Köln - Cologne

Köln (Njemački: Köln, Ripuarski: Kölle) je grad na rijeci Rajni u Sjeverna Rajna-Vestfalija. To je četvrti grad po veličini u Njemačka s oko milijun stanovnika. Jedno je od nacionalnih žarišta medija, turizma i poslovanja, a smatra se jednim od najliberalnijih gradova u Njemačkoj.

Köln ima bogatu povijest, sežući u doba antike rimsko Carstvo, kada je osnovana. Od tada je ostalo stalno naseljeno važno regionalno središte. U usporedbi s drugim njemačkim i europskim gradovima, antički i srednjovjekovni Köln bio je relativno velik, pokrivajući veći dio modernog gradskog središta. Bogatstvo graditeljske baštine može se stoga naći u cijelom gradu, počevši od pretkršćanskih vremena do upečatljivo modernih zgrada, s visokom koncentracijom romaničke i gotičke arhitekture, što je kulminiralo u veličanstvenoj katedrali (Dom).

Köln, međutim, nije samo turističko odredište, već podjednako veliko gospodarsko središte, globalno važno mjesto sajma, žarište kulture i medija i glavno prometno središte. Ova jednaka kombinacija uloga i funkcija propusna je po cijelom gradu i pruža mu stalni priljev različitih posjetitelja, kao i vrlo raznoliku mješavinu stanovništva. Sve to kulminira tijekom tradicionalnog Karnevala, a Köln čini jednim od najposjećenijih odredišta u Njemačkoj.

Shvati

Orijentacija

Köln leži s obje strane rijeke Rajne koja kroz nju teče u smjeru sjevera. Lijeva ili zapadna strana je Köln uz Stari grad (Altstadt), poznata katedrala i većina znamenitosti i muzeja. Desna strana, ili istočna strana, nekada je bila zaseban grad zvan Deutz - sada Deutz je četvrt Kölna.

Köln je podijeljen u 9 okruga (Stadtbezirke), numerirani od 1 do 9. Stadtbezirk 1, nazvao Innenstadt ("unutarnji grad"), vjerojatno je ono u kojem će provesti sve vrijeme većina turista, jer sadrži većinu gradskih zanimljivosti. To je ujedno i jedina četvrt koja se nalazi s obje strane Rajne, jer uključuje Deutz. Okruzi 2, 3, 4, 5 i 6 nalaze se na zapadnoj obali Rajne, a okruzi 7, 8 i 9 na istočnoj obali, okružujući Innenstadt.

Svaki Stadtbezirk dalje se dijeli na Stadtteile (doslovno "dijelovi grada" ili "četvrti"). The Innenstadt uključuje Altstadt-Nord i Alstadt-Süd, dva dijela povijesnog Starog grada Kölna okrenuta prema Rajni, podijeljena sa L111 prometnica koja ide od istoka prema zapadu (s nazivima ulica Cäcilienstraße - Neumarkt - Hahnenstraße), počevši od Deutzer Brücke (most preko Rajne). Altstadt je okružen prstenom širokih avenija koje prelaze preko nekadašnjih gradskih zidina Kölna. Svi imaju nazive ulica koji završavaju riječju Prsten.

Dio Innenstadt koji leži na vanjskoj strani prstena je Neustadt, ili "novi grad". Neustadt se dalje dijeli na Neustadt-Nord i Neustadt-Sued, također odvojena L111 (Aachener Straße). Oba dijela Neustadta tvore polumjesec obuhvaćajući Altstadt i dosežući Rajnu s obje njegove strane. Konačno, okrenut prema Altstadtu i Neustadtu na drugoj (istočnoj) strani Rajne je Stadtteil od Deutz, koji dovršava Innenstadt.

Povijest

Köln je jedan od najstarijih gradova u Njemačkoj, koji je osnovan i osnovan u 1. stoljeću poslije Krista, kao rimski Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. "Köln" je francuska verzija imena grada, koja je postala standardna i na engleskom jeziku. Ima tradicionalno, snažno rivalstvo sa susjednim gradom Düsseldorf, glavni grad Sjeverne Rajne-Vestfalije, iako se to ponajviše očituje nizom šaljivih referenci u oba grada i neprestanim prepirkama oko toga koje je lokalno pivo najbolje (u Kölnu je očito Kölsch). Bio je to najveći njemački grad u nekoliko točaka povijesti, a veći dio srednjeg vijeka bio je jedino mjesto koje bi se prema modernim standardima čak moglo registrirati kao glavni grad. Danas je četvrti najveći grad u Njemačkoj (nakon Berlina, Hamburga i Münchena) i najveći koji nije ni gradska država ni glavni grad države. Njegovo stanovništvo je oko milijun ljudi.

Klima

Klima sjeverozapadne Njemačke je promjenjiva, sa sezonskim promjenama i svakodnevnim vremenom često usporedivim s klimom u Engleska ili Sjeverna Francuska. Putnici u Köln mogu očekivati ​​da će najtoplije doba godine biti kraj srpnja / početak kolovoza, najhladniji je siječanj (temperatura se kreće oko oznake smrzavanja), a mjesec s najviše oborina je lipanj.

Turistički ured

50.940846.956491 KölnTourismus, Unter Fettenhennen 19 (točno nasuprot prednjem ulazu u katedralu, podzemnom željeznicom dođite do Doma / Hbf), ☏ 49 221 2213-0400. M-Ž 09: 00-22: 00, subota 10: 00-18: 00. Turistički ured u Kölnu nudi mnoštvo informacija za putnike koji svoj plan putovanja žele ispuniti aktivnostima po gradu. Pitajte o dostupnim vodičima, od kojih većina pruža besplatne informacije. 

Razgovor

Karakterističan okus grada Kölna često je povezan sa stanovnicima grada, ili Kölsche, koji se ponose ogromnim ponosom u svom gradu. Köln je tradicionalno grad koji govori ripuarski, premda ga je uglavnom zamijenio standardni njemački, koji je danas glavni jezik grada. Vodiči i informacije na engleskom jeziku dostupni su za mnoge znamenitosti grada. Za turiste koji govore njemački i žele ga prakticirati, građani obično imaju puno strpljenja s onima koji se pokušavaju nositi s jezikom. Građani Kölna vrlo su ljubazni i veseli ljudi koji dočekuju turiste svih vrsta i sa svim interesima.

njemački je jezik ovog grada, ali vrlo je lako pronaći informacije na francuski i engleski, ponekad i na Španjolski i japanski. Zbog velikog broja useljenika, Perzijski, turski, Polirati i ruski su također naširoko govoreni. Najave na glavnom željezničkom kolodvoru (Hauptbahnhof) su na njemačkom, francuskom i engleskom jeziku. Kao i mnogi njemački gradovi i područja, Köln također ima lokalni dijalekt, tzv Kölsch, međutim svi govornici također će biti upoznati s njemačkim jezikom.

Udaljeni od znamenitosti, radnici Deutsche Bahna (njemačke željeznice) često prilično dobro govore engleski jezik, a automati za prodaju karata imaju mogućnost odabira jezika. Općenito, stariji ljudi u Kölnu imaju malo ili nimalo znanja engleskog jezika, dok mlađi Nijemci i oni koji rade u poslovnom svijetu imaju veću vještinu. Jezik je rijetko jaka prepreka, pa to prosječnog turista ne bi trebalo previše brinuti. Samo priđite ljubaznom domorocu s osmijehom na licu.

Uđi

Avionom

• 50.8658337.1427781 Zračna luka Köln Bonn (CGN ^IATA). Ova zračna luka obavlja međunarodne i domaće letove i središte je jeftine podružnice Lufthanse Eurowings. (ažurirano u svibnju 2019)

Kako doći:

1. Zračna luka udaljena je oko 15 minuta vožnje S-Bahn S13 (lokalni vlak) do središta Kölna. Cijena S-Bahn-a (zona ulaznica 1b) iznosi 3 eura u jednom smjeru (lipanj 2019.). Da biste došli do zračne luke, uzmite linije S19 (Düren Bf), RE6 (Minden Hbf), RE8 (Mönchengladbach Hbf).
2. Alternativno, dobiti autobus # 161 koji polazi s Porz Markta (glavne željezničke stanice) svakih 30 - 60 min od 04:59 do 23:30, vrijeme putovanja je 15 min i košta 3 €.

• Međunarodna zračna luka Düsseldorf (DUS ^IATA), The Düsseldorf zračna luka nudi brojne interkontinentalne veze. Vožnja vlakom od željezničke stanice do zračne luke do glavne stanice u Kölnu traje oko 40 minuta. IC i ICE vlakovi na ovoj ruti koštaju 16 - 23 EUR, ali ne nude uštedu u stvarnom vremenu na skromnim vlakovima Regional Express (RE), za koje je potrebna samo regionalna tranzitna karta (Price zone / Preisstufe 5; 11,90 EUR od listopada 2019. ). The Planer putovanja Deutsche Bahn pokazat će vam vaše mogućnosti.

• Aerodrom u Frankfurtu (FRA ^IATA), najveća je zračna luka u Njemačkoj, koju opslužuju sve velike međunarodne zrakoplovne tvrtke. Povezuju se brzi vlakovi ICE (InterCityExpress) Aerodrom u Frankfurtu i glavnom kolodvoru u Kölnu za manje od jednog sata. Standardna cijena u jednom smjeru iznosi 67 eura po ICE-u. Međutim, dostupne su mnoge snižene cijene ako naručite unaprijed po cijenama već od 19 eura. Ako platite punu cijenu, ne morate voziti određenim vlakom, ali karte s popustom ograničene su na vlak na vašoj rezervaciji. Vlakovi preko Koblenza, koji koriste sporiju, ali izuzetno slikovitu rutu duž Rajna Valley su također jeftiniji za 30%. Vlak ICE traje oko jedan sat, sporija slikovitija ruta traje oko dva sata.

Vlakom

Köln opslužuju dvije glavne željezničke stanice:

50.94256.9580562 Köln Hauptbahnhof (QKL ^IATA).   i

50.9408336.9753 Köln Messe / Deutz, Ottoplatz 7, 50679 Köln.  

Köln je povezan s Amsterdam, Bruxelles, i Pariz po Thalys i ICE brzi vlakovi.

Nightjet, Austrijske željeznice ' voz za spavanje, vozi dva puta tjedno od Bruxellesa preko Aachena i Kölna do Beč, München i Innsbruck. Poziva u Bonn, Koblenz, aerodrom u Frankfurtu, Würzburg i Nürnberg gdje se dijeli: jedan dio vozi preko Linza do Beča, drugi preko Münchena do Innsbrucka. U 2020. godini ne radi u srpnju i kolovozu, ali očekuje se da će tijekom cijele godine biti od 2021. godine.

The Frankfurt zračna luka (FRA ^IATA) ima izravnu liniju do Kölna i udaljen je jedan sat vlakovima ICE.

Autobusom

Vidi također: Međugradski autobusi u Njemačkoj

Međugradski autobusi ne mogu se zaustaviti u središtu Kölna. Glavne autobusne stanice na daljinu koje opslužuju Köln nalaze se na željezničkoj stanici Leverkusen Mitte (20 minuta vožnje S-Bahn-om od / do Kölna Hauptbahnhof, provjerite trebate li platiti kartu povrh svoje autobusne karte na daljinu) i kod Kölna Zračna luka Bonn. Možete usporediti vrijeme putovanja i troškove za razne načine prijevoza na raznim web mjestima.

Automobilom

Köln zahtijeva da svi automobili imaju naljepnicu "Niske emisije" kako bi se vozili uokolo u zoni niskih emisija u centru grada ("Umweltzone"). Dostupne su informacije o dobivanju naljepnice (što se mora učiniti najmanje nekoliko tjedana unaprijed) ovdje. Iznimka je vrlo malo, pa čak i električni ili strani automobili moraju dobiti naljepnicu.

Autobani A1, A4, A3, A57, A555 vode do Kölna. U vrijeme špice ulice su jako zagušene, također zbog masovne izgradnje novog tunela podzemne željeznice Nord-Süd Stadtbahn, koji prelazi pola središta grada.

Za jeftino parkiranje, uz brze veze do središnje Kölna, parkirajte i vozite ("park und ride"). Na nekim je postajama parkiranje besplatno kada vi na izlazu predočiti potvrđenu tranzitnu kartu.

Zaobiđi se

Ovaj se članak ili odjeljak ne podudara s našim priručnik stila ili treba drugo uređivanje.Zaronite s njima naprijed predloženi popravci: napraviti pododjeljke; provjerite jesu li informacije i dalje ažurne

Javnim prijevozom

Köln ima izvrsnu mrežu javnog prijevoza koja se sastoji od tramvaja, lokalnih vlakova i autobusa. Bicikli su također dostupni za iznajmljivanje na sjevernoj strani Hauptbahnhof. Lokalni transportni sustavi rijetko pružaju najave na engleskom jeziku, ali mrežne su karte obično dostupne za pomoć u vašem putovanju. Oni koji žele istražiti područja udaljena od središnjeg grada trebali bi planirati svoje putovanje i potencijalne veze prije odlaska. The Web stranica KVB (Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe) dobar je izvor informacija o javnom prijevozu.

Ulaznice vrijede za metro, tramvaj i regionalni vlak unutar VRS mreže. Za putovanja u gradske granice potrebne su karte za zonu 1b (2019: jednokratna 3 eura, 4 putne karte 12 eura, dnevna 8,80 eura, dnevna karta za do 5 osoba 13,40 eura), tjedna karta 26,30 eura. Za kratka putovanja do 4 stanice u podzemnoj željeznici, tramvaju ili autobusu postoji i nešto jeftiniji "Kurzstrecke" (karta za kratka putovanja, 2019: 2,00 €). Oni se nude mobilna aplikacija, koji omogućuje kupnju karata s 10% popusta. Mapa mreže može se naći na većini stajališta, unutar svih vozila (provjerite stropove, stražnje ulaze) i na liniji.

Köln podzemna željeznica i tramvajski sustav, ili U-Bahn, mješavina je sustava: linija podzemne željeznice može ići na razini ulice i završiti kao tramvaj ili obrnuto. Na većim postajama postoje automati ili bileti za prodaju karata. Vlakovi i autobusi također imaju automate. Pogledajte javni autobus, tramvaj i željeznicu KVB za ispis karte autobusa / tramvaja / podzemne željeznice i ovdje za njihovu službenu mapu ulica (također ovdje) iz Kölna.

Regionalni vlakovi poznati su kao "S-Bahn", "Regional-Bahn" i "Regional Express". Većina njih nema automate za prodaju karata, pa ne zaboravite kupiti kartu na stanici.

Studentska putovanja: Studentska putovanja (starija od 20 godina) mogu biti vrlo jeftina do i iz Kölna, kao i oko grada Zemljište Sjeverne Rajne-Vestfalije. Njemačka željeznička tvrtka (DB: Deutsche Bahn) nudi 'SchöneFerienTicket NRW' za vrijeme studentskih praznika i omogućava besplatno putovanje po Sjevernoj Rajni-Vestfaliji lokalnim autobusima, tramvajima, gradskom željeznicom, gradskom željeznicom i regionalnim vlakovima. Cijene se kreću od oko 54 eura za ljetne praznike do 25,50 eura za uskršnje praznike, ali cijene i vremena se mijenjaju iz godine u godinu.

Te su karte dostupne svima koji imaju valjanu studentsku identifikaciju (studentska iskaznica, upisna iskaznica itd.) I osobnu identifikaciju (putovnica, vozačka dozvola itd.) Karta vrijedi samo za datume studentskih praznika Sjeverne Rajne-Vestfalije i karta ne vrijedi za brze brze vlakove. Posjet / kontakt Deutsche Bahn za više informacija prije putovanja u Njemačku.

Biciklom

Köln ima, kao Berlin, München i Frankfurt, a Nazovite bicikl - sustav. Nakon što se registrirate za račun putem interneta, ona će s vaše kreditne kartice naplaćivati ​​naknadu po minuti. Možete uzeti ili odbaciti jedan od srebrno-crvenih bicikala bilo gdje u gradu. Također je moguće unajmiti bicikl na mnogim mjestima; biciklom je možda najbolji način za obilazak grada.

Pješice

Ali, u cjelini, središte Kölna nije da velik za milijunski grad. Posve je moguće za pola sata prijeći s jednog kraja centra, recimo Rudolfplatza, na drugi kraj, recimo, Katedrale.

Vidjeti

Povijesne atrakcije

• 50.94136.9581 Kölner Dom (Katedrala) (U-Bahn: Dom / Hbf). M-Sa 06: 00-19: 30 (svibanj-listopad: 06: 00-21: 00), ned 13: 00-16: 30. A Svjetska baština UNESCO-a. Za dovršetak ove monumentalne katedrale trebalo je više od 630 godina. 1880. katedrala je konačno posvećena. Köln Dom je prvi prizor koji ćete primijetiti kad izađete na glavni izlaz sa središnje stanice. (Ako ga ne vidite, izašli ste na stražnji izlaz.) Ako ste u dobroj formi, krenite 509 stepenicama do vrha južne kule. Potrebno je oko sat vremena, zato nosite udobne cipele, ali isplati se pješačiti. Tijekom mise zabranjen je obilazak katedrale. Ulaz u katedralu je besplatan, ali od vas će se tražiti donacija. Ulaz u toranj košta: 5 eura, snižen: 2 eura, obitelj: 8 eura. Ulaz u riznicu košta: 6 eura, umanjen: 4 eura, obitelj: 12 eura. Međutim, kombiniranu kartu koja vam omogućuje ulaz u riznicu i toranj možete kupiti za (redovna / smanjena / obiteljska): 8 € / 4 € / 16 €. Unutar se ne smije nositi prtljaga. (ažurirano u svibnju 2019)

• 12 romaničkih crkava - Između 1150. i 1250. izgrađene su brojne crkve u romaničkom stilu.
  • 50.9466816.9627192 Bazilika svetog Cuniberta (Crkva svetog Kuniberta). Predivni vitraži.  
  • 50.9234786.9597173 Bazilika sv. Severina, Im Ferkelum 29 (Tramvaj Clodwigplatz). Najstarija kršćanska zaklada u Kölnu.  
  • 50.9329586.9627284 Sveta Marija Lyskirchen.  
  • 50.9418696.9549115 Andrije (Sveti Andreas).  
  • 50.9365196.9452286 Bazilika svetih apostola (Sveti Aposteln).  
  • 50.9432256.9459677 Bazilika sv. Gereona, Gereonsdriesch 2. Izvornost ove crkve leži u njenom eliptičnom tlocrtu i dodatku, 1220. godine, deseterokuta između njezinih kula  
  • 50.9456696.9542148 Bazilika svete Uršule.  
  • 50.9286116.9480569 Crkva svetog Pantaleona, Am Panteleonsberg 2.  
  • 50.9346396.95861110 Sveta Marija im Kapitol, Marienplatz 19.  
  • 50.9384926.96183911 Groß-St. Martine (Velika crkva Svetog Martina), An Groß St. Martin 9 (U-Bahn Rathaus).  
  • 50.9318366.95686712 Crkva svetog Jurja (Sveti Georg).  
  • 50.9346426.95173613 Crkva svete Cecilije (Sveta Cäcilien), Cäcilienstraße 29. danas Muzej Schnütgen  
• 50.9321256.93668114 Die Kölner Synagoge (Sinagoga Roonstrasse), Roonstraße 50 (U-Bahn: Zülpicher Platz), ☏ 49 221 921-5600, faks: 49 221 921560-9. The sinagoga je zapažen po svojoj arhitekturi koja izgleda, odmah izvan Gotham Cityja. Toru u sinagogi spasio je katolički svećenik iz druge sinagoge dok je spaljivana tijekom nacističke vladavine. U kolovozu 2005. papa Benedikt XVI. Posjetio je sinagogu; bio je drugi papa koji je ikad posjetio sinagogu.  

• 50.9386.959315 Historisches Rathaus (Povijesna vijećnica / gradska vijećnica Kölna) (U-Bahn Rathaus).  
• 50.939086.958716 Pretorija. Pristupačno arheološko nalazište s ruševinama drevnog rimskog pretorija Kolonije.  
• 50.9366726.95846117 Plesna dvorana Gürzenich (U-Bahn / Tramvaj Heumarkt). Gürzenich je općinska koncertna dvorana i višenamjenska festivalska dvorana  

Ostaci gradskih zidina i utvrda

• 50.931026.9513718 ruševine rimskih gradskih zidina i dvije kule. 
• 50.941326.95630319 Nordtor (Pfaffenpforte) (Dom, Trankgasse). Ruševine rimskih gradskih zidnih vrata  
• Ruševine srednjovjekovnih gradskih zidina i kula
  • 50.94936.9568120 Eigelsteintorburg (U-Bahn Ebertplatz).  
  • 50.93646.9401621 Hahnentorburg (Rudolfplatz).  
  • 50.9253536.95063622 Ulrepforte (Sachsenring, Stadtbahn Ulrepforte).  
  • 50.92196.9592623 Severinstorburg (Stadtbahn Clodwigplatz).  
  • 50.92376.9669824 Bayenturm (Stadtbahn Ubierring).  
• 50.934396.9628825 Ruševine malih vrata. 
• 50.9316.9558826 Malakoffturm (Rheinauhafen, autobus 233 stajalište Schokoladenmuseum).  

Veedel - Gradske četvrti

Köln je poznat po svojim "Veedel" ili tradicionalnim četvrtima.

• Agnesviertel - Ovdje, ponajviše u boemu Agnesviertel, možete pronaći neovisne dizajnere, knjižare, barove i umjetničke galerije. Tu su i povijesni spomenici, poput Sjevernih gradskih vrata ili Eigelsteintorburg u Agnesviertelu, vrlo blizu Tvrđava X, sagrađena da zaštiti grad od francuskih napada, i Agneskirche, kasno neogotička crkva na boulevardesque Neusserstraße. Neusserstraße također ima školu joge, školu aikida, japanski restoran, dobro opskrbljenu knjižaru i niz pubova. U blizini ćete pronaći Alte Feuerwache, gdje su ljeti svaka četiri tjedna redovite izložbe na političke teme i nadrealna buvlja pijaca. Nasuprot Alte Feuerwache je Klub umjetnika, s redovitim izložbama suvremene umjetnosti, a na Ebertplatzu postoji kino (Metropolis) koje prikazuje filmove u originalu (uglavnom na engleskom, ali ponekad i na francuskom ili španjolskom). Na obližnjoj Lübecker Straße pronaći ćete beskompromisni Arty Filmska paleta kino. Da biste zaokružili putovanje do Agnesviertela, možda će vam se svidjeti kölsch u Lapidarij (tik uz Sjeverna gradska vrata) ili kavu u Kavana Schmitz, Najoželjnije pozeračko mjesto u Kölnu (oni također izvrsno doručkuju.) Sva ova sjajna mjesta nalaze se na kratkoj šetnji od Ebertplatz U-Bahn.
• Eigelstein - oko Eigelsteintorburga, Podzemna željeznica "Ebertplatz"
• Martinsviertel / Altstadt - Stari grad između Rajne, Heumarkta, Alter Markta i Doma, (Kelnska katedrala), U-Bahn "Rathaus" ili "Heumarkt"
• Severinsviertel i Südstadt - oko Severinstorburga, U-Bahn "Clodwigplatz"
• Kwartier Latäng - Ovo studentsko susjedstvo dobilo je ime po pariškom latinskom Quartier Latin. Usredotočena je oko Zülpicher Straße i nudi brojne mogućnosti noćnog života, u rasponu od noćne trgovine s plesnjakom i toaletima (Späti), do mračnih indie barova. Ovdje je također lako pronaći bliskoistočnu hranu, uključujući poznatu i vrlo popularnu Habibi. Kroz kvart se može pristupitiStadtbahn "Zülpicher Platz"
• Belgisches Viertel – Stadtbahn "Moltkestraße"
• Ehrenfeld – U-Bahn "Körnerstraße"

Ostale atrakcije

• 50.9413896.96555627 Most Hohenzollern. Naziva se i Most zaključavanja. Ako do stražnjeg dijela Kölnerovog doma hodate ravnom stazom, desno je most na Rajni koji je pokriven lokotama. Brave tamo postavljaju parovi kako bi pokazali odanost jedni drugima. Parovi često imaju svoja imena i značajan datum upisan na brave. Postoje i druga mjesta širom svijeta koja imaju "ljubavne lokote".  

• 50.9286116.96416728 Rheinauhafen. Ovo potpuno obnovljeno područje kombinira modernu ekstravagantnu arhitekturu s povijesnim lučkim zgradama. Stari Rheinauhafen otvoren je 1898. godine i postao neophodan zbog sve veće količine teretnog prometa. Novi Rheinauhafen kombinacija je poslovnih zgrada i stambenih zgrada te gastronomije. Na poluotoku Rajna (1 km južno od Heumarkta) to je pozivnica za lijepu šetnju uz rijeku ili za ručak ili večeru. Također pogledajte odvojeno itinerarni članak za šetnju.  

• Parkovi: Köln ima dva parkovna područja (Grüngürtel) okružujući grad (neposredno izvan srednjovjekovnih gradskih granica), odnosno gotovo cijeli grad, koji su nakon I. svjetskog rata bili izdvojeni kao javne rekreacijske površine. Grüngürtel vjerojatno je lakše doći do turista koji ostaju samo nekoliko dana. Najuočljivije jesu Volksgarten, Rheinpark, Hiroshima-Nagasaki- (kolokvijalno poznato kao Aachener-Weiher-) i Stadtgarten parkovi u kojima se okuplja tisuće ljudi kako bi uživali u suncu, igri i roštilju po lijepom vremenu. Svi ti parkovi imaju pripadajući pivski vrt. Odložite svu ambalažu, drveni ugljen itd. U kante za otpad (kojih ima malo), jer je grad počeo zapošljavati patrole protiv smeća koje će izreći strogu kaznu svima koji vide smeće. Metro: Eifelplatz za Volksgarten, Universitätsstraße za Hiroshima-Nagasaki-Park, Hans-Böckler-Platz / Bahnhof West za Stadtgarten, Bahnhof Deutz za Rheinpark.

• • 50.959326.9719429 Flora i botanički vrt (U blizini zoološkog vrta, tramvajskog zoološkog vrta / flore). Besplatno. 
  • 50.9583336.97333330 Zoološki vrt (u blizini Seilbahna, tramvajski zoološki vrt / flora). Odrasli 19,50 €.  
  • 50.955326.97188231 Skulpturenpark, Riehler Straße (u blizini Seilbahna, tramvajski zoološki vrt / flora). Besplatno. 

Muzeji i galerije

Köln ima jednu od najboljih svjetskih zbirki muzeja i galerija za grad svoje veličine. Osim muzeja umjetnosti i arheologije svjetske klase, Köln se može pohvaliti i s dva muzeja crkvene umjetnosti, oba smještena u arhitektonski zadivljujućim zgradama. Tu su i etnografski muzej, muzej čokolade, Njemački muzej sporta i obilje rimskih ostataka.

Može se kupiti a Muzejska kartica iz jednog od općinskih muzeja (poput prvih pet navedenih u nastavku). Pojedinačna kartica koštala je 18 eura, a obiteljska, koja košta 30 eura, daje 2 odrasla i 2 djece (mlađa od 18 godina) besplatan ulaz u svaki od općinskih muzeja tijekom dva uzastopna dana otvaranja. Prvog dana važenja, može se koristiti i kao karta za sve autobuse i tramvaje u kelnskom transportnom sustavu VRS. Kartica vrijedi u slijedećim muzejima: Museum Ludwig, Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Museum Schnütgen, Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum - Kulturen der Welt, Kölnisches Stadtmuseentations, NS-Dokum. .

• 50.9408336.96027832 Muzej Ludwig, Bischofsgartenstraße 1 (U-Bahn: Dom / Hbf, iza doma), ☏ 49 221 26165, faks: 49 221-24114, ✉[email protected]. Uto – Ned 10: 00-18: 00. Muzej moderne umjetnosti, u blizini centralne željezničke stanice i katedrale, domaćin je dostojne redovite izložbe i privremenih izložbi. Ulaz 11 €, koncesije 7,50 €, obitelji 22 €.  
• 50.9397636.95484233 Muzej für Angewandte Kunst (Muzej primijenjene umjetnosti), An der Rechtschule (U-Bahn: Dom / Hauptbahnhof), ☏ 49 221 23860, faks: 49 221-23885, ✉[email protected]. Uto-Su 10: 00–18: 00. Muzej primijenjene umjetnosti ima zbirku popularnih predmeta dizajna, kao i privremene izložbe. Povijesne su zbirke zatvorene nekoliko godina zbog preuređenja i novog koncepta izložbe. Redovnih 6 eura, snižene 3,50 eura, stalne i posebne izložbe: cijena varira od besplatne do 6 eura. (ažurirano lipnja 2019)
• 50.93756.95861134 Muzej Wallraf-Richartz i fondacija Corboud, Martinstraße 39 (U-Bahn: Dom / Hauptbahnhof, zatim 10 minuta hoda, U-Bahn: Rathaus, Tram Heumarkt, Autobus Rathaus ili Gürzenich), ☏ 49 221 27694, faks: 49 221-22629, ✉[email protected]. Uto-Su 10: 00-18: 00, Svakoga do 21:00. Muzej Wallraf-Richartz umjetnička je galerija s zbirkom likovnih umjetnosti od srednjovjekovnog razdoblja do početka 20. stoljeća. Stalna zbirka i posebna izložba: 8-12 €, sniženo 4,50-8 €.  
• 50.9405426.95893135 Muzej Römisch-Germanisches (Rimsko-germanski muzej), Roncalliplatz 4 (uz desnu stranu katedrale s glavnog pročelja), ☏ 49 221 22304, faks: 49 221-24030, ✉[email protected]. Uto-Su 10: 00-17: 00. Muzej Römisch-Germanisches istražuje povijest rimske povijesti u Kölnu i okolici. Stalni postav muzeja zatvoren je ili je u razgledavanju, ali mozaik Dionysos i grobnicu Poblicius mogu se posjetiti vodičima Tu-Su u 10:00, 11:00, 15:00, 15:30, 16:00 i 16 : 30 (3 €, smanjeno 1 €). Važna otkrića iz povijesti grada mogu se vidjeti od kasnog ljeta 2019. u Belgijskoj kući (Cäcilienstraße 46, blizu Neumarkta). (ažurirano rujna 2019)
• 50.9223566.96470336 Muzej Rautenstrauch-Joest für Völkerkunde (Muzej Rautenstrauch-Joest - svjetske kulture), Cäcilienstraße 29-33 (U-Bahn: Neumarkt), ☏ 49 221 23620, faks: 49 221 3369410, ✉[email protected]. Uto-Su 10: 00-18: 00, Čet 10: 00-20: 00. Jedini etnološki muzej Sjeverne Rajne-Vestfalije, ima lijepu zbirku američkih i austro-polinezijskih predmeta. Redovno 7 €, sniženo 4,50 €.  
• 50.93526.9255437 Muzej za ostasiatische Kunst (Muzej istočnoazijske umjetnosti). Umjetnost, glazba, knjige, filmovi i kultura iz Azije. Zatvoreno za obnovu do rujna 2017. godine. (ažurirano srpnja 2017)

• 50.9384176.95427838 Kolumba (Dijecezanski muzej), Kolumbastraße 4. Kršćanski muzej umjetnosti. Arhitektonsko čudo koje je dizajnirao Peter Zumthor i gozba za osjetila; ovaj muzej, izgrađen u skladu s drevnim temeljima Marijinog svetišta u ruševinama, sadrži izbor povijesne i suvremene vjerske umjetnosti. Vrijedi posjetiti samo da biste istražili duhovno nadahnjujuće prostore i prekrasnu šetnicu kroz ruševine prošlosti.  
• 50.93226.9642739 Schokoladenmuseum Köln (Muzej čokolade), Am Schokoladenmuseum 1a. Uto-F 10: 00-18: 00, Su Ne praznici 11: 00-19: 00, zadnji ulaz jedan sat prije zatvaranja. Muzej čokolade u Kölnu. To je kratki posjet, ali vrlo zanimljivi izlošci. Ulaz 9 €, koncesije 6,50 €, obiteljska propusnica 25 €.  
• 50.94066.9501440 NS-Dokumentationszentrum (NS-Dokumentacijski centar), Appellhofplatz 23-25. Uto-Ž 10: 00-18: 00, Sub Ne i praznici 11: 00-19: 00, ponedjeljkom zatvoreno. "NS" je kratica od nacional-socijalista. Bivše sjedište gestapoa u Kölnu, sa zatvorskim ćelijama. Sada najveće regionalno spomen mjesto u Njemačkoj za žrtve nacista. Knjižnica, mediji i izložbe. U blizini stanice podzemne željeznice "Appellhofplatz". €4.50. (ažurirano srpnja 2017)
• 50.936656.94671941 Muzej Käthe Kollwitz, Neumarkt 18-24. Uto-Ž 10: 00-18: 00, Sub Ne i praznici 11: 00-18: 00, ponedjeljkom zatvoreno. Posvećena umjetnici Käthe Kollwitz (1867.-1945.), Prvoj ženi izabranoj u Prusku akademiju umjetnosti. Redovno 5 €, sniženo 2 €. (ažurirano srpnja 2017)
• 50.9412726.95016742 Muzej grada Kölna (Kölnisches Stadtmuseum), Zeughausstraße 1-3, ☏ 49 221 - 221-22398. Uto 10:00 do 20:00, Z-Ne 10:00 - 17:00, svakog 1. mjeseca u mjesecu: 10:00 - 22:00. Prikazuje eksponate i umjetnička djela o povijesti grada Kelna od srednjeg vijeka do danas. 5 €, koncesija 3 €. (ažurirano lipnja 2019)

Südstadt

• 50.934086.9604543 Overstolzenhaus. Jedna od najstarijih kuća u Kölnu, sagrađena između 1220. i 1225. godine, s impresivnom romaneque fasadom. Izgrađena kao rezidencija lokalnog patricija, danas je u njoj Akademija medijskih umjetnosti. 
• 50.935696.9493544 Kunsthaus Lempertz. Poznati njemački trgovci umjetninama i aukcionari, osnovani 1845. godine (iako je zgrada iz 1952. godine, obnovljena nakon Drugog svjetskog rata). 
• 50.925236.964545 Postamt (Bürgerhaus Stollwerck), Dreikönigenstraße 23. Nekadašnja pošta izgrađena od crvene opeke 1906. godine danas se koristi kao kazalište. 
• 50.931626.9515646 Wasserturm. Nekadašnji vodotoranj izgrađen 1868. - 1872. Danas se koristi kao luksuzni butik hotel. Na 11. katu (na 35 metara) nalazi se terasa i staklom natkrivena blagovaonica / sala za sastanke, koja se može iznajmiti za privatne funkcije. 
• 50.932876.9451647 Wolkenburg. Barokno imanje sagrađeno je 1734. godine za benediktinski samostan, ali ga danas koristi zbor od 190 ljudi Kölner Männer-Gesang-Verein Cäcilia Wolkenburg. To je ujedno i centar za događanja. 
• 50.930676.9673348 Severinsbrücke. Dovršen 1959. godine, žičani most pružio je olakšanje Deutzeru Brückeu. Iako vizualno nije izvanredan, pruža lijep pogled na obje obale Rajne ako ga želite prošetati. 

Crkve i drugi vjerski objekti

• 50.924636.9556349 Kartäuserkirche (Charterhouse crkva). Crkva je pripadala mjesnoj povelji (samostan kartuzijanskog reda) sve do 1794. godine, kada je samostan zatvoren i crkva se koristila kao skladište ili vojna bolnica sve do 1920-ih, kada joj je vraćena u vjersku funkciju lokalna protestantska zajednica, kojoj do danas služi kao crkva. Nakon rekonstrukcije odlikuje se impresivnim nizom cijevnih orgulja sa glockenspiel. 
• 50.934286.9588950 Dreikönigenpförtchen. Jedan od najbolje skrivenih dragulja Kelna, mala, a okićena gotička vrata nekoć su dovela do "imuniteta" koji je pripadao samostanu sa sjedištem u St. Maria im Kapitol. 
• 50.928676.9592651 Sveti Gregorij im Elend. Neobarokna crkva s početka 19. stoljeća. 
• 50.928936.9579252 St. Johann Baptist. Ova je katolička crkva jedna od najstarijih u Kölnu, koja je prethodila čak i poznatim romaničkim crkvama, jer je osnovana 948. Tijekom stoljeća vidjela je mnoštvo dodataka i rekonstrukcija, a tijekom Drugog svjetskog rata bila je gotovo potpuno uništena. Njegov je sadašnji oblik eklektična rekonstrukcija završena početkom 1960-ih. 
• 50.927116.9549653 Bivši franjevački samostan s crkvom sv. Marien. Neugledno smješten između suvremenih stambenih zgrada ovaj je impresivni kompleks s ukrasima nadahnutim gotikom 
• 50.934376.9517754 Crkva sv. Petra, Leonhard-Tietz-Straße 6. Manje poznati susjed iz susjedstva St. Cäcilien 
• 50.926726.9529155 Crkva i samostan svete Marije vom Frieden (kut Schnurgasse i Vor den Siebenburgen). Barokni samostanski kompleks iz 17. stoljeća. 
• 50.933426.9607656 Trinitatiskirche, Filzengraben 6. Ova evanđeoska crkva iz 19. stoljeća pruža redovitu vjersku službu i služi kao mjesto održavanja raznih kulturnih, posebno glazbenih događaja. 

Deutz

Dominiraju dvije vrlo korisne namjene zemljišta, sajmište na sjeveru i zapravo funkcionalna teretna luka Köln na jugu, Deutz nije bez duge povijesti i mnogo naslijeđa i šarma u svom izgrađenom okruženju. Iako je lijeva obala Rajne očito dominantna u Kölnu, Deutz je mjesto na kojoj možete dobiti najbolji pogled na nju preko Rajne, a to je samo razlog da prijeđete rijeku i stignete tamo, ali daleko nije jedini.

• 50.940396.9718857 Köln-trokut (LVR-Turm), Ottoplatz 1, ☏ 49 2234 9921-555, ✉[email protected]. Svibanj – rujan: M – Ž 11: 00–22: 00, subota državni praznici 10: 00–22: 00; Listopad – travanj M – Ž 12: 00–18: 00, sub ne, državni praznici 10: 00–18: 00. Köln-trokut je visoka zgrada u Deutzu, neposredno uz rivu. Dio je građevinskog kompleksa ispred kojeg je hotel Hyatt okrenut Rajni i teško ga je promašiti zbog svoje istaknutosti i prilično lako dostupan i s Deutza i s lijeve obale Rajne (jednostavno prijeđite most Hochenzollern od Altstadta). Na svom 29. katu ima terasu za gledanje tzv Panorama, koja je javno dostupna liftom za relativno razumnu naknadu. Terasa ima staklo oko sebe kako u sigurnosne svrhe, tako i zbog izlaganja imena različitih znamenitosti koja možete vidjeti s nje. Ako želite napraviti jako dobre fotografije, možda ćete htjeti imati komad tkanine za čišćenje stakla od otisaka prstiju i slično. Terasa za gledanje zatvorena je za vrijeme lošeg vremena (poput oluje ili tuče). Ulaz je 3 eura za samca, svaki dodatni član iste stranke plaća samo 2 eura. 

• 50.947136.9725658 Tanzbrunnen. 
• 50.949576.9757659 Rheinpark. 
• 50.937966.9696360 Alt St. Heribert. 
• 50.936336.9729361 Neu St. Heribert. 
• 50.928116.9818562 Židovsko groblje. 
• 50.937476.970563 maxCologne. 
• 50.938476.9830364 Lanxess Arena. 
• 50.942566.9778465 Koelnmesse (južni ulaz označen na karti - izlaz sa željezničke stanice Koeln Deutz / Messe u smjeru Messe i slijedite znakove). 
• 50.943166.9713266 Rheinhallen. 
• 50.944426.9700367 Messeturm Köln. 
• 50.940496.9742468 Bahnhof Köln-Deutz. Povijesna zgrada stanice koja je danas poznata kao Köln Messe / Deutz zanimljiv je dio graditeljske baštine koja nedostaje mnogim posjetiteljima Kölna kad izlaze iz stanice sa strane sajmišta. 
• 50.935476.9736969 Crkva sv. Johanesa. 
• 50.934546.9773570 Düxer Bock. 
• 50.938236.9687271 Kirasirski spomenik. 
• 50.927686.9729972 Deutzer Drehbrücke. 
• 50.937026.9917173 ESSO Station An der Kölnarena. You may wonder what's so special about a gas station, but you will understand once you see its 1950s architecture with the unique structured roof and learn that it is the oldest gas station in Cologne in continuous operation. 
• 50.936776.9744574 Deutzer Freiheit. The main shopping street of Deutz, with not only retail opportunities but also many historic buildings along the way. 

Itineraries

• Cologne/Rheinauhafen

Čini

Cologne's strong side is its cultural life. For latest information on what is happening around in town, get the StadtRevue for €2, Kölner for €2 or Live for free.

• Kölner Philharmonie Central concert hall. Opened in 1986. Main season September to June. Special summer shows.
• Oper Köln Operas are performed in the Staatenhaus while the opera building is being renovated. Season starts in Mid-September.
• Stadtgarten, Venloer Straße 42 (U-bahn to Friesenplatz, walk 5 minutes). Concert centre for jazz and contemporary music, with a cafe and restaurant inside and a large beer garden outside which dates back to at least the 1950s. (Also the site of a great Christmas market.) (updated Jul 2017)
• Kölner Seilbahn, Riehler Straße 180, ☏ 49 221 547-4183. Apr-Oct 10:00-18:00. Take a ride with the Aerial tramway across Rhine river. Adult one way €4.50, return €6.50; child (aged 4–12) one way €2.50, return €3.70. 
• Kölner Zoo (Cologne Zoo), Riehler Straße 173, ✉[email protected]. Summer: 09:00-18:00, winter: 09:00-17:00, aquarium: 09:00-18:00. Adult €17.50, teenager or student €12, child (aged 4–12) €8.50 (2013). 
• 50.86.8794441 Phantasialand, ✉[email protected]. 09:00-18:00 (20:00 until late August), rides open at 10:00, ticket office closes at 16:00. Berggeiststr. 31-41 in the town of Brühl; Phantasialand is a fun place for children and has some fun rides for adults too. Even the Colorado Adventure roller coaster was sponsored by Michael Jackson. Bring passports for proof of age. Children below 4 & birthday children free, children 4-11 yr & seniors 60 €35, adults 12-up €46.50 (2017). (updated Jul 2017)
• Metropolis Cinema, Ebertplatz 19, ☏ 49 221 722436. 15.00-24.00. If you want to go to the movies while visiting Cologne and you don't know German, this small cinema is for you. It shows movies in their native language, but mostly English. (However, most other cinemas will also show English versions several times a week, so check the listings.) (updated Jul 2017)
• Aqualand
• Fishing in the Rhine
• Watch football, i.e. soccer, at 1. FC Köln. They were promoted in 2019 and now play in Bundesliga, the top tier of German football. Their home ground is the RheinEnergieStadion (formerly Müngersdorfer Stadion), capacity 46,000. It's 4 km west of city centre on Aachener Strasse; take a tram or bus towards Müngersdorf.

Događaji

• 50.936036.947641 Christmas Market (Weinachtsmarket): , Neumarkt. One of the most famous Christmas markets, and a visit highlight for everyone who loves over-the-top Christmas ambient. The 2020 edition has been cancelled because of the COVID-19 outbreak in Germany. (date needs fixing)

• Cologne Gay Pride (Christopher Street Day): . – Cologne Pride is a large gay pride festival held in Cologne annually on the Heumarkt square. The event showcases music, a candle light vigil remembering those with HIV/AIDS, and on the final day of the festival a large parade is held. Up to a million people have attended the events. (date needs fixing)
• Kölner Lichter (Cologne Lights): . A fireworks display on the Rhine lights up the sky between the Hohenzollern and Zoo bridges. (date needs fixing)
• Karneval: . The biggest festivity in Cologne is the Winter carnival (or Fastelovend) in February. According to the official Cologne tourism website, "Its highlight is the street carnival taking place from Weiberfastnacht (the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, traditionally the day on which women take control of the city) to Karnevalsdienstag (Shrove Tuesday). On Rosenmontag (Shrove Monday) more than one and a half million people line Cologne's streets to watch the parade with the mad triad – the prince, farmer, and virgin – every year." (date needs fixing)

Tours

• KD Rhine River Cruise, Frankenwerft 35, ☏ 49 221 208 83 18. Departure times: Daily: 10:30, 12:00, 14:00, 18:00; Köln-Düsseldorf offers cruises of the Rhine river around the Cologne area with an explanation of landmarks. €6.80. 
• Stattreisen e.V., ☏ 49 221 7325113. This non-profit organization offers excellent tours of Cologne, led by volunteers. The prices are moderate and there is a huge list of tours, including (besides the more regular tours) Koelsch tours (for testing the breweries) or language lessons in the local dialect (again, in a brewery). Ask for English tours, some guides are willing to conduct a normally German tour in English. 
• Rickshaws: environmentally friendly city tours. Rickshaws are exotic and environmentally friendly tricycles, that bring slowly and safely their passengers to their destination. By Rickshaw you will discover Cologne’s points of interest in a comfortable way. 

Spa and massage

Beauty and spa treatments are popular in Cologne.

In typical German style, all sauna areas (referred to as Saunalandschaften, i.e. Sauna landscapes) are mixed (apart from the odd Damentag) and that bathing costumes are banned from them for hygienic reasons. Yup. Starkers, everybody.

Do take a bathrobe (to keep you from the cold outside the saunas) and a large towel (to put under you in the saunas, no sweating on the wood, please) with you, though.

Do not draw hasty conclusions either: mixed nudity does not make those places dens of sin, quite the contrary. Nudity is considered as the only appropriate outfit in saunas, and it all happens in a disciplined, wholesome, safe and respectful atmosphere. Possibly one of the highest forms of German civilisation one can experience.

Gawkers and bathing costume-wearers will be expelled by the staff without qualms, so don't even think you can get away with playing the tourist who didn't know, it won't make a difference.

That very matter-of factly, unerotic approach to mixed nudity may well turn out to be a revelation to many visitors open-minded enough to give it a try and go with the flow.

Sauna:

• Claudius Therme. Large spa with pool and lots of different saunas (indoors and outdoors) next to the Rhine, north of Deutz. 
• Mauritius Therme. Decent Saunalanschaft in a hotel south of Neumarkt. 
• Mediterana. 11 saunas and a huge pool, in Bergisch Gladbach, East of Cologne. 
• monte mare Bedburg. Large spa in the west of Cologne. 
• Neptunbad. In the popular area of Ehrenfeld in an old renovated bath, to which an attractive "sauna landscape" in Japanese style on two levels has been added. Also a comprehensive fitness center. 
• Saunas in public swimming pools. Some of the public swimming pools managed by the Cologne city council, notably Agrippabad, do have small Saunalandschaften too, all featuring a Damentag (ladies only day). 

Massage:

• Ananda Tantra Massage and Coaching, Frankfurter Str. 40, ☏ 49 221 6086585. Daily 09:00-21:00. Tantra massage, coaching and workshops, an open minded and liberal attitude essential because the massages include sexually sensitive body parts, however, no sexual services are given by the team of 30 female and male employees. (updated Aug 2018)
• Sukon - Thai Art Of Massage. Traditional Thai massage institute, in the city center. Thai native massage therapists practise in the 160m² Thai-styled studio: original royal massage, aroma oil massage and foot massage. This place does not offer any erotic massages. 

Kupiti

The main shopping street of Cologne is the Schildergasse, extending from the Neumarkt. The Schildergasse, Neumarkt, and pedestrianized side streets extending from them (in particular the Hohe Straße leading towards the Dom) host department stores, boutiques and other high-profile (and, often, high-price) retail establishments. For young fashion, also try Ehrenstraße.

Department stores

• 50.935786.955571 Galeria Kaufhof. Germany's largest department store chain and direct descendant of the mighty Leonhard Tietz AG has its flagship store in Cologne, where it is headquartered (although the headquarter offices have now moved to a different, modern building in Altstadt-Sued). The original 19th-century Tietz department store on the Schildergasse has been expanded with a "modern" part in the 1950s, including a multi-storey parking, facing the Caecilienstraße and now fills the entire huge block. You can find everything there, from apparel to groceries. (updated Jul 2017)
• 50.938386.948862 Karstadt. Kaufhof's main competitor situated themselves in a modern shopping centre north of Neumarkt, over the Zeppelinstraße. 

High-end fashion

Although it is Duesseldorf that brands itself as the German capital of fashion, Cologne's Altstadt also features a wide range of high-end fashion stores with a selection of top German and global brands.

• 50.939016.95433 Franz Sauer, Minoritenstraße 13. 
• 50.936776.943644 Apropos, Mittelstraße 3. Features a Gucci brand store. 
• 50.937056.942955 La Belle Modehaus, Mittelstraße 20. 
• 50.937046.942456 Modehaus Elscheidt, Benesisstraße 36. 
• 50.937336.941257 Boutique 69, Pfeilstraße 31-35. 

Records

There is an abundance of record stores in Cologne, but most are hidden in non-tourist quarters.

• For a mainstream record store, go to Saturn, which opened in 1961 and certainly has the largest CD (and DVD) collection in the region. To pre-listen a record, hold it under one of the scanners spread throughout the shop. Always worth a visit. Subway and Regional Train from central station: Hansaring. The (office) building is from 1925 and was briefly the highest house in Europe (65 meters). A smaller Saturn shop is on the top floor of Galeria Kaufhof (listed above).
• Independent record stores are spread around Saturn: Cross the street for 2nd hand and punk, follow the "Ring" (boulevard) north, and you will find Jazz, Electro and HipHop at Schallschock record store. Famous alternative music-store Normal is south of Saturn, as well as Underdog Record Store (specialized in Alternative Rock, Emo, Garage and related matters) Subway and Regional Train from central station: Hansaring
• For electronic music, get off at Friesenplatz, and go to groove attack in Maastrichter street. Also famous is Kompakt record store. Both are connected to a label sharing the name, and putting out fine German electronic music. Subway: Friesenplatz

Books

• 50.9365196.948538 Mayersche Buchhandlung, Neumarkt 2, 50667, Köln (Tram stop "Neumarkt"), ☏ 49 221 203070, ✉[email protected]. Mo - Sa: 09:30 - 20:00; Closed Su. The largest bookstore in Cologne; they stock a huge selection of books including sections in English and other languages. Also a wide selection of postcards. (ažurirano u studenom 2019)
• On "Ehrenstraße", you will find cheap and arty books, take a look at "Buchhandlung König" at the eastern end, buy art books at well known "Taschen" at the corner of Ehrenstraße and the Ring. Taschen was founded in Cologne in 1980 and is headquartered here.
• Travel books are bought best at "Gleumes", between Zülpicher Platz and Rudolfplatz. They have only maps and travel books, but these from around the world.
• Books in English - "English Books and Tea", Auf dem Rothenberg 9a, in the old town, stocks a wide range of new and secondhand books in English. It also offers a choice of teas and conversation and invaluable tourist orientation - all in English.
• Honorable mention: "Cafe Goldmund" in Ehrenfeld. A very cozy corner-café with all walls lined with bookshelves. You can buy every (second hand) book after you finnished flipping through it while you enjoyed your drinks for a small tip. Also hosts small music and poetry events. Glasstraße 2, right next to the S-Bahn station "Ehrenfeld".

Eat

Cologne has a wide variety of restaurants, German and otherwise, as a glance in the colored pages of the local telephone book will illustrate.

Traditional scene

One can eat pretty well in most traditional-style Kölsch restaurants, and in fact as a visitor, you should try some of the local food, which is quite rustic, but tasty, hearty fare.

The brewery taps (Früh, Sion, Pfaffen, Malzmühle, etc., in the old town south of the Dom) are worth taking note of to that respect, although they tend to be expensive for what you get.

Places out of the way such as Schreckenskammer and Max Stark (north of the train station, the former being within crawling distance of the Station Backpackers Hostel), Päffgen (Friesenstraße) and both of Cologne independent brewpubs (Hellers Brauhaus on Roonstraße and Braustelle in Ehrenfeld) offer cheaper, better food that the old town tourist traps. Besides, most of these places have tons of atmosphere, which doesn't hurt!

You may also experience the deadly dry wit of the Köbes (traditional name of the blue-clad waiters) in most of those places. If it happens to you, don't get upset, just enter the game, send the Köbes packing with a dig and a smile and you'll be all right.

You'll mostly find typical Rheinland dishes in those traditional Kneipen. Classics include:

• Halver Hahn: nice big slab of Dutch gouda with a rye roll (Röggelchen)
• Himmel und Äd mit Flönz: fried black pudding with mashed potatoes ("earth"), apple sauce ("heaven") and fried onions.
• Soorbrode/Sauerbraten: joint marinated in vinegar with raisins, usually served with red cabbage and a kloss (potato dumpling). The joint may be beef or horsemeat, so you may want to ask first.
• Dicke Bunne mit Speck: boiled white beans with hefty boiled bacon slices on top.
• Schweinshaxe (grilled); Hämchen (cooked): pig's leg, usually a bit of a monster (ranges from 600 to 1400 g, including the bone)
• Rievekoochen/Reibekuchen: flat fried potato cakes usually on offer once a week, and served with a variety of sweet or savoury toppings, which may include apple sauce, Rübenkraut (the beet-sourced equivalent to black treacle) or smoked salmon with horseradish cream.

Ethnic scene

If you are looking for a snack, you can either head for one of the Middle-Eastern or Asian places, or you can make use of the traditional fast food places like McDonald's, and Burger King. Italian restaurants in Cologne seem to attempt to aim for a higher quality than in the UK, though it is debatable whether they achieve it, and whether their prices (often 150-200% of UK prices) are justified. There are several Indian restaurants across the city, which serve a fair fare, though the visiting Brit may be slightly disappointed to find that German 'curry culture' is rather akin to that of the UK in the 1960s: menus are neither large and varied, nor regionalised and specialist, and although ingredients are fresh, the food without exception appears to be tamed-down for the conservative German palate and the cooks are rather hesitant to spice it up even if you ask for it. "Clay Oven" (Luxemburger Straße near Südbahnhof) and "Bombay" (near Eifelstraße tram station) do make a vindaloo that will satisfy the most hardy customer, though. Japanese and Thai restaurants are common; both are quite expensive.

Proračun

• Hauptbahnhof - the ground floor of the central train station has a good number of cheap eateries, which include Pizza Hut to kiosks selling sausages.
• Falafel Habibi on Zülpicher Straße. They have two stores, which serve the same food (though sweetmeats may vary).
• There is an abundance of Döner Kebab and similar takeaways around the town. Generally a lot of Turkish snack bar-style places can be found just north of the main station at Eigelstein, around Zülpicher Platz and in the Belgisches Viertel, with some excellent Lebanese and Persian takeaways further down Zülpicher Straße towards Südbahnhof. Probably best now (though expensive) is Oruc Döner on Kyffhäuserstraße (near Barbarossaplatz); while the kebab is quite good though not outstanding, their freshly baked pide bread is famous all over town. There are lots of Turkish restaurants and takeaways within Kalk, Mülheim and (mainly restaurants) in the Belgisches Viertel.
• Borsalino, an Italian-style restaurant on Zülpicher Straße close to Zülpicher Platz. Very affordable prices.
• 50.94276.941821 Don Camillo, Hildeboldplatz 1a, ☏ 49 221-138551. A small Italian tabula calde style restaurant. Coming from Hohenzollenring, head into Breite Straße/Ehrenstraße and take the first road to the left. 

Srednja klasa

• 50.931156.934792 El Inca. Görresstraße 2, near Rathenauplatz. Latin-American restaurant, open 18:00-24:00. 
• Johnny Turista, Rathenauplatz. Easy-going pub/restaurant offering snacks, hot dishes and a daily changing selection of tapas; prices are lower than in most tapas bars. 
• Selam. Ehrenfeldgürtel 91 (tram station Venloer Straße/Gürtel) Ethiopian restaurant, opens Tu-F at 17:00 and on weekends at 16:00. Good selection of mild and spicy Ethiopian dishes served on the traditional plate of injera bread. 
• Farmer's. Steakhouses with several branches on the Ring (near Friesenplatz), Wallrafplatz (near the Dom, off Hohe Straße), Kreuzgasse (off Schildergasse shopping street). At lunchtime they usually have a special, that will give you a square meal for €6-7. 
• 50.940056.933193 ^{[ranije mrtva veza]}pepe, Antwerpener Straße 63 (near Stadtgarten and west of Friesenplatz). 18:00-02:00. Spanish style food, tapas and cocktails. Cool crowd, usually booked out after 19:00, make a reservation by phone or e-mail the day before. 
• 50.91230176.92216594 Unsichtbar, Luxemburger Straße 319a (at Sülzgürtel and Luxemburger Straße), ☏ 49 221 4210102. 18:00-00:00. "Unsichtbar" is a play of words. Literally it means "invisible", but the suffix "bar" also refers to being a bar. You will get your private butler, who is a blind person, and you eat in total darkness. You can choose your meal in a showroom and then your personal blind butler will lead you to the dark room where you have to smell, feel, maybe touch and of course eat your meal, but you won't see it. You'll have to refer to your butler about everything, whether going to the bathroom or refilling your glass. You are not allowed to smoke, use a cellphone or do anything else that could lighten up the room. The food on your plate is explained to you by using a clock-like system (e.g. "beans are on three o'clock"). It's an excursion into the world of blind people, who are supported this way, and a really good restaurant, too. For weekends you have to book around 13 weeks in advance, but during the week you'll get a free table (with a little luck). (updated Nov 2016)

Splurge

• 50.934656.879595 Landhaus Kuckuck, Olympiaweg 2 (near Müngersdorfer Stadion (Aachener Straße)). Tu-Sa 12:00-23:00; Su 12:00-18:00. Exquisite German, but also international meals. 
• 50.932756.939586 Fischers Weingenuss & Tafelfreuden, Hohenstaufenring 53 (between Zülpicher Platz and Rudolfplatz). Exquisite French-like and modern food, great arrangements of wine and cheese. After noon you can get (quite) cheap 2-way dishes of the day including water or a glass of wine. You have to book (quite early) in advance and a menu will be created on your wishes. 

Drink

Typical Cologne beer is called "Kölsch" and served in bars around town in small glasses, called "Stangen", of 0.2 L. That way the beer is always fresh and cold. Don't worry, waiters will be fast to bring you a new one once your old one is (almost) finished. In more traditional bars and especially the breweries, the waiter (called "Köbes" in local language) will even hand you a fresh Kölsch without being asked, so it is easy to lose track of how much you drank. He will put a pencil line on your coaster for each beer that you drank, this will be the basis for your bill, so do not lose it! To stop the beer from coming, leave your glass almost half full until you have asked for the bill or put your coaster on top of your empty glass.

If you buy bottled Kölsch, take either Reissdorf, Früh, Gaffel or Mühlen, which are rated highest by Cologne citizens. Those looking for a beer with a little more bitterness might like to try Küppers (there are about 30 more brands).

There are so many bars and pubs to choose from that you could spend most of the night going from one bar to the next. A really great bar is the Irish Pub, Flanagan's, in Altstadt down below a building. Almost everybody speaks English in there if that's what you are looking for, and they have a really great Karaoke night on Sundays. The clientele is very friendly.For a comprehensive list, see this website, bars listed on the right.

• For traditional breweries, head to the Altstadt around the Dom, where the Früh Kölsch brewery is the most famous with visitors and locals. You will find a younger crowd at Hellers Brauhaus on Roonstraße, near metro station Zülpicher Platz or Brauhaus Pütz on Engelbertstraße close to Rudolfplatz. Furthermore the Päffgen, on the all-bar street Friesenstraße close to the Friesenplatz, and the Mühlen near Heumarkt are traditional brewery pubs but less touristy than the "Früh". Also recommended is Sion, which is a lesser known brand, but hailed to be very good, although some beer enthusiasts have found it lacking character since 2007. Most Altstadt pubs are somewhat scorned as "tourist traps" by locals, however: prices here are usually higher than e.g. on Zülpicher Straße.
• There are a lot of modern bars and lounges all around town. More mainstream ones are on Zülpicher Straße. For something more independent and funky on this street, try Umbruch (funky) or Stiefel (punky). The Low Budget on Aachener Straße next to Moltkestraße metro is a nice, unassuming, punky bar which features a fine selection of drinks and often hosts concerts, poetry or cabaret sessions.
• A lot of stylish places are in the so-called Belgian quarter between Aachener Straße and the Ring, e.g. famous M20 or the Hallmackenreuther.
• A secret Tip are the Bars of the alternative Szene in Cologne. Those you may find the most in Ehrenfeld, like the "Sonic Ballroom", and in the Südstadt, for instance the "Tsunami Club" and the little pub "Lotta", but also in the famous Kwartier Lateng, which is near the University of Cologne, around the Barbarossaplatz, at the Zülpicher Straße i Kyffhäuser Straße. If you are searching for something more rough, you may find some nice places to rock and roll, on the Schäl Sick in the cityparts Kalk, east from the Kölnarena, like the little Trash Chic bar in the Wiersbergstreet, and in Mülheim, north from the Kölner Messe the little St. Pauli fanszene pub called "Limes", at the Mülheimer Freiheit street, near the Wiener Platz. But, this places are better to be known visited by the younger and not so rich people. So take care of your pockets.
• Cafe Oscar (Oscar Bar & Cafe), Hohenstaufenring 25 (at the Zulpicher Platz S-Bahn stop). Awesome Italian restaurant that has a long running special of cheap cocktails after 17:00 most nights, and pizza and pasta dishes for €3-4 daily before 18:00. Great place for lunch or an early dinner, and also a good base to kick off a night out. Staff are very friendly and generally speak English, and the food is excellent, as are the cocktails. 

Kölsch

• 50.93996.957011 Früh am Dom, Am Hof 12 – 14 (Just south of the cathedral, behind the Domhotel), ☏ 49 221 2613- 211. Früh am Dom is a great place to try the local Kölsch brew. 
• 50.938096.960432 Brauhaus Gaffel, Alter Markt 20-22, ☏ 49 221 257 7692. 11:00-01:00. 
• 50.939266.959453 Brauhaus Sion, Unter Taschenmacher 5 (Altstadt), ☏ 49 221 - 257 85 40. 
• 50.940736.942074 Brauerei Päffgen, Friesenstraße 64-66. 
• 50.93476.960495 Brauerei Malzmühle, Heumarkt 6. 10:00-22:00. Visited by Bill Clinton. 
• Lommerzheim, Siegesstraße 18 (in Köln-Deutz (across the railway bridge)). 
• Ausschank Pfaffen Brauerei Max Päffgen, Heumarkt 62. 
• Jeck - dä kölsche Keller (Jeck), Große Neugasse 42, 50667 Köln (close to the rhine, in the old city), ☏ 49 221 17940777. Sa Su 20:00-03:00. Only local music is played in the Jeck. (updated Dec 2017)

Club

• Alter Wartesaal. Nifty bar and disco beside the central station: various events & exclusive parties. (updated Jul 2017)
• Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld & YUCA („Your Urban Club of Arts“), Bartholomäus-Schink-Straße 65/67 (at the S-Bahn station "Ehrenfeld", and close to U-Bahn stop "Venloer Straße/Gürtel"). Club complex in Ehrenfeld. Parties and concerts. Devoted to a variety of international styles including hip-hop, jazz and Latin music. (updated Jul 2017)
• Bootshaus, Auenweg 173 (right side of the river near the Zoobrücke bridge). Serious clubbing. In an old harbor storage facility, but very modern inside. One of Germany's top clubs. (updated Jul 2017)
• Gebäude 9, Deutz-Mülheimer Strasse 127. Concerts. International flavor. Alternative crowd. Quite popular. Inside a defunct factory site on the right bank of the river. (updated Jul 2017)
• Die Werkstatt. Houses clubs and concerts in an industrial area in Ehrenfeld. 
• Subway. Various parties from Hip Hop, Electro to Indie music with a hip but laid back audience (Moltkestraße metro - next to Rudolfplatz). 
• Blue Shell, Luxemburger Str. 32. Small old dance and night club, loud and crowded. Rock concerts, music contests, poetry slams, parties, bar sounds. (updated Jul 2017)
• Artheater, Ehrenfeldgürtel 127. Ehrenfeld club. Not a great building but the clubbing area is fine. Club books good DJs and artists. In walking distance of Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld. (updated Jul 2017)
• Bar Orange - on Sudermannplatz, near Ebertplatz. Great atmosphere and great cocktails, or just a beer and a lively chat with Milan, the resident philosopher, or Rainer and Arash, experts on local goings on.
• Blue Lounge Party. Every third Saturday, at the Bürgerhaus Stollwerck in Dreikönigenstraße 23. Starts at 22:00, tickets €5. Percussion, Brazil, balearic and deep house, techno, trance. A must for people who like this kind of music. 
• #TAUSEND Bar. Aachener Straße 57 (Moltkestraße metro): various events & music, nice bar styled by design students from the Köln International School of Design (KISD). 
• 3Klang. On Ehrenfeldgürtel 127, metro station Venloer Str./Gürtel. Every third Friday, 22:00-05:00. 
• Blue Lounge Bar. On Mathiasstraße, lesbian bar. Off-shoot of the very successful party mentioned above. 
• Basswerk Session, bi-monthly, the second Saturday at Gebäude 9, Deutz-Mülheimer Straße 127-129 (tram 3 or 4, stop at KölnMesse/Osthallen), 23:00–05:00. Long-running and popular drum 'n' bass party in a defunct funky factory hall. Resident DJs often invite renowned guest DJs from the international d'n'b fringe. Alternates bi-monthly with the similar "Phonogenic" party in the same venue.
• Art of House Party. Once a month, the second or third Saturday at Stadtgarten in Venloer Straße 40 (Hans-Böckler Platz metro): nice and really crowded house party, guests around 25. 
• Funky Chicken Club. Every Friday at Opernterassen next to the opera (Appellhofplatz metro): Cologne House Party in a beautiful venue, always crowded, good House and Electronic Music. 
• Apropo. Good parties on Fridays and Saturdays with Soul, Funk, Disco and Hip Hop, a cosy venue in Im Dau 17 (Ulrepforte or Severinstraße metro) easy guests from 20 years on. 
• Sixpack In the vibrant Belgisches Viertel (Aachener Straße 33 - next to Rudolfplatz) you should be aware to wait long or even get rejected especially at a late hour. Mixed music from Electro to Indie with a huge variety of bottled beer.

Sleep

Cologne is an internationally important trade fair city, with expansive fairgrounds in Deutz. The hotel rates rise multi-fold during important fairs. If you do not have to, try not staying in Cologne during those. Alternatively, you can try finding accommodation in Dusseldorf, which is a short train ride away and is usually not affected by the rate hikes (but has its own trade fair calendar, so mind it as well).

For accommodation services the city of Cologne charges an extra 5%-levy Kulturförderabgabe, which is included in your bills.Non-tourists, i. e. those who did not voluntarily chose to head for Cologne, can get the taxes reimbursed.

Kampiranje

• Campingplatz der Stadt Köln. Rhineside camping site with a view of the Dom and city centre, the low drone of the nearby highway bridge does distract from the otherwise peaceful locality. It is right by a cycle and walking trail into the city and is an ideal family site (although there aren't many activities for children), rates are very reasonable and the owner speaks English. Getting to the site is a little difficult, take the tram/train to Rodenkirchen and walk over the bridge, when on the other side turn downriver and the campsite is on the right, there is a restaurant nearby. Adult €6.50. 
• Camping Berger. Another Rhine-side camping site, nearer public transport. With 125 spaces, supermarket, playground and a restaurant. Rates are reasonable (€7.50 for adult per night). 

Proračun

• 50.941836.956051 Station Hostel, Marzellenstraße 40-48 (across from the main station). Basic rooms and facilities and the breakfast is extra but good value nonetheless. They also have storage lockers (deposit) if you want to keep your valuables somewhere safe. 
• 50.939086.973282 Jugendherberge Köln-Deutz, Siegesstraße 5 (near railway station;), ☏ 49 221 814711, ✉[email protected]. 
• 50.969856.952463 Hostel 404, Neusser Straße 404. 
• 50.928356.942124 Black Sheep Hostel, Barbarossaplatz 1 (four stops by subway 16/18 to Barbarossaplatz; ticket:Kurzstrecke). Creative new hostel in the middle of nightlife - small breakfast included. There are female only dormitories, but no male only dormitories. 
• 50.946296.925695 Weltempfänger, Venloer Straße 196 (next to Piusstraße subway station). In a relaxed and bohemian neighbourhood, the hostel has got a nice bar and friendly staff. 
• 50.9353164836.93502306936 Die Wohngemeinschaft, Richard-Wagner-Str. 39 (short walk from Rudolfplatz), ☏ 49 0221 98593090. 16 rooms. Also has a busy, comfortable bar and a small theatre. Not far from two nightlife areas to the north (around Brüsseler Platz) and south (around Zülpicher Straße). There are female only dormitories, but no male only dormitories. (updated Jul 2017)
• 50.93668796.9600997 Köln City Appartments, Heumarkt 59, ☏ 49 163-6610004, ✉[email protected]. 30 m² newly renovated great bright rooms, bathroom and toilet are separated. There are 7 apartments available. 10 minutes to the fair and the Cologne main station. €17. (updated Aug 2018)
• M King Hotel, Kalker Hauptstrasse 233 (next to Kalk Kapelle U-bahn station), ☏ 49 21180262727, 49 1634611710, ✉[email protected]. Prijava: 14:00, provjeri: 11:00. Rabbit-hutched sized rooms but with private facilities, nicely-decorated & spotlessly clean. Single, €31. (updated Aug 2020)

Srednja klasa

• 50.932036.94028 Ameron Hotel Ascot Cologne, Hohenstaufenring 95-97, ☏ 49 221 952-9650, ✉[email protected]. This 4-star hotel in the city centre, not far away from the cathedral and a 5-minutes walk from the Friesen quarter. Single from €80, double from €100 (incl breakfast buffet). 
• 50.932036.94029 Esplanade Hotel, Hohenstaufenring 56, ☏ 49 221 921-5570, ✉[email protected]. This privately-run, 3-star hotel is 2 km from the cathedral and a 10-minute walk from Friesenstraße. Single from €90, double from €120 (incl breakfast buffet). 
• 50.93346.938310 Meininger City Hostel, Engelbertstraße 33-35 (near Zülpicher Platz). 
• 50.947946.9424611 NH Koeln Mediapark, Im Mediapark 8b, ☏ 49 221 27150. From €72.70. 
• 50.943766.9601412 Wyndham Koeln (formerly Best Western Grand City, Four Points by Sheraton), Breslauer Platz 2, ☏ 49 221 16510, faks: 49 221 165-1333. The hotel's building is anything but pretty and the room appointments somewhat outdated, but this is made up for with free Wi-Fi and a convenient location. €61. 
• 50.944076.956213 Drei Könige am Dom, Marzellenstraße 58-60. €85. 
• 50.940096.9556914 Königshof Swiss Quality Hotel, Richartzstraße 14-16, ☏ 49 221 257-8771, faks: 49 221 257 87 62, ✉[email protected]. 3-star hotel 500 m away from the railway station and 13 km from the airport. 
• 50.881147.0995615 Leonardo Hotel Köln Bonn Airport (formerly the Holiday Inn Cologne-Bonn Airport), Waldstraße 255, ☏ 49 220 35610, ✉[email protected]. Within walking distance of the airport (unless you have a lot of luggage), but they run a shuttle. Park-and-fly packages also offered. Sometimes you can find a decently-priced room here when prices in town go through the roof. Nothing but the airport in walking distance. €99-250. (ažurirano u studenom 2019)

Splurge

• 50.945296.9611616 Cologne Marriott Hotel (Köln Marriott Hotel), Johannisstraße 76-80, ☏ 49 221 942220, ✉[email protected]. Prijava: 15:00, provjeri: 12:00. A short walk from the railway station, the Cologne Marriott is modern and personal. Rooms are big and well appointed. There is an in-house restaurant and breakfast venue, Cast Iron Grill. The Executive lounge (6th floor) with breakfast, dinner and drinks is worth paying the extra for. €130-200. (ažurirano veljače 2020)
• 50.943216.9556317 Hilton Cologne, Marzellenstraße 13-17 (200 m from central station), ☏ 49 221 130710, ✉[email protected]. Prijava: 15:00, provjeri: 12:00. Modern Hilton hotel in the centre, convenient for sightseeing. Prices go through the roof during trade fairs in Deutz. €115-400. 
• 50.940396.9693618 Hyatt Regency Cologne, Kennedy-Ufer 2A (in the old town), ☏ 49 221 828-1234, ✉[email protected]. 5-star hotel. 306 rooms and suites with views of the River Rhine. Host to gourmet restaurant "Graugans", 13 conference rooms and a spa. 
• 50.931636.9515519 Im Wasserturm, Kaygasse 2, ☏ 49 221 200 80. A luxury hotel built inside of a 130-year-old water tower. It has a designer interior and a rooftop restaurant with panoramic views. Price: €180-840 per night 
• 50.940256.9456420 Pullman Cologne. Some rooms feature Nespresso machines and a glass partition between bedroom and bathroom. The top-level bar George M offers sweeping vistas of Cologne from its 12th-floor location. 
• 50.944036.9842321 Radisson Blu Cologne, Messe Kreisel 3, ☏ 49 221 277 200. Restaurant, bar, gym, spa. 
• 50.946486.9571622 Savoy. A family-run 5-star hotel with a huge spa area and a very nice rooftop bar. It's very close to the main station (exit Breslauer Platz, turn left, ~100 m) and has very good weekend offers. Known as the place of choice for many (German and international) celebrities. 

Ostati siguran

Criminal activity in Cologne is similar to other big cities. Tourists should take normal safety precautions, particularly in the city centre, where pickpockets are known to be active. Also, be careful on the Ring, which is full of clubs and night-time crowds in the streets. Day and night be careful in outlying neighbourhoods like Chorweiler, Porz, Seeberg, Ostheim, Bocklemünd, Ossendorf, and Vingst. In general, stay away from drunk people. At street crossings, watch the trams.

Connect

Wi-Fi access

• hotspot.koeln. Since 2014 free city Wi-Fi ("WLAN" in German) is available in many public spaces and in public buildings. To use it you must find a signal (for a map follow the link), tick a box and click past two messages. (updated Jul 2017)
• Free Wi-Fi is also available in many bars, restaurants and cafes.
• The free Wi-Fi on ICE trains and at the station identifies itself as "Telekom".
• Telekom HotSpot. Commercial (fast) Wi-Fi service. A "HotSpot Pass" costs €4.95 a day. (updated Jul 2017)

Snaći se

Religious services

Holy mass in Catholic churches near to the central station:

• Dom, Domkloster 3 (next to the central station). Su 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 12:00, 17:00, 18:30; M-Sa 06:30, 07:15, 08:00, 09:00, 18:30
• St. Andreas, Komödienstr. 8. Su 09:00, 11:00, 18:00; M-F 12:05; Sa 09:00, 17:00
• St. Mariä Himmelfahrt, Marzellenstr. 26. Su 11:00; W Th 10:30; Sa 17:00, 18:30
• Minoritenkirche, Kolpingplatz 5. Su 09:00, 11:00, 16:00; Tu-F 99:00

Go next

• Bonn — the former capital of West Germany is due south and easy to reach by train or Stadtbahn (Regional Express 5; MittelRheinBahn MRB 48; U-Bahn line 16 and 18; also ICEs, ICs, and EC's ).
• Brühl — almost a suburb of Cologne, contains the Augustusburg Palace which has been placed on the Popis svjetske baštine UNESCO-a. The palace is one of the key works of Balthasar Neuman, and contains one of the finest Rococo interiors in the world, the highlight being the main staircase. Also in the grounds is the magnificent hunting Lodge of Falkenslust. Brühl can be easily reached by train in around 20 minutes from Cologne. The theme park of Phantasialand is also in Brühl.
• Düsseldorf
• Königswinter — A small town reachable by train.
• Ruhr (Ruhrgebiet) — If you are interested in heavy industry this might be a worthwhile trip. It is about 100 km north of Cologne. The region, which was the center of mountain (coal and steel) industry in Germany, is going through a structural transformation and proudly presents its industrial past on the Industrial Heritage Trail [1].
• Zülpich — a small town southwest of Cologne dating from Roman times. It has a newly opened museum centered on Roman baths and bathing culture. It is also a gateway to the forested hills of the Eifel region.

International

Due to Cologne's proximity to the German-Belgian-Dutch border, weekend trips to foreign destinations are easy to arrange. Thalys operates high speed trains to Paris i Brussels, and Deutsche Bahn to Amsterdam, making each city only a few hours away. You can also travel to Maastricht (a city in the Netherlands with a beautiful city centre where the Maastricht Treaty of the European Union was signed in 1992) for a low cost by taking a train to Aachen then by bus to Maastricht – See: Aachen#From The Netherlands for details. (Direct buses are available to the same destinations but will take longer.)

Routes through Cologne

Bruxelles ← Aachen ←	Paris  Dortmund	→ Düsseldorf → Duisburg
Duisburg ← Düsseldorf ←	Dortmund  Munich	→ Frankfurt Airport → Frankfurt
KRAJ ←	Cologne  Berlin	→ Düsseldorf → Hanover
KRAJ ←	Cologne  Basel	→ Siegburg/Bonn → Frankfurt
Duisburg ← Düsseldorf ←	Amsterdam  Frankfurt	→ Frankfurt Airport → Frankfurt
Liège ← Aachen ←	Brussels  Frankfurt	→ Frankfurt Airport → Frankfurt