, a 48-strong provisional council
of merchants, landowners and craftsmen met. The town clerk Gerlach von
Hauwe then formulated the so-called union letter, which was signed on
September 14, 1396 by the 22 so-called Gaffeln and put into effect. The
gaffs are composed heterogeneously. The disempowered patricians,
offices, guilds and individuals are grouped together in them, but not
the numerically very strong clergy; every Cologne citizen had to join a
gaff. The union letter constituted a 49-strong council, with 36
councilors from the Gaffeln and 13 Gebrechtsherren who were appointed.
The union letter remained in force until the end of the Free Imperial
City in 1794.
Early modern age
From 1500 Cologne belonged to
the newly created Lower Rhine-Westphalian Imperial Circle, while the
surrounding area (Kurköln) belonged to the Kurköln Imperial Circle newly
created in 1512. In 1582 the Archbishop of Cologne, Gebhard Truchsess
von Waldburg, renounced the Catholic Church, proclaimed the equality of
Catholicism and Protestantism in his dominions and later married the
Protestant canoness Agnes von Mansfeld. However, since he refused to
apply the clause of the "spiritual reservation" anchored in the Augsburg
Religious Peace of 1555 (an exception to the otherwise applicable
principle "Cuius regio, eius religio") laid down in the treaty, and thus
according to the clause to what was transferred to him Office of the
Archbishop of Cologne - after all, one of three equipped with the
electoral dignity prince-bishops of the empire and as such at the same
time in personal union imperial arch-chancellor of imperial Italy - to
renounce, he was by Pope Gregory XIII. excommunicated and the reliable
Catholic Ernst von Bavaria, who had been defeated when Gebhard was
elected Archbishop of Cologne, designated as his successor. If Gebhard
Truchsess von Waldburg had been able to realize his plan, the Catholic
majority in the Electoral College would have been broken. Since he
remained in his position contrary to the Reichstag resolutions, the
Truchsessian War (Cologne War) broke out, which lasted from 1583 to 1588
and during which Deutz, Bonn and Neuss were devastated. In its
destructive power, the war gave a foretaste of the coming confessional
conflicts in the Holy Roman Empire.
The Thirty Years' War left
the city unscathed. This was partly because the city bought its way out
of sieges and conquests by paying money to approaching troops. Cologne
made a lot of money from the war through arms production and trade.
Cologne becomes a refuge for high Catholic leaders trying to reconquer
areas lost to Sweden or other Protestant powers. In addition, rich
Cologne businessmen are involved in the Thirty Years' War as high
lenders to the Catholic powers - in the spirit of the Vatican.
With the exception of Deutz, the districts on the right bank of the
Rhine in Cologne belonged to the Duchy of Berg until 1802. The area
within the Bischofsweg, which roughly corresponds to today's four
districts of the old and new town, formed the Free Imperial City of
Cologne. The remaining city districts were part of the Electoral
Archbishopric of Cologne. In 1793 Cologne's independent minting of coins
ended. The city last minted talers in 1742. Ducats were still being made
in 1767. After that, small copper coins worth 4 and 8 hellers were only
produced sporadically, and in 1792 a silver heller was also made.
Cologne was the only large free imperial city of the old empire that
did not go over to the evangelical confession. Humanism was also
initially unable to gain a foothold in Cologne, and the anti-humanist
attitude of the Cologne clergy was parodied in the obscure letters of
1515. In the 18th century, Cologne also largely closed itself to the
Enlightenment. Especially among Protestant travelers from home and
abroad, the city increasingly got the reputation of being a hotbed of
intolerant, obscurantist and anti-progressive Catholicism. Compared to
Rhenish territories, which were open to enlightened ideas, the encounter
had the effect of a “culture shock”. As an example, Georg Forster noted
after his visit, together with Alexander von Humboldt, in 1791:
“Nowhere does superstition appear in a more dreadful form than in
Cologne. Anyone who comes there from our enlightened Mainz has in fact a
tormenting sight of the mechanical devotion with which so many thousands
of people believe to sanctify idleness, and of the blind idolatry that
the rabble really does with relics here, which scandalous religious
worshipers among Catholics themselves.”
– Georg Forster: Views
from the Lower Rhine. Vol. 1. Berlin, 1791
French rule
The
history of the free imperial city ended with the entry of French troops
on October 6, 1794 during the coalition wars. The city, which had
attempted to remain neutral, was handed over to the left wing commander
of the Army of the Rhine, Jean-Étienne Championnet, without a fight.
Like the entire area on the left bank of the Rhine, the city became part
of the French Republic and in 1798 was incorporated into the Département
de la Roer, whose capital was not Cologne but Aachen. Cologne became the
seat of a sub-prefect of the Arrondissement de Cologne. Many Cologne
citizens welcomed the French revolutionary troops as liberators, and a
liberty tree was erected on Neumarkt. Jews and Protestant Christians,
who had been disadvantaged until then, were given equal rights. Despite
the often heavy contributions, the citizens remained loyal to Napoleon's
empire. When he visited the city on September 13, 1804, he was
enthusiastically received. In 1812 the city was awarded the title of
Bonne ville de l'Empire français. The largest construction project
during the twenty-year French rule was the security port, which had been
excavated since 1811 on what is now the park area of the
Theodor-Heuss-Ring.
Prussian rule, spelling "Cöln"
In 1815,
after the wars of liberation and the Congress of Vienna, the Rhineland
and the city of Cologne became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. With the
incorporation into Prussia, nationalistic thinking became increasingly
important. However, the liberal French laws such as the Code civil
remained in force. The city's name was immediately "Germanized". In
1900, the Prussian Minister of the Interior decreed, backed by the King
and German Emperor Wilhelm II, that the city could only be written with
a C from then on. However, the liberal newspapers such as the Kölnische
Zeitung did not stick to it. After the end of the German Empire in 1918,
the municipal news office under Mayor Konrad Adenauer announced on
February 1, 1919:
"From now on, the name of the city of Cologne
will be written with a K again in the municipal administration."
Not least because of the commitment of the Cologne banks over the course
of the following decades, Cologne became the most important city in
Prussia after Berlin. In 1880, after 632 years, the construction of the
Cologne Cathedral was completed at the instigation of the King of
Prussia and German Emperor - at least largely, because repair work was
necessary at that time due to the centuries-long standstill, just as it
is today as a result of the damage in particular during the Second World
War and environmental influences. Because this work will probably never
be completed, the cathedral is referred to as the "eternal construction
site", which Heinrich Heine satirized as early as 1844:
"It was
not finished - and that is good. - Because precisely the non-completion
- makes it a monument of Germany's power - and Protestant mission."
-
Heinrich Heine
At the end of the 19th century, the city was
expanded into the fortress rayon by buying and demolishing the city
walls, ramparts and bastions. The city was limited by the fortress ring
of Cologne. The settlement of the Neustadt (Cologne-Neustadt-Nord,
Cologne-Neustadt-Süd) established contact with the rapidly growing
surrounding communities and created the conditions for their
incorporation. Only a few exemplary buildings were spared from the
demolition of the old city wall due to an intervention by the Prussian
Ministry of Culture.
On August 7, 1898, a severe tornado, rated
F4 on the Fujita scale, struck the southern and eastern parts of the
city. There was major damage, including trees torn out of the ground and
house roofs were completely removed. The sand mold and clay foundry of
the "Kölnische Maschinenfabrik" was completely destroyed, other parts
were badly damaged. In the northern parts of Cologne, tennis ball-sized
hail fell during the storm.
20th century
In October 1914 Great
Britain first flew an airship attack on Cologne. On May 18, 1918
(Pentecost Saturday), British planes bombed the city; 41 people died,
including 19 children, 47 people were injured.
In 1915, on the
occasion of the First World War, a so-called nail picture was erected in
Cologne, Dä kölsche Boor en Iser. The figure is considered one of the
most artistically valuable in Germany and is now in the Cologne City
Museum. On September 28, 1917, Konrad Adenauer was elected mayor of
Cologne for the first time. During his tenure, among other things,
Germany's largest music college was recognized on October 5, 1925, and
the largest employer at the time, the Ford works, settled in Cologne on
October 18, 1929.
Like the entire Weimar Republic, Cologne
suffered from inflation in the years up to 1923. After the
hyperinflation of 1922/23, there was a currency reform: First the
Rentenmark was introduced, followed by the Reichsmark at the end of
August 1924. As in many places, there was local emergency money in
Cologne. Cologne also suffered from the world economic crisis from
autumn 1929. The German banking crisis also began in May 1931. From
August 1932, Cologne was connected to Bonn by the expressway, today's A
555, designed by Mayor Konrad Adenauer as a job creation measure and
built between 1929 and 1932.
Cologne in the time of National
Socialism
In the Reichstag elections on March 5, 1933, the NSDAP
achieved 30% in the Cologne-Aachen constituency (centre 35.9%); on
November 6, 1932, it was only 17.4% (centre 39.3%). Konrad Adenauer was
put on leave after the National Socialists seized power on March 13,
1933 and finally dismissed from his post on July 17, 1933.
During
World War II, the first bombs fell on Cologne on June 18, 1940. The
British RAF Bomber Command intensified the air war from 1942. At the end
of May 1942, Cologne was the target of the first attack with over 1000
bombers, "Operation Millennium". On June 29, 1943, the city was badly
hit by Royal Air Force machines at night and by USAAF bombers during the
day. The city center was now more than 90 percent destroyed by carpet
bombing; the Cologne Cathedral was severely damaged. On March 2, 1945, a
few days before the US Army marched in, there was the last of a total of
262 air raids on the city.
In May 1941, the Cologne Gestapo
decreed that the approximately 6,200 remaining Jewish residents in
Cologne be brought together in so-called Jewish houses. From the end of
1941, many of them were ghettoized in the Cologne-Müngersdorf
deportation camp. According to estimates, by the end of 1943, 3,500
inmates had been deported from the camp to the ghettos and death camps
in occupied Eastern Europe. The deportation trains left Cologne at the
Cologne exhibition center. The population of Cologne fell from over
772,000 (May 1939) by the end of the war to around 104,000 inhabitants
who were registered after the invasion of US troops, 42,000 of them on
the left bank of the Rhine (April 4, 1945) and 62,000 on the right bank
of the Rhine (May 5, 1945). In the course of the final phase crimes,
1800 domestic and foreign resistance fighters were murdered in Cologne
from January to March 1945.
The 1st US Army reached the city as
part of Operation Lumberjack on March 5, 1945. The occupation of the
left bank of the city began on the same day. Cologne on the right bank
of the Rhine was only occupied a few weeks later. The war, which
continued elsewhere in Germany, finally ended on May 8 with the
unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht.
Cologne after the war
Only in the course of 1959 did the population of Cologne return to the
level of May 1939. With the regional reform carried out by the Cologne
Law of 1975, the population exceeded the one million mark and Cologne
became the fourth city in Germany with a population of over one million,
alongside West Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. After Wesseling was demerged
on July 1, 1976, the population was again below one million by May 2010.