Cologne Attractions

Cologne Cathedral, with its two famous spires reaching 157m in height, took 632 years to build and has been the city’s most famous landmark for centuries.

Cologne’s beautiful Old Town is renowned for its countless pubs and brewery taverns where visitors can enjoy the famous German Kölsch, which is a typical top fermented beer.

The Chocolate Museum celebrates the story of chocolate from bean to wrapper. Part of the exhibition is a walk-through arboretum containing cocoa trees and exotic plants, but the highlight is a chocolate fountain oozing 'schokolade', which visitors are encouraged to sample.

The City Hall was built in 1330, with the Renaissance arcade (16th century) and tower (15th century) being added later. The building complex suffered extensive damage during the Second World War and now has undergone extensive renovation to bring this city’s history back to life.

The Cologne Arena opened in 1998 and is the city’s latest and most distinctive landmark on the right bank of the Rhine. The glazed structure is dominated by a steel arch 78 meters high that casts its glow into the surrounding countryside at night. The arena is home to many of Cologne’s sport, shows and events.

The smallest and oldest remaining Cologne church was erected around the year 900 on the Suitbert-Heimbach-Platz. Three Carolingian memorial stones from the cemetery tell of a church that previously stood on the same site and was destroyed by the Normans.