Attractions
55 places in Cologne
Adolph Kolping Monument
A 1903 bronze monument in front of the Minorite Church to the ‘journeymen's father' Adolph Kolping, founder of the Catholic Kolping Society.
Alter Markt
A history-steeped square in the northern Old Town with a colourful, medieval-looking row of houses – Cologne's most traditional square.
Appellhofplatz
A history-laden square in Altstadt-Nord – named after the old appeal court and today home to the NS Documentation Centre.
Barbarossaplatz
A busy square on the Cologne Ring road, named after Emperor Frederick Barbarossa – a central junction by the student quarter.
Bastei
A striking Expressionist observation building of 1924 on the Rhine bank – a Riphahn design (dining currently closed).
Bayenturm
A defiant medieval defensive tower on the Südstadt riverbank – today home to the FrauenMediaTurm, a feminist archive and documentation centre.
Bismarck Monument (Augustinerplatz)
An early Bismarck statue from 1879 on Augustinerplatz – lost during the Second World War.
Bismarck Tower
A 1903 Bismarck monument in the form of a fire column in Marienburg – co-financed by the chocolate manufacturer Heinrich Stollwerck.
Breslauer Platz
The northern station forecourt at Cologne main station – a key transport and arrival point between the cathedral, Musical Dome and the Rhine.
Brüsseler Platz
The lively heart of the Belgian Quarter around St. Michael's church – on warm summer evenings one of Cologne's most popular meeting spots.
Cologne Cable Car
A cable car over the Rhine since 1957 – floating between the Zoo/Flora and the Rheinpark with a grand view of river and skyline.
Colonia House
A striking 1976 residential tower on the Rhine bank in Riehl – at 147 metres one of Germany's tallest residential buildings.
Colonius
At 266 metres the tallest telecommunications tower in North Rhine-Westphalia – a far-visible landmark of the Cologne skyline (viewing deck closed).
Düxer Bock
A monument and unofficial emblem of Deutz – a bronze billy goat by Gerhard Marcks recalling a quirky local legend.
Ebertplatz
A square on the Ring road in Neustadt-Nord – known for its striking fountain sculpture and a lively independent art scene.
Eigelstein Gate
A surviving northern city gate at the edge of the colourful Eigelstein quarter – an impressive remnant of the medieval fortifications.
Equestrian Statue of Friedrich Wilhelm IV
A bronze equestrian statue at the Hohenzollern Bridge bridgehead – part of the historic ensemble of Prussian rulers' monuments on the Rhine.
Fischmarkt
A picturesque little square in the old town right by Groß St. Martin and the Rhine – its colourful gabled houses are among Cologne's favourite photo spots.
Friesenplatz
A lively square on the Cologne Ring road – gateway to the nightlife quarter around Friesenstraße, with bars, clubs and restaurants.
Friesentor
A medieval city gate in the western ring wall – demolished in 1881; Friesenplatz now stands on its site.
Gereonstor
A medieval twin-tower gate in the north-west of the city wall – named after St. Gereon, demolished in 1881.
Hahnentor Gate
A mighty medieval twin-tower gate on Rudolfplatz – once the route of newly crowned kings entering the city from Aachen.
Hansa High-Rise
One of Germany's first high-rises, from 1925 on the Hansaring – a listed masterpiece of brick Expressionism.
Heinzelmännchen Fountain
A beloved fountain on Am Hof telling the legend of Cologne's ‘Heinzelmännchen' – a charming landmark right by the Früh brewpub.
Herkules High-Rise
A colourful 1972 residential tower in Neuehrenfeld – with its brightly enamelled façade, an unmistakable eye-catcher.
Heumarkt
Cologne's second-largest and one of its oldest squares in the old town – with an equestrian monument, Christmas market and winter ice rink.
Historic City Hall
Germany's oldest city hall, with over 800 years of building history – featuring a magnificent Renaissance loggia and a Gothic council tower.
Hohe Pforte
The southern gate of the Roman city wall, through which the cardo maximus ran – today preserved only as a street name.
Kallendresser
A quirky Cologne figure on the Alter Markt baring its backside towards the city hall – a cheeky piece of Cologne folk humour.
KölnTriangle
A 103 m tower in Deutz with an observation deck – panoramic views over the Rhine, the Old Town and the cathedral.
KölnTurm
At 148 metres, Cologne's tallest office tower in the MediaPark – with a 30th-floor roof terrace and a wide view over the city.
Kranhäuser (Crane Houses)
Three striking crane-shaped towers in the Rheinauhafen – a modern landmark of Cologne and a postcard motif on the Rhine.
Lanxess Arena
Germany's largest event hall in Deutz, with up to 20,000 seats – home of the Kölner Haie and a stage for major concerts.
Lanxess Tower
A striking high-rise in Deutz, built in 1969 as Lufthansa's headquarters – today the seat of the chemicals group Lanxess.
Leaning Tower of Cologne (St. John the Baptist)
The conspicuously tilted tower of the old church of St. John the Baptist in the Südstadt – Cologne's little ‘leaning tower'.
Malakoff Tower
A gate tower of the Prussian riverbank fortifications at the Rheinauhafen – with a historic swing bridge right by the Chocolate Museum.
MediaPark
A modern media and business quarter in the Neustadt around the KölnTurm – with a cinema, squares and a small lake.
Neumarkt
Cologne's largest square and a central transport hub – at the edge of the Schildergasse shopping street and the Kulturquartier museums.
Offenbachplatz
A cultural square in the centre with the opera and playhouse – the post-war modernist Riphahn ensemble, named after Jacques Offenbach.
Opera Fountain
A sculptural mosaic fountain from 1966 on Offenbachplatz in front of the opera – a colourful work of post-war modernism.
Pigeon Fountain
An abstract fountain sculpture by Ewald Mataré on the Domplatte – Cologne's first new fountain after the war, made for the ‘cathedral pigeons'.
Praetorium – Roman Governor's Palace
The underground ruins of the Roman governor's palace beneath the old town – a striking testimony to the era when Cologne was a provincial capital.
Rheinauhafen
A former trading harbour in the southern Old Town – today a lively riverside quarter with the striking Crane Houses.
RheinEnergieStadion
Home stadium of 1. FC Köln in Müngersdorf – the traditional ‘Müngersdorfer Stadion' with room for around 50,000 fans.
Richmodis House
A commercial building on Neumarkt with an octagonal tower from which two horses' heads peer – a stone testament to the famous Richmodis legend.
Roncalliplatz
The square on the cathedral's south side – setting of the Cathedral Christmas Market and a meeting point right by the Domplatte and Roman-Germanic Museum.
Severin Gate
A massive medieval city gate and landmark of the Severin quarter – an outstanding example of Cologne fortification architecture.
Tanzbrunnen
A large open-air venue in the Rheinpark on the right bank – with a stage for up to 12,500 guests, a beach club and a view of the skyline.
Ulrepforte
The smallest surviving gate of the medieval city wall in the south – with an attached windmill, an atmospheric piece of city history.
Uni-Center
A vast 1973 residential high-rise in Sülz – with over 900 flats, one of Europe's largest residential buildings.
Wallrafplatz
A small historic square between the cathedral and Hohe Straße – once the heart of Cologne's printing quarter, today by the WDR broadcasting house.
Weidenpesch Racecourse
A storied horse-racing track in the green Weidenpesch Park – the home of Cologne flat racing for over 120 years.
Weyertor
A medieval city gate in the south-west of the ring wall – demolished in 1889; its name lives on in Weyerstraße.
