Cologne (Germany)

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Cologne is situated in W-central Germany, 15 mls N of Bonn (45 mls E of the border with Belgium and the Netherlands, 12 mls NW of Cologne-Bonn international airport).

Cologne Straddles the River Rhine, and is surrounded by undulating countryside and farmland. Cologne is one of the most important and indeed most famous cities in Germany, much of its glorious past was destroyed almost overnight by Allied bombing in World War II.

What was left standing has been methodically restored, a process that continues to this day. What you see is a modern "old city" surrounding the magnificent Dom (cathedral), which remarkably survived the bombs relatively unscathed. The central area, bounded by the inner ring road, lies on the W bank of the River Rhine and is just 1¼ mls from E to W and 2 mls from N to S; however, the metropolitan area sprawls to accommodate a population of over 1 million.

Aside from the business people attending the world-famous trade fairs, visitors go to Cologne to sample the past (particularly the Roman remains and ecclesiastical architecture) or to revel in the present. Probably Cologne's most spectacular festival is the "Karneval" (its version of Mardi Gras), an exuberant affair, less Germanic than Mediterranean in character.

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The tourist prime trade is based around middle- to upmarket business people attending numerous trade fairs during the autumn and winter. In summer their places are taken by tour groups and independent travellers, many on multicentre package coach tours or making use of rail cards.

Accommodation is mainly geared to the business market, with a proliferation of properties in the middle to upper range. The majority provide facilities for this clientele, ranging from basic fax to full-blown mini-offices.

Shoppers have a large pedestrian precinct in the centre which has a wide range of shops, from boutiques to large department stores: everyday establishments, but with good-quality merchandise nevertheless. The home of 4711 Eau de Cologne on Glockengasse still sells the brand among other perfumes. Open-air markets in the Altstadt (old town area) include a weekly Friday flea market (plus one every third Saturday) and special flower markets.

Activities in the daytime consist largely of sightseeing such as the famous twin-spired cathedral, including the climb up 536 steps of the S spire for a cityscape panorama; museums include the Roman-Germanic Museum (home of the finest mosaic in Europe) and the Wallraf-Richartz/Museum Ludwig (fine collection of ancient and modern paintings); the old town (Altstadt); 12 Romanesque churches; Telecom tower viewing platform at 797 ft; river trips; cable-car ride over the river; zoo and aquarium; ice rink; FC Koln, one of Germany's most popular football teams.

Nightlife offers classical concerts at Philharmonia Hall; opera at the Opera House; contemporary concerts at Sporthalle; theatre; many cinemas. Four main areas: the old town, with its own distinctive bars and restaurants (and a few tourist traps); Quartier Lateng near the university, where you can mingle with genuine Cologners; the Sudstadt with its many trendy bars and cafes, all packed to capacity; and the Belgisches Viertel, along the inner ring road, which is rather crass and dominated by the more Bohemian brigade.

Given the number of international visitors attending the trade fairs, it is not surprising that there is a large variety of menus to choose from, with dishes from all over the globe; the old town and inner ring-road areas offer abundant variety in both cuisine and budget. Local specialities include smoked black sausage, frankfurter-type sausage with rye bun and ham knuckle with pickled onion. Cologne is famous for its Kolsch beer, which can be produced only in the 24 breweries in or around the city.

Getting around Cologne is fairly easy with a comprehensive network of urban buses, trams and underground train system. Plentiful taxis. With over 1,000 trains passing through each day, from within and outside the country, Cologne is an easy destination to reach and explore from. Both domestic and international services use the nearby airport. Ferry service on the Rhine.

Local excursions consist of half day: river trips to Dusseldorf or the Rhine gorge; nature reserves at Dunnwald, Bruck and Porz. Full day: castles and villages of the Rhine gorge, including Koblenz, Assmannshausen and Rudesheim.

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Population: 82.431.400
Languages: German
Currency: euro
Currency code: EUR
Local Times:
Germany - Berlin - Berlin

Germany - Hesse - Frankfurt

Country Dialling Code: +49
Voltage: 230V 50Hz
Electrical plugs:
'Schuko' type with two earth connectors on the sides

'Schuko' type with two earth connectors on the sides

Situated in the heart of Europe and bordering nine other countries, Germany provides an ideal gateway to any tour of the subcontinent. From Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire to Otto von Bismarck's German Reich, Nazism and the rise and fall of the Berlin Wall, no other nation has moulded Europe the way Germany has - for better or worse. Its land is wide and varied with turreted castles nestled below snow-capped mountains, lush river valleys, dark and mysterious forests and bustling medieval villages. This is the land of fairy tales, where farmland minstrels headed to Bremen to become musicians, where Sleeping Beauty was woken and Little Red Riding Hood ventured into the woods.

Germany wears its riches well: elegant big-city charm, small picture-postcard towns, pagan-inspired harvest festivals, a wealth of art and culture and the perennial pleasures of huge tracts of forest, delightful castles and fine wine and beer are all there for the savouring.

Germany is made up of the North German Plain, the Central German Uplands (Mittelgebirge), and the Southern German Highlands. The Bavarian plateau in the southwest averages 1,600 ft (488 m) above sea level, but it reaches 9,721 ft (2,962 m) in the Zugspitze Mountains, the highest point in the country. Germany's major rivers are the Danube, the Elbe, the Oder, the Weser, and the Rhine.

As Germany moves forward into the 21st century, leaving behind a history of division and tyranny, it is a nation embracing its newfound liberalism and redefining a modern cultural identity. Yet even today, visitors to the country can't escape feeling profoundly moved by this country's past and the effects it still has on its people.

Germany's cities each have something unique to offer the visitor. Each year millions of litres of beer is consumed in Munich during the city's Oktoberfest, where locals and visitors discover true German revelry and 'gemutlichkeit' (a word the locals use to describe a comfortable, sociable environment). Berlin, while still recovering from some of the scars of division, contains many sights from the iconic Brandenburg Gate, to the path of the old Berlin Wall. The city's vibrant nightlife is still evocative of its height in the 1920s and 30s, as characterised by the songs of Marlene Dietrich, the theatre of Brecht and the Film Cabaret .

Discover the country that gave us Beethoven and Bauhaus, Goethe and Glühwein, Lager and Lederhosen - you won't be disappointed.