are two side aisles on the left and right. The shrine of the Magi stands behind the High Altar; created in the form of a basilica, it embodies the Trinity of God. It is an outstanding work of mediaeval goldsmith’s art and is 110 cm wide, 153 cm tall and 220 cm in length. It weighs 600 kilos and was made on the instructions of Archbishop Philipp von Heinsberg in honour of the Magi. In addition to the precious Shrine of the Magi the cathedral contains numerous other treasures. The Cross of Gero is the oldest surviving large sculpture of the crucified Christ in the Western World, and there is also an altar triptych by Stefan Lochner portraying the patron saints of the city. Further religious treasures including reliquaries, liturgical utensils and grave finds are displayed in the cathedral Treasury in the crypt beneath the sacristy. Before the Second World War the southern transept contained a window donated by King Wilhelm I of Prussia depicting life-sized standing figures of secular rulers and the archbishops of Cologne. It was destroyed during the war and replaced by a new, light glass window which was considered to be inadequate. The artist Gerhard Richter, who lives in Cologne, was commissioned to create a new window. The huge window, covering an area of more than 100 m², is now filled with a vast number of small coloured squares in accordance with the artist’s design. He selected 80 colours which were already present in the 19th-century windows. Cologne Cathedral Domkloster 4, 50667 Cologne 6 am – 7.30 pm (November – April) 6 am – 9 pm (May – October) www.koelner-dom.de
Cologne Cathedral Cologne Cathedral is the city’s principal landmark and stands at the very heart of the metropolis on the Rhine. It is one of the masterpieces of European Gothic architecture and has been included on the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage sites since 1996 by virtue of its spiritual and cultural-historical importance. The old cathedral was consecrated in 870, and after the relics of the Magi had been installed there in 1164, the construction of the Gothic cathedral began in 1248. It came to a halt in the early 16th century as a result of a lack of both money and interest. For over 300 years the massive unfinished shell with its huge crane dominated the city skyline. During the 19th century advocates of German Romanticism directed public interest towards the Cathedral once more, and it was completed in 1880 in line with the mediaeval plan which had survived across the centuries. The Gothic Cathedral has five naves and is dominated by the monumental West façade with its twin towers which are 157 metres high. The slender main nave of the Cologne Cathedral is the longest nave in Germany. It is 144 metres in length and leads to the choir. There
Event Highlights
The churches The 12 Romanesque churches Groß St. Martin Groß St. Martin 9 Tue – Fri 9 am – 7.30 pm, Sat, Sun 10 am – 7.30 pm (in August Tue – Sun 2 pm – 6 pm) St. Maria im Kapitol Kasinostraße 6 Mon – Sat 10 am – 6 pm, Sun 1 pm – 6 pm
St. Kunibert Kunibertskloster 6 10 am – 6 pm St. Georg Georgsplatz 17 Waidmarkt/Corner of Georgstraße 8.30 am – 6 pm St. Maria Lyskirchen An Lyskirchen 8 9 am – 6 pm
St. Cäcilien/Museum Schnütgen Cäcilienstraße 29 Tue + Wed/Fri – Sun 10 am – 6 pm, St. Pantaleon Thu 10 am – 8 pm, 1st Thu in the Am Pantaleonsberg 6 month 10 am – 10 pm Mon – Sat 9 am – 7 pm, Sun 9.30 am – 7.30 pm St. Andreas Andreaskloster 3 St. Severin Mon – Fri 7.30 am – 6 pm, Severinskirchplatz Sat + Sun 8 am – 6 pm Mon – Fri 10 am – 6 pm, St. Gereon Sat 10 am – 1 pm, Sun 1 pm – 5 pm Gereonskloster 2 10 am – 6 pm Further religious buildings St. Aposteln Apostelnkloster 10 Daily 10 am – 1 pm/ 2 pm – 5 pm
Synagogue Roonstraße 50 Viewing permitted only as part of a guided tour
St. Ursula Ursulaplatz 30 Tue – Sat 10 am – 12 noon/ 3 pm – 5 pm, Sun 3 pm – 5 pm
Cologne Central Mosque Venloer Straße 160/Corner of Innere Kanalstraße 9 am – 20 pm
dSights and Activities Sights KölnTriangle, viewing platform Ottoplatz 1 Mon – Fri 12 noon – 8 pm, Sat + Sun + public holidays 10 am – 8 pm (October – April) Mon – Fri 11 am – 11 pm, Sat + Sun 10 am – 11 pm (May – September) www.koelntrianglepanorama.de
City tours by open-top doubledecker bus and the hop-on-hopoff tourist shuttle Stops e.g. by the Cathedral www.cityfahrten.de, www.ccs-busreisen.de City tours by narrow-gauge railway Stops e.g. by the Cathedral www.bimmelbahnen.de
Cable car across the Rhine Riehler Straße 180 10 am – 6 pm (March – November) Tickets for the tours can be www.koelner-seilbahn.de purchased from the Cologne Zoo | Riehler Straße 173 Tourist Board. 9 am – 5 pm (November – February) 9 am – 6 pm (March – October) Museen www.koelnerzoo.de With more than 40 museums and KD Köln-Düsseldorfer over 130 galleries, Cologne is an art metropolis of international Rheinschifffahrt standard. Its range of exhibits Departure: Frankenwerft extends from the Roman heritage www.k-d.com in the Romano-Germanic Museum KölnTourist – Personenschiffto mediaeval art in the Wallraffahrt am Dom Departure: Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud and modern art, which www.koelntourist.de can be seen for example in the Dampfschiffahrt Colonia Museum Ludwig or in the Museum Fahrgastschifffahrt Departure: Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer of Applied Arts. You will find www.dampfschiffahrt-colonia.de more detailed information in the museums flyer (available at the Cologne Tourist Board) or on www.museenkoeln.de
Carnival Carnival belongs to Cologne like the c athedral and the Rhine and plays an outstanding role in Cologne’s tradition. Carnival is also known here as “Fastelovend” or “Fasteleer”. It begins every year on the 11th day in the 11th month at exactly 11.11 am. The highlight of the celebrations is the street carnival which runs from “Weiberfastnacht”, the Thursday before Shrove Tuesday, to Ash Wednesday. www.cologne-tourism.com Gamescom Gamescom, the world’s biggest fair for computer and video games, is held every year in August at the koelnmesse. Visitors can experience additional entertainment and music at the gamescom festival in the city centre of Cologne. www.gamescom.de
Kölner Lichter In July, the “Cologne Lights” light up the sky above Cologne. The impressive fireworks in the sky accompanied by music transform the Rhine panorama into a sea of colours between the bridges Hohen zollernbrücke and Zoobrücke. The highlight at the end of the colourful festival is a huge convoy of boats. www.koelner-lichter.de Cologne before Christmas The cathedral city takes on a particular flair during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Numerous Christmas markets, especially the one in front of the Cathedral, attract visitors with stands for browsing, shopping, eating and drinking. Also worth seeing: the world’s biggest exhibition of Nativity scenes and the ice rink on Heumarkt. www.cologne-tourism.com
“Kölsch”: Cologne Culture “Kölsch” is not just the dialect spoken in Cologne; it is also the name of the famous local beer. There are more than 3,000 restaurants and taverns in the city; the local breweries are the most deeply steeped in tradition as their origins can be traced back over many centuries. Here in Cologne the top-fermented “Kölsch” beer is drawn into characteristic narrow cylindrical glasses. Served together with a hearty Rhineland meal, “Kölsch” is as essential a part of the city’s culture as the Cathedral and the Rhine. In many brewery taverns the waiter – known here as the “Köbes” – still wears the blue uniform which has been the traditional brewery workwear for decades. “Kölsch” is drunk with a “Halve Hahn”, a rye bread roll with medium-mature Gouda, onions and mustard. Other characteristic specialities served in brewery taverns include “Kölscher Kaviar” (black pudding with onions), “Rievkooche” (potato fritters), “Himmel un Äd” (“Heaven and Earth”: apple sauce = heaven, mashed potatoes = earth, mostly served with fried black pudding) and “Hämche” (knuckle of pork). Brewery taverns are cheerful, friendly places. The waiters bring more beer without being asked until the customer puts a beer mat on top of the empty glass, thereby signalising that he or she does not want another round. Guests should simply adopt this charming custom during their visit. After it you will understand why the beer, the language and the lifestyle in this city all bear the same name – “Kölsch”.
Cologne Breweries Brauerei zur Malzmühle Heumarkt 6 ☎ +49 (0) 221 – 92 16 06 13 www.muehlenkoelsch.de
Gaffel am Dom Bahnhofsvorplatz 1 ☎ +49 (0) 221 - 9 13 92 60 www.gaffel.de
Brauhaus Sion Unter Taschenmacher 5-7 ☎ +49 (0) 221 – 2 57 85 40 www.brauhaus-sion.de
Brauhaus Päffgen Friesenstraße 64-66 ☎ +49 (0) 221 - 13 54 61 www.paeffgen-koelsch.de
Peters Brauhaus Mühlengasse 1 ☎ +49 (0) 221 – 2 57 39 50 www.peters-brauhaus.de
Brauhaus Reissdorf Kleiner Griechenmarkt 40 ☎ +49 (0) 221 - 21 92 54 www.brauhaus-reissdorf.de
Früh am Dom Am Hof 12-14 ☎ +49 (0) 221 – 2 61 32 15 www.frueh.de
Hellers Brauhaus Roonstraße 33 ☎ +49 (0) 221 - 2 40 18 81 www.hellers-brauhaus.de