Leisure & culture
- Walking tour of the old town and Cologne cathedral
- Cologne – City of Waters
- Daytrip to Königswinter with funicular ride to the “Drachenfels“
Be it churches, the historic city center, museums, art galleries, the opera house, musicals or theatres Cologne has a lot to offer:
Kölsch, culture and carnival: Cologne is a city full of life and history with Cologne cathedral of course being the number one attraction!
The cathedral is a World Heritage Site, one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany, and Cologne's most famous landmark and Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day.
With a height of 157.38 metres the cathedral is the second highest church in Europe (number 1 being the “Ulmer Münster“) and has been the worlds tallest building after its completion until 1884!
Around the cathedral you will find several museums, so it will be quite easy to find something for everyone`s taste.
Right adjacent you will enter the historic city center or “Altstadt“ with its narrow alleys, nice squares, the picturesque riverbank and of course lots of bars and restaurants. A visit of this area should definitely not be missed!
From the historic part the modern city center is just a stone's throw away.
Cologne not only has Germany`s most popular shopping streets - Hohe Straße and Schildergasse – but offers several other shopping areas from creative and hip individual designers to exclusive and famous international brand names.
http://www.koeln.de/cologne_tourist_information/exploring_city/shopping
And if you have difficulties deciding, we can help with a few recommendations, from an “Altstadt“ city walk, to shopping tours or excursions into the outskirts.
Of course we are also happy to create your personal city tour according to your preferences and requests, or maybe you want to book one of our packages!
Leisure
Walking tour of the old town and Cologne cathedral
Between the cathedral and the river Rhine you will find one of the most beautiful quarters of the city: narrowgable-roofed houses, a maze of little streets and alleys , picturesque squares in which small shops, genuine pubs and typical kölsch breweries await you.
The historic Gaffelhaus at Alter Markt 20 gives an impression of how the medieval marketplace once looked. This Rennaissance house with its typical gables and artfully ornamented windows is one of the few surviving magnificent buildings.
Right in the heart of the old town this square is one of the most atmospheric places of the city on a sunny day!
Great St. Martin`s church, one of 12 romanesque churches gave a whole quarter its name and is its symbol. With its mighty crossing tower and its richly ornamented cloverleaf choir it doninates next to the cathedral the riverside panorama
Fischmarkt (fish market) The pubs in front of the colourful gabled houses are the finest place to sit down and watch the hustle and bustle on the riverside promenade. In medieval times the course of life in the narrow alleys around
Rathaus (city hall) 2000 years of history have come together around the Town hall square. The oldest witness of bygone times is the Praetorium, residence of the Roman governor. On the square itself the impressive town hall tower with sculptures of 124 outstanding Cologne personalities and the splendid Rennaissance portico bear witness to the citizens wealth and wish for prestigious display.
The cathedral planned as the largest church in western Europe and built in 632 years the “Dom“ today leaves you highly impressed merely by its vast dimensions. The base measures 8000 square metres at a lenght of 144 metres and a width of 86 metres. At least equally impressive are the huge stained - glass windows which cover a total area of 10.000 square metres, including the most recent highlight: Gerhard Richters window in the south transept with its 11.263 colourful squares – creating a veritable symphony of light when the sun is shining in...
All these intersting sites can easily be explored on foot from our place, the information provided has been taken from the city guide “3 days in Cologne“ that is also available at the front desk.
Cologne – City of Waters
he Rhine, Eau de Cologne and Kölsch — these are all terms relating to water that are closely linked with Cologne. Visitors can explore the city with a boat tour along the Rhine, visit the historic 4711 House and Farina Fragrance Museum, and try Kölsch — the only language that is also a drink — or bathe in the officially recognised healing water.
Cologne, the city of waters, has plenty of activities to offer in 2011.
Further information can be found on the pages of the Cologne tourist board:
http://www.cologne-tourism.com/city-experience/city-of-waters.html
Daytrip by boat and train to Königswinter with funicular ride to the “Drachenfels“
You have seen most of the sites in the city and want to spend a day in the countryside? Then we recommend a trip to the “Siebengebirge“ (seven mountains)
The Drachenfels is definitely the most famous view point around Cologne and one of the most interesting destinations in the surrounding area.
You can take a regional train from Cologne, taking you to Königswinter in around half an hour. From there you can ride Germany`s oldest funicular up the hill to the castle Schloß Drachenburg
Afterwards there is still time to stroll through the narrow medieval streets of Königswinter and enjoy a drink in one of the cafés before taking the boat back to Cologne!
