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Cologne
The main station or Hauptbahnhof, was the site of the Botanical Gardens now located in Riehl (Cologne suburb) and now has lines for the ICE (Inter City Express) 3, the Thalys and "Sprinter". It is located next to the main cathedral (der Dom); train lines operate for both the Hauptbahnhof (main station) and the Domstadt (City of the Great Cathedral). The high-speed connections link Cologne to Amsterdam (2 hours 30 minutes), Berlin, Brussels (2 hours, 30 minutes), Hamburg, London (5 hours 10 minutes) and Paris (4 hours). Trains between St Pancras and Cologne run around 9 times a day.
Eurostar trains between St Pancras International and Cologne have average journey times of 5 hours, 56 minutes, with an indirect route via Lille, Brussels and Liege. Booking a ticket to Cologne means watching three different countries pass you by in comfort. The best time to visit is at Advent or Christmas, as tourists can enjoy the traditional German markets.
Cologne is in western Germany north of Bonn in North Rhine-Westphalia. It lies on the Rhine River and is the fourth largest city in Germany with a population of over 990000. The city is important for commerce, banking, industry, rail and road links, ports (one of Europe’s key inland ports) and media (there are numerous publishing houses and production facilities). Cologne is so important because of its location on the main European trade routes, and it was first a financial and important art and learning centre. Cologne’s origins as a 1st century BC Roman settlement (Colonia Agrippina), and Hanseatic League prominence mean the architecture is very diverse with many different styles and periods. It was almost completely destroyed in the Second World War.
Cologne’s industries include automobile engines, engineering, electronics engineering, metals, chemicals, textiles and printed materials. It is most famous for eau de cologne, which has been produced commercially there since the 18th century.
Points of Interest
| Köln Dom This cathedral is the largest Gothic church in northern Europe, and the city’s unofficial symbol. Visitors can climb to the top of the South Tower, and highlights include:
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| Gürzenich This former banqueting hall and warehouse is used for many functions since its restoration, and is Cologne’s most important secular building. | |
| Imhoff-Stollwerck-Museum The Museum of Chocolate exhibits the history of chocolate. There are numerous different varieties of the confectionery to see. | |
| Roman Praetorium The classical 12th century Jewish ritual bath (mikve) is now the location of the governor’s palace and situated southwest of the Town Hall, under the Spanischer Bau. It is open to the public, and important because of its archaeological value and collection of Jewish artefacts. | |
| The Ring The ring of streets on the line of the city walls is located in the old town and includes a series of botanical gardens promenade displays. The remains of the old fortified town gates still stand- the Eigelsteintor (north), Hahnentor (west) and Severinstor (south)- but the area has recently been replanned. | |
| Phantasialand This is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Higlights of Cologne’s nearest theme park (south of the city, near Brühl) include:
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Attractions
summerjam annual reggae
Christopher Street Day (CSD) gay/lesbian pride
Cologne Carnival
Romantic Summer Festival
Cologne-Frankfurt-Koblenz-Cologne
Cologne-Koblenz-Bullay-Cologne
Restaurants and cafés: Brauhaus Sion, Em Krützche, Haxenhaus Zum Rheingarten, La Vision, Wackes
Bars and clubs: Brauhaus Peters, Früh am Dom, Rosebud, Stadtgarten
Clubs and music: LANXESS arena, Studio 672 (the nightclub section of Stadtgarden), Alter Wartesaal, Papa Joe's Jazzlokal
The main shopping street is Schildergasse, parallel to Breitestrasse.
Neumarkt Galerie shopping centre
Kölner Wasser shops (Eau de Cologne)- 4711-Haus at Glockengasse and Farina-Haus at Obenmarspforten 21, opposite the town hall.
Rudolfplatz, Mittlestrasse, Ehrenstrasse, Pfeilstrasse and Benesissttrasse for evening and formal clothing, jewellery, home furnishings and antique boutiques.
Ehrenstrasse and Breitestrasse for smart clothing.