Cologne Economic Travel Guide
1 in the cosmopolitan German city where Cologne was invented day trip plan..
Germany’s fourth largest population with more than 1 million inhabitants Cologne, the city of Cologne, became a city where the Nazis were concentrated after the Gestapo headquarters were moved here in 1935.. It was the center of bombs in World War II.. The city, which was almost completely devastated, was later rebuilt and gained its present architecture.. The DOM cathedral (Kölner Dom), the highest place in the city, is on the UNESCO world heritage list, and the construction of skyscrapers and high-rise buildings is not allowed in order for this cathedral to remain the tallest building in the city that can be seen from anywhere.. Also known as the city of cathedrals, there are 12 other Romanesque Cathedrals apart from Kölner DOM.. These; St.. Andreas, St.Ursula, St.. Gereon, St.. Aposteln, St.. Cäcilien, St.. Pantaleon, St.. Severin, St.. Georg, Sankt Maria in Lyskirchen, Sankt Maria im Kapitol, Groß St. Martin and St.. Kunibert. Click here to see their location on the map.
Divided into two by the Rhine River, which runs through the middle of the city, the two sides of this city are connected by 8 bridges, but with love locks. Hohenzollern Bridge is the bridge that is mentioned a lot among the famous touristic places to see.. This bridge connects many cities both in Germany and in different countries of Europe with many trains coming out of the main train station, and is also the most frequently used bridge by both pedestrian and bicycle.
A city that has come to the fore with its cosmopolitan structure and being a center of science, culture, art, trade and entertainment is also the place where the cologne was first found and the English word Cologne gave the city its name.. Due to the high Turkish population in the city, you may encounter many Turks, find Turkish explanations, and see Turkish restaurants and kebab shops.. Keupstrasse (Keup Street) in the Mülheim region, where Turks are the most, is known as Little Istanbul.
TRANSPORTATION TO Cologne: HOW TO GET TO Cologne?
By Airplane: Cologne Bonn Airport is an airport with low-cost airlines such as Germanwings and TUIfly and is served by S-Bahn local trains to the city center. You can reach it in 15 minutes.
By train: There are two major train stations in Cologne: Köln Hauptbahnhof and Köln-Deutz. In addition, you can reach this city easily and quickly from big cities such as Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris with Thalys and ICE high-speed trains.
By car: If you want to reach Cologne city center by renting a car from the airport, you should follow the highway 559.
Cologne CITY TRANSPORTATION
City transportation is very easy and practical with bicycles, trams, buses and suburban trains.. For more detailed information, you can use the official website of KVB.
ACCOMMODATION IN COLOGNE: WHERE TO STAY IN COLOGNE?
Altstadt, Neustadt Nord, Deutz are among the most preferred areas for accommodation, but since Cologne is a very easy city in terms of urban transportation, you can stay in any region you wish.. The only thing you need to pay attention to is the safety of the area you will stay and its proximity to transportation vehicles.. Accordingly, you can compare your alternative accommodation options on booking.com or airbnb sites.
THAT SHOULD BE DONE IN COLOGNE
- Kölner Karneval (Cologne Carnival): Every year, 11. 11 of the month. At 11 am on the day of 11, the carnival period, which is called Germany’s “fifth season”, officially begins.. On November 11, walks, entertainments, masquerades, celebrations are held throughout the day, and music, dance and beer are enjoyed from morning to evening.. Even though it is not a public holiday, on this day when no one works, almost 100 carnival vehicles roam Cologne for 5 hours, and candies or German chocolates are thrown at those who shout “Kamelle” with their colorful costumes and painted faces on the side of the parade.. In fact, on this day, which is also considered as women’s day, men traditionally wear ties, women cut these ties and kiss the men whose tie they cut.. The logic behind the tie-cutting event is that women take power from men and take over.. About 1 million people flock to Cologne each year just to experience this carnival.
- Cologne Gay Pride (Cologne Gay Parade): Celebrated as Christopher Street Day (CSD) and held every year on the first weekend of July, this parade is one of Germany’s largest pride parades.. Cologne is allegedly one of the cities with the highest LGBT population in Germany, and if you ask any German what Cologne is like, the first answer you will get is ‘Gay City’.
- Christmas Markets: Christmas markets are held in many areas in Cologne, as well as throughout Germany, during the Christmas period. In these street markets, which started on November 23 and are open all day, you can drink mulled wine, eat sausage and bread, have a good time with music, entertainment, games, and do a lot of Christmas shopping at the colorful and fun decorated stalls.. The Christmas market behind the Dom cathedral is one of the most popular ones.
- Kölner Lichter (Cologne Lights): In mid-July usually 14-15 Fireworks displays and concerts are held between the Hohenzollern and the Zoo bridges on July.. During this event, you can take a boat tour on the Rhine, stand in the middle of the Hohenzollern bridge and take pictures, sit by the Rhine and watch this visual feast accompanied by concerts.
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- Kölner Seilbahn: We strongly recommend you to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city of Cologne, accompanied by a magnificent sunset, by taking these cable cars operating between April and October.. You can buy a one-way ticket and walk on the way back.. These cable cars swinging over the Rhine are definitely an activity you should experience in Cologne.
- Claudius Therme: These thermal baths in the Rheinpark , we recommend if you are on a week-long trip to Cologne with your partner or girlfriend. You can spend a few romantic hours at the facility, which is open until midnight, and you can relieve the tiredness of the festival period here.
- Bierbike: With a driver, it has a capacity of 16 people. On these bikes, 10 people can pedal while the other 5 people can sit in the empty seats.. On these bikes, which we will definitely recommend as a group activity, you can listen to music, stroll around and enjoy drinking fresh beer at the same time.. This beer bike, which you can rent for a minimum of 200 euros for 2 hours, will allow you to have a different experience with a very affordable price of 20 euros per person if you are a group of 10 people.
- EL-DE HAUS: Nazism documentation center, formerly the Gestapo center. In 1934, the Nazis rented this building and turned it into a secret police Gestapo headquarters.. 2nd. While most of the city was destroyed in World War II, this building, the prison cells and the torture rooms in the basement, used to store war files and documents, were not damaged. It also received the “Museum of the Year Award” in 2006.
- Medieval City Gates: 12 found in the medieval city walls between 1180 and 1220. From the city gate, 3 of them have survived to the present day.. These are: Severinstor, Eigelsteintor and Hahnentor gates and they are still in use today. Eigelsteintor, one of the three surviving entrance gates of the city, 13. built in the century. There is a figure on the city side of the gate with two towers adjoining each other, holding a shield in one hand and a spear and key in the other.. This figure symbolized the farmer, one of the four important characters in the ancient Roman period.
WHAT TO EAT IN COLOGNE? WHAT TO DRINK?
The first local foods that come to mind when Germany and food are mentioned; sausage and potatoes. Typical regional dishes for Cologne are Kölsche Kaviar (blood sausage with onions) and Himmel und Erde (mashed potatoes with blood sausage served with fried apple and onion sauce).
However, when Cologne is mentioned, the first thing that comes to our mind is Kölsch beer, which is served only with Currywurst (sausage bread) and a long thin badak on the side Anyway, if you like to drink beer, it is Kölsch beer that is served one after the other at any beer house you go to and you finish it in almost 2 sips. it makes your stomach so bloated that you don’t feel the need to eat dinner like a man. That’s how it happened to us
By the way, the Germans are also very assertive in pastries; German muffins, Bretzel, fruit cakes are the bakery products that you should definitely taste. Cafe Rico is also the most preferred cafe to have a nice coffee.
SHOPPING IN COLOGNE
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Globetrotter shopping center is a big mall where you can find everything you are looking for.
Hohe Straße, located in the old city center, has many souvenir shops, shops, clothing and accessory stores, fast-food restaurants and electronic goods. It is one of the important shopping areas of the city with its outlets.
Schildergasse is the busiest shopping street in Europe, with almost 13,000 people passing through every hour. Schildergasse is a 500 meter long shopping street open to pedestrian traffic and extending from Hohe Straße in the east to Neumarkt in the west. At the end of this street, there are two famous shopping malls called Olivandenhof and Neumarktpassage.
Ehrenfeld is an area you should visit especially for second-hand shops.. There are also an abundance of books and shops here. Ehrenfeld is one of the coolest areas in Cologne. When you take a quiet walk in this area, you will find murals of street artists who came here from all over the world, waiting to be discovered on the streets.. If you are traveling to Cologne in September, you can participate in the CityLeaks Festival and watch how the artists unveil these works.
COLOGNE CITY TOUR
Cologne has many museums, churches, squares, bridges, etc.. a city with. It would be appropriate to say that we really spent hours while drawing this route that will be the most optimal for you. However, we finally achieved our goal and we created a road map where you will see all the must-see places in a maximum of 3-4 hours.
Sights on this route in Cologne, including 12 Romanesque churches; Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), Römisch-Germanisches Museum (Roman-Germanic Museums), Museum Ludwig (Ludwig Museum), Fischmarkt (Fish Market), Groß St. Martin Kirche (St.. Martin Church), Alter Markt (Old Square), Kölner Rathaus (Old Town Hall), Wallraf-Richartz Museum (Wallraf-Richartz Museum), Duftmuseum im Farina-Haus (Farina Perfume Museum), Sankt Maria im Kapitol Church, Sankt Maria in Lyskirchen church, Schokoladenmuseum (Chocolate Museum), St.. Georg Church, Katholische Kirchgemeinde St.. Severin (St.. Severin Church), St.. Pantaleon Church, St.. Cäcilien Church, Neumarkt district, St.. Aposteln Church, St.. Gereon Church, St.. Ursula Church, St.. Kunibert’s Church. We couldn’t extend the map after that but the directions are really easy. From here, continue north along the Rhine, and after visiting the Kölner Zoo (Köln Zoo) and the adjacent Flora Köln und Botanischer Garten (Flora and Botanical Garden), take the cable car (Kölner Seilbahn) over the Zoobrücke bridge and walk south from the opposite bank of the river to Hohenzollern. After crossing the bridge, you will come back to the point where you started.. St.. Andreas Church is located behind and slightly to the north of the Cologne Cathedral.. When you continue down from here (Museum für Angewandte Kunst), you should visit the Museum of Applied Arts.
To examine the detailed road map by dividing the route into three parts as google map allows. You can click to: 1. part (to Sankt Maria im Kapitol) 2. part (St.. until Gereon) 3. section (until Museum für Angewandte Kunst)
Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom): This cathedral, which is the symbol of the city and located in the Domkloster district, is located on the left side of the Rhine River. gets. Its construction started in 1248 and was completed in 1880 after a period of 632 years.. There are two main towers named “Saint Pierre” and “Mary” and 10 bells, four of which are large. When you climb 510 steps (there is no elevator!) to the tower with the viewing platform at an altitude of 98 meters, you will encounter a magnificent view of the city and the Rhine.. Visited by 20,000 tourists a day and 5-6 million tourists a year, this building is Germany’s most visited historical building.. It is said that even the train station was built next to the cathedral for everyone who comes to the city to see.
Romisch-Germanisches Museum: from the Paleolithic period to the early Middle Ages It is an archaeological museum with a rich heritage.. 2 in the museum. Dionysian Mosaics from the 1st century and. There is a 15-meter-high burial monument dating from the 19th century.. Since the Dionysus mosaic could not move from its place, the museum was designed by architects Klaus Renner and Heinz Röcke around the mosaic.. In addition, glass and ceramics, sculptures and jewelery from the Germanic period, artifacts and antiques belonging to the Archdiocese of Cologne are among the things that can be seen in the museum.
Ludwig Museum (Museum Ludwig): Founded in 1976, this modern arts museum has 350 modern works of art belonging to the rich chocolate maker Peter Ludwig and two sections belonging to lawyer Sammlung Haubrich, including works by Picasso, some Russian and American artists.. This museum is the third largest collection in the world with around 900 works by Picasso.
St. Martin’s Church (Gross St.. Martin Kirche): It was built between 1150 and 1250 on the ruins of an old Roman chapel.. 2nd. This church, which was badly damaged during the World War II, was reopened to visitors in 2009.
Old Square (Alter Markt): When you continue walking to the fish market by the Rhine, 17. You will love the old, low-rise, medieval houses from the 19th century.. This area is also the main place where Christmas markets are set up and the center of Cologne nightlife.
Old Town Hall (Kölner Rathaus): With a rich history of 900 years, it is the center of Cologne nightlife. It is the oldest public building. This building hosts the Mayor. 14 in building. A hall from the 15th century. a gothic tower from the 16th century and. A Renaissance-style porch from the 20th century. There is an atrium dating from the 19th century.
Wallraf-Richartz Museum: The museum is named after Ferdinand Franz Wallraf, who donated his art collection to the city in 1824. and named after Johann Heinrich Richartz, who first built the building. The works of impressionist artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Edward Munch, Albrecht Dürer are exhibited mostly.
Farina Perfume Museum (Duftmuseum im Farina-Haus): Just across the Cologne Town Hall In this museum, which has been located and has survived since 1723, detailed information about perfume production methods is given over several floors and at various stages. Known as the world’s first perfume, the cologne was discovered by the Farina family living in Cologne.
Sankt Maria im Kapitol Church (Sankt Maria im Kapitol): Today’s church, 11. It was built on an ancient Roman temple in the 19th century.. The surviving items were made of first class quality at that time.. Here, there are two wooden door leaves from 1065, the consecrated forked cross from 1304, Gothic stained glass, and a Renaissance-style partition separating the choir and the congregation..
Sankt Maria in Lyskirchen church (Sankt Maria in Lyskirchen): It is the smallest of the 12 Romanesque churches and is located between the Deutz and Severin Brücke bridges.. 13. This church, which belongs to the 2nd century,. It is the only church that was not destroyed in World War II, and therefore saw little restoration.
Chocolate Museum (Schokoladenmuseum): It was opened by Hans Imhoff in 1993 on the Altstadt-Süd Rheinauhafen peninsula on the Rhine, south of the cathedral.. There are miniature machines used in chocolate production, a 3-meter-high chocolate fountain, and a place selling all kinds of chocolate products at the entrance of the museum.
St.. Georg’s Church (St.. Georg): It is a Romanesque style single-column castle-like basilica in the Rhineland region, although its huge western tower is unfinished.
St.. Severin Church (Katholische Kirchgemeinde St.. Severin): Origin 4. In this church, which dates back to the 19th century and was expanded and enlarged over time, there are Gothic stained glass and rich furniture.
St.. Pantaleon Church (St.. Pantaleon): 10. The Pantaleon Church, which was built in an old Roman settlement in the 17th century,. It was restored in the 19th century and houses the Tomb of Empress Theophano, wife of Otto II.
St.. Cäcilien Church: The museum, located in one of the oldest churches (Romanesque Cäcilienkirche) in Cologne, is a place where you can admire its medieval artworks, rare textiles from the medieval period and stained glass windows.
St.. Apostlenic Church (St.. Apostlen): The focal point of this church, located in the Neumarkt district, is the four-leaf clover-shaped choir built in 1220.
St.. Gereon Church (St.. Gereon): One of the 12 Romanesque-style churches in the city, St.. Gereon Church, 7. It consists of an oval dome with a length of 21 meters and a width of 17 meters, which was built on an old church from the 19th century and was seated on a building with 10 facades.. There are medieval wall paintings, mosaics and ancient relics.
St.. Ursula Church (St.. Ursula): St. Ursula Church was built on an old Roman cemetery towards the end of antiquity.. According to the legend, the Breton princess Ursula, who gave the church its name, was martyred in Cologne with 11,000 female companions, and this church was actually dedicated to the Blessed Virgin.
St.. Kunibert’s Church (St.. Kunibert): The church was originally built in St.. Clement was named after Saint Cunibert, who admired him and was buried here.. This church, which has survived many hardships in its history, was severely damaged by bombings during the last 2 World War, the repair work started in 1955 and was completed in 1985.
Köln Zoo (Kölner Zoo): It was founded in 1860 and is located in Europe. It is one of the oldest zoos in. Over time, aquarium, pyramid house, rainforest sections were added. In this 20-hectare area, more than 700 species and around 8000 animals are sheltered.. Separate sections have been created for the endangered animals.
Cologne Flora and Botanical Garden (Flora Köln und Botanischer Garten): This 11-hectare park is located next to the zoo and admission is free.. There is a botanical garden with approximately 2000 species and approximately 10 thousand plants, and a park designed by landscape masters with a glass palace at its center.. We think this is an incredibly nice place to take a short break after your long walk so far.
Cologne Cable Car and Telecommunication Tower (Kölner Seilbahn- Rheinseilbahn): Take the cable car over the Zoo bridge (Zoobrücke) and cross the Rhine. and we recommend you to see the view of the city from this angle.. Cologne Cable Car, which was built in 1957 and is the first and only cable car in Europe that passes over the Rhine, carries 15 million passengers per year.. Another point where you can see Cologne Old Town and Dom Cathedral from a bird’s eye view is the Telecommunication Tower.. Located in the northwest of Cologne Old Town, this 243 meter high tower also includes a revolving restaurant.. Skulpturenpark, where you can take the cable car, is like an open-air museum.. When you cross from here, you will reach the Rheinpark, the park where Claudius Therme is also mentioned before.. When you walk through this park, you will reach Tanzbrunnenvar, the area where various concerts and events are held at the end of the park.
Hohenzollern Bridge (Hohenzollernbrücke): 410 meters long, this bridge is a crossing bridge on the Rhine where almost 1200 trains pass daily. When the attack on the city of Cologne started by the Allies in , the bridge was blown up by German engineers and reopened in 1948 after the war. It is the busiest railway bridge in Germany, but also open to pedestrians.
St.. Andrew’s Church (St.. Andreas): Founded in 960 by Archbishop Bruno and rebuilt in the 12th century, this church is thought to have been completed in 1220 after the great fire in the city of Cologne.. This church, which has an elegant and stylish appearance, has rich decorations.
Museum für Angewandte Kunst: Founded in 1988 and being one of the newest museums in the city, this museum has applied and applied art from the Middle Ages to the present. It contains decorative works of art. The museum includes porcelain, furniture, jewellery, weapons and various architectural works.
ENTERTAINMENT AND NIGHTLIFE IN Cologne
Cologne nightlife is very colorful and very diverse. is alternative. If you wish, you can explore more than one place in one night by walking around the bar, you can stop by the gay clubs on Heumarkt, you can watch live performances by hanging out in one place.. Zülpicher Straße and Luxemburger Straße are two streets where the heart of nightlife beats. In Cologne’s recently famous Belgian Quarter (Belgisches Viertel), beer houses in Altstadt and Rudolfsplatz, Alter Wartesaal district, many bars and clubs in Alter Markt, we can recommend other options. For detailed information about venues and regions, you can check the official Cologne website.
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT CLOSE TO Cologne: ALTERNATIVE TOURS
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- We recommend that you include the Phantasialand theme park in Brühl, especially in your summer trip to Cologne. The “Mysterious Castle”, Black Mamba, Colorado Adventure and Talocan sections in this park, which is approximately 70% closed in winter, will provide you with an exciting and fun day.
- Brühl Palaces: Augustusburg Palace, located in the postcard city of Brühl, 15 km south of Cologne, 18. It was built for the Archbishop of Cologne in the 19th century.. The palace, which has been under UNESCO protection since 1984, was built in the late baroque/rococo style.. Augustusburg Palace is especially famous for its staircase hall.. The garden of the palace is used for open-air concerts and festivals. Falkenlust Palace, located on the same campus, was built in 1740.. Brühl is also home to other museums and historical values.. Augustusburg and Falkenplatz castles are some of them. If you go to Brühl with your children, do not forget to visit Phantasialand, one of the largest theme parks in Europe.
- Altenberg Cathedral: Cologne Cathedral, built in 1259. Altenberg Cathedral (also called Bergischer Dom), which is also called the cousin of the .. The rich interior of the cathedral is worth seeing. Other highlights of the cathedral are the gothic stained glass and the tombs of the princess and abbot.. It is the only church in Europe shared by both Catholics and Protestants.
COLOGNE TRAVEL NOTES
- We recommend you to go to Cologne during the Christmas period, especially in November. November, which coincides with both the Christmas markets and the Cologne carnival, will be an excellent choice.
- Within Germany’s developed train network You can easily visit more than one city.. By taking advantage of this advantage of DB trains, we recommend you to visit other nearby cities and experience German culture more deeply.. Even if you don’t have much time, at least Bonn in the south and Düsseldorf in the north are two other important cities you should see in Germany.
- Cologne, by its location A city where you can travel by DB trains to Belgium and the Netherlands. While you have a Schengen visa ready, we recommend you to tour nearby cities in these two countries.
RESOURCES
- http://www.cologne.de/
- http://www.cologne-tourism.com/
