Landmarks & Sights in Cologne

4711

since 1799

4.5(1,319)· Google

Cologne water from Glockengasse, named after an old Cologne house number, entitled to call itself the "Original Eau de Cologne."

A Landmark in Cologne's Citizens' Fight for Independence

Memorial in Worringen commemorating the 1288 Battle of Worringen — a landmark moment in Cologne's citizens' struggle for independence.

Adolph Kolping Monument

since 1903

4.3(12)· Google

Bronze memorial to Adolph Kolping — the 'Father of Journeymen' and founder of the Catholic journeymen's associations — standing before Cologne's Minorite Church, where he is buried.

Albertus Magnus Square

The main square of Cologne University's campus, built above the sunken Universitätsstraße to create a car-free forecourt before the main building.

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Alter Markt

Historic square in Cologne's Altstadt-Nord with a medieval-looking row of buildings — documented as Cologne's market since 922.

Appellhofplatz

3.0(92)· Google

Cologne square named after the Court of Appeal — built on the site of a Roman gate tower and shaped by centuries of landmark court cases.

Brühl · Surrounding area Augustusburg and Falkenlust Palaces, Brühl

Augustusburg and Falkenlust Palaces, Brühl

since 1768

Two early-rococo palaces in Brühl, connected by the Schlosspark and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.

Barbarossaplatz

Traffic hub on Cologne's Kölner Ringe ring road, named after Frederick Barbarossa in 1883, with a tram stop encircled by multi-lane carriageways.

Bastei

since 1924

4.2(117)· Google

Expressionist observation restaurant (1924) on a Prussian caponier — superstructure cantilevers 8 m beyond its footprint; closed since 2019.

Bayenturm

since 1220

One of Cologne's few surviving medieval fortification towers, built c. 1220 on the Rhine — today home to the FrauenMediaTurm foundation.

Bierbrunnen

since 1972

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A 1972 fountain on Schildergasse featuring a granite column wrapped in a thin veil of water — named after a brief beer tap that once operated at the site.

Bismarckturm

since 1902

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A Bismarck monument in Cologne-Marienburg designed as a fire column — featuring a monolithic figure of Bismarck as Roland in armour with an eagle shield.

Blau-Gold-Haus

Right next to Cologne Cathedral stands the Blau-Gold-Haus, a turquoise-and-gold office and commercial building from 1952 that is a listed monument and a notable example of German post-war modernism, today home to hotel suites and luxury boutiques.

Bottmühle

4.6(25)· Google

The Bottmühle in Cologne's southern Old Town is a 17th-century stone tower windmill standing on an old fortification platform behind the medieval city wall.

Brauhaus Sion

4.0(7,747)· Google

Historic Cologne brewery tavern with roots going back to 1318 — home of Sion Kölsch and a stop on the Brewery Trail.

Breslauer Platz

The northern forecourt of Cologne Central Station — home to the city's main bus terminal and the Musical Dome, Cologne's largest theatre.

Brüsseler Platz

The heart of Cologne's Belgian Quarter, defined by the Neo-Romanesque church of St. Michael — a vibrant social hub and the scene of a long-running noise dispute.

Chapel Madonna in the Green

Hexagonal Marian chapel in Cologne-Weidenpesch, built as a thanksgiving offering, housing the oak-carved Madonna "Madonna im Grünen."

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Chocolate Museum Cologne

since 1993

4.4(49,660)· Google

Built on a peninsula in the Rheinauhafen harbour, this museum tells the story of chocolate — complete with a glass-fronted factory and a three-metre chocolate fountain.

Christ König

4.4(10)· Google

1951 Cologne church whose V-shaped timber trusses evoke the Bethlehem stable — popularly known as the Christmas Church.

Cologne Butzweilerhof Airport

since 1926

Cologne's first civil airport in the Ossendorf district — today a listed heritage ensemble and home to MOTORWORLD Cologne.

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Cologne Cathedral

since 1248

4.8(3,844)· Google

Gothic cathedral and shrine of the Three Kings — at around 157 metres one of the tallest churches in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Cologne City Museum

since 1888

4.3(844)· Google

Cologne's urban history museum, open for over 130 years — since 2024 it organises its collection around emotions rather than chronology; currently in temporary premises.

Cologne Fortress Ring

Prussian double ring around Cologne, dismantled after 1919 – its grounds became the basis for Cologne's Green Belt from 1924.

Cologne Mikveh

4.4(9)· Google

Medieval Jewish ritual bath beneath the Rathausplatz: the staircase descends inside the nearly 16-metre-deep shaft all the way to the water level.

Cologne Town Hall Tower Figures – 124 Sculptures on the Ratsturm

Across several generations, 124 figures on Cologne's town hall tower narrate the city's history – from princes and guilds to the patron saints of the "Cologne Heaven".

Cologne Water Tower

4.5(1,798)· Google

A historic water tower in Cologne's Altstadt-Süd, a five-star luxury hotel since 1990 — the city's most unusual place to stay.

Cologne Zoo

since 1860

4.4(36,662)· Google

Founded in 1860 in the Riehl district, Cologne Zoo is Germany's third-oldest zoo — famous for its century-old baboon rock.

Cologne-Rodenkirchen Rhine Bridge

since 1941

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Germany's first true suspension bridge: 567 m across the Rhine, opened in 1941 as the 'Adolf Hitler Bridge,' destroyed in WWII and rebuilt in 1954.

Cologne's tallest structure Colonius

Colonius

since 1981

At 266 metres, the tallest telecommunications tower in North Rhine-Westphalia — its revolving restaurant and observation deck have been closed for years.

Deichmannhaus – Office Landmark by Cologne's Main Station

The Deichmannhaus is a seven-storey office and commercial building in Cologne's Altstadt-Nord, set right between the main station and the cathedral plaza. Its site on Trankgasse has carried more than five centuries of city history.

Deportation Camp Cologne-Müngersdorf Memorial

since 2020

4.0(2)· Google

A freely accessible memorial in Cologne's outer green belt that has commemorated the former Nazi assembly camp since 2020. Around 3,500 Jewish people were deported from here. At its heart is a walkable path and the sculpture "Wall" by Simon Ungers.

Deserters' Memorial

since 2009

5.0(4)· Google

A memorial to victims of Nazi military justice at Appellhofplatz — a pergola whose chained tribute inscription seems written in colored letters across the sky.

Deutz Bridge

4.5(952)· Google

The world's first steel box girder bridge (1947/48) – linking Heumarkt with Deutz; the Roman bridge once stood a few metres further north.

Deutz Fort (Divitia)

4.7(22)· Google

On the right bank of the Rhine in Cologne-Deutz, the late-Roman fort of Divitia guarded the bridgehead of Constantine's Rhine bridge from the early 4th century. Substantial remains survive today, and the site has been a UNESCO World Heritage listing since 2021.

Deutzer Drehbrücke

since 1908

4.5(317)· Google

Rotating steel bridge from 1908 over Deutz Harbour — one of two Cologne swing bridges, a listed technical monument with its original control house intact.

Deutzer Hafen

since 1907

3.8(25)· Google

The Deutzer Hafen is a former industrial harbour on the right bank of the Rhine in Cologne's Deutz district, being redeveloped since 2021 into a residential and office quarter across roughly 35 hectares. A working cargo port is turning into a new neighbourhood that aims to preserve its industrial heritage.

Diana with Leaping Antelope

since 1916

4.4(9)· Google

On the central median of Cologne's Sachsenring stands the bronze sculpture "Diana with Leaping Antelope," created in 1916 by Fritz Behn as a study of movement showing the huntress goddess in unison with a leaping antelope.

Die Trauernde

since 1949

A 1949 sculpture by Gerhard Marcks standing in the churchyard of St. Maria im Kapitol, commemorating the victims of World War II.

Dom-Hotel Cologne – a Grand Hotel by the Cathedral in Transition

since 1857

Right beside Cologne Cathedral stands the Dom-Hotel, described as one of Europe's oldest grand hotels. It is currently closed and being rebuilt entirely behind its preserved façade, with reopening as the Althoff Dom Hotel Köln planned for 2027.

Draped Reclining Figure

Bronze sculpture by Henry Moore at Museum Ludwig – a reclining, drapery-clad woman, cast in 1952/53.

Dreikönigenpförtchen

Tucked away between St. Maria im Kapitol and Marienplatz, the Dreikönigenpförtchen is the only surviving gate of Cologne's former monastic immunity districts.

Düxer Bock

4.2(16)· Google

The unofficial heraldic animal of Deutz: this fountain monument commemorates an old Cologne legend about a tailor and a tax collector.

Ebertplatz

Square on Cologne's ring boulevards in Neustadt-Nord, laid out in the late 19th century where the city's demolished fortifications once stood.

Eierplätzchen

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A small oval square in Cologne's Südstadt where six streets meet like spokes — named not by city hall, but by the locals themselves.

Eigelsteintorburg

since 1228

4.5(2,028)· Google

One of four surviving gates of Cologne's medieval city wall — both Maria de' Medici and Napoleon once entered the city through this very gate.

Equestrian Statue of Frederick William IV

4.2(24)· Google

Bronze equestrian monument by Gustav Blaeser at the right-bank portal of the Hohenzollern Bridge, unveiled in 1867.

Erich-Klibansky-Platz

A Cologne memorial square whose Lion Fountain bears the names of 1,100 murdered Jewish children — built on the former site of the Adass Jeschurun congregation.

European Astronaut Centre

Astronauts rehearse spacewalks in a huge underwater pool here and train for missions to the International Space Station (ISS).

Fischmarkt

4.4(2,003)· Google

Historic square on the Rhine riverfront in Cologne's Altstadt — for centuries the heart of the city's fish trade, first recorded as "forum piscium" in the 12th century.

Fischreiterbrunnen

5.0(3)· Google

Sandstone fountain from 1913: a boy riding a fish — a listed landmark at Theophanoplatz in Zollstock.

Flag in the Wind – Granite Sculpture by Masayuki Nagare at the Aachener Weiher

since 1979

On a small artificial island in front of the Museum of East Asian Art, a granite sculpture has stood since 1980 that seeks to depict, despite all its stony weight, a flag fluttering in the wind.

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Flora

since 1864

4.7(9,541)· Google

Cologne's botanical garden centred on the 1864 glass festival hall 'Flora' — a Lenné-designed park with over 10,000 plant species across more than 11 hectares.

Fort X of the Cologne Fortification Ring

since 1819

4.5(1,047)· Google

The best-preserved Prussian fort of Cologne's inner defensive ring — now a 'green fort' with a rose garden set within a generous parkland in Neustadt-Nord.

Fragrance Museum in the Farina House

since 1709

4.4(3,305)· Google

Birthplace of Eau de Cologne: the Farina House of 1709, the oldest perfume factory in the world still in operation.

Frauenbrunnen

since 1987

4.4(30)· Google

A 1987 terracotta fountain in the courtyard of the „An Farina“ complex, showing ten Cologne women from two millennia of city history as representatives of their era.

Friedenspark

4.6(1,474)· Google

Cologne city park on the grounds of former Fort I — featuring ivy-covered fortress walls, a rose garden, and a WWI monument with an eagle cast from cannons.

Friesenplatz

Square on Cologne's ring boulevards at the start of Venloer Straße — gateway to the Belgian Quarter and once the haunt of Cologne's underworld.

Friesentor

since 1244

3.8(264)· Google

Cologne's only hexagonal city gate, built around 1244 at what is now Friesenplatz — a uniquely shaped landmark of the medieval fortifications.

Galeria Cologne Hohe Strasse

1912–1914 department store where Germany's first-ever department store escalator went into operation in 1925.

Galopprennbahn Weidenpesch

Cologne's oldest sports venue: a gallop racecourse open since 1898, hosting internationally significant races and a landmark-listed historic football stand.

Genoveva Fountain

since 1914

4.7(6)· Google

A fountain in a Mülheim green space crowned by a life-size sculpture of Saint Genevieve with a child and a stag — the namesake of a street, a grammar school and a swimming pool.

Gereonsmühle

4.3(20)· Google

A surviving stretch of Cologne's medieval city wall with a former defensive tower that was converted into a windmill in the 15th century.

German Sport & Olympic Museum

since 1999

4.3(2,000)· Google

Museum in Cologne's Rheinauhafen dedicated to the history of sport from antiquity to the present — with rooms on the Olympics, football, boxing, and more.

Godorf Mill

since 1735

The Godorf Mill is a former windmill in Cologne's Godorf district and is regarded as the neighbourhood's landmark.

Groß St. Martin

since 1150

4.6(1,719)· Google

Romanesque basilica in Cologne's Old Town with a cloverleaf-shaped east choir and striking crossing tower — built over Roman foundations.

Gut Mielenforst

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Former knight's estate at the edge of Königsforst, its Neo-Renaissance manor house now the heart of a residential complex.

Gut Schlagbaum

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A former moated castle in Holweide – only part of the outer bailey with a corner tower, gateway and an Adam-and-Eve relief survives; today a private residence and artists' domicile.

Hahnentorburg

since 1220

4.5(1,049)· Google

Medieval twin-tower gate at Rudolfplatz — Cologne's western gateway, through which crowned kings entered the city after their coronation in Aachen.

Haus Balchem

The only surviving Baroque house in the Severinsviertel, its statement bay window on Corinthian columns still turns heads on Severinstraße today.

Haus Haan (Moated Castle)

since 1730

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A medieval moated castle in Höhenhaus – first documented in 1203, with the present manor house dating from 1730 and converted into private apartments behind its old moat in 1986.

Haus Herl – Former Moated Castle with the Herl Mill in Cologne-Buchheim

Haus Herl is a former moated castle on the Strunde stream in the Cologne district of Buchheim on the right bank of the Rhine. Together with the Herl Mill it forms a listed heritage ensemble north of the Merheim Heath.

Haus Hindenburg

Neoclassical corner building at Schildergasse and Neumarkt in Cologne, a listed historic monument since 1993.

Haus Neuerburg

Brick building on Gülichplatz disguised as two townhouses, with a stair tower in the courtyard echoing Cologne's old patrician houses.

Haus Saaleck

Medieval Cologne townhouse with late-Gothic corner turrets – today home to the city's Artothek, a lending library for art.

Haus zum Maulbeerbaum

Cologne's only surviving High Baroque façade — now built into a new hotel.

Heinzelmännchen – Cologne's Household Spirits and Their Fountain

since 1900

4.5(817)· Google

Cologne's legendary household sprites who worked through the night while citizens slept — caught once, gone forever. Their fountain stands near the Cathedral.

Heinzelmännchen Fountain

since 1900

Just a few steps from Cologne Cathedral, the Heinzelmännchen Fountain recalls the city's famous legend of industrious house spirits who did the townsfolk's work while they slept. The richly decorated fountain stands on the street Am Hof, opposite the traditional Früh brewery.

Helios Tower – Ehrenfeld's Lighthouse Without a Sea

The 44-metre Helios Tower in Cologne-Ehrenfeld is a historic mock lighthouse built by the electrical pioneer Helios AG and, together with the Helios House and factory halls, forms one of Cologne's best-preserved industrial monuments.

Herakles Slaying the Stymphalian Birds (Bourdelle)

since 1909

A 1909 bronze sculpture by Antoine Bourdelle – Cologne's cast stands freely accessible in the courtyard of the WiSo building on the campus of the University of Cologne.

Hermann Joseph Fountain

since 1894

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A richly figured 1894 fountain on Waidmarkt telling the legend of the "apple saint" Hermann Joseph — considered the high point of sculptor Wilhelm Albermann's work.

Heumarkt

Cologne's second-largest square and one of its oldest — built on a former Rhine island, hence its historic name 'Inselmarkt' (Island Market).

Hiroshima-Nagasaki-Park

since 2004

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Memorial park in Cologne's Inner Green Belt commemorating the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with a monument featuring an origami crane.

Historic City Hall

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Germany's oldest city hall – with a Gothic council tower, a Renaissance loggia, and over 800 years of documented building history in Cologne's Old Town.

Historical Archive with Rhenish Image Archive

since 1857

5.0(1)· Google

Germany's largest municipal archive — collapsed during subway construction in 2009, reopened in a new building at Eifelwall in 2021.

Hohe Pforte

Southern gate of Cologne's Roman city wall on the 'cardo maximus' — the origin of today's Hohe Straße.

Hohe Straße

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The Hohe Straße is one of Cologne's best-known shopping streets, running as a pedestrian zone through the heart of the Altstadt-Nord district. Its history goes all the way back to Roman times, when it formed the main north-south axis of the ancient city.

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Hohenzollernbrücke

since 1911

4.6(13,738)· Google

Germany's busiest railway bridge spanning the Rhine — a defining feature of Cologne's skyline alongside the Cathedral, and famous for thousands of love locks.

Industriehof

Landmarked 1923 office and commercial building in Cologne, built by architect Jacob Koerfer on his own initiative.

Institut français Köln

since 1952

4.7(21)· Google

French cultural institute in Cologne's Südstadt — one of the first and now one of the last of its kind in western Germany; housed in Riphahn's 1952 building.

Isenburg

Moated castle on a water-encircled island in Cologne-Holweide, with a 16th-century tower and an 18th-century manor house.

Jahndenkmal

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A 15-metre concrete pillar crowned by the Turner Cross of four "F"s — erected at Jahnwiese to mark the 150th birthday of gymnastics pioneer Friedrich Ludwig Jahn.

Jan-Wellem-Denkmal

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Bronze statue of Elector Jan Wellem in Cologne-Mülheim, donated in 1914 by the Andreae manufacturing family amid the controversy over the district's annexation.

Japanese Cultural Institute

since 1969

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One of only three Japanese cultural institutes in Europe — Cologne's gateway to Japanese culture for the entire German-speaking world.

Kallendresser

4.2(9)· Google

Copper figure at Alter Markt that bares its backside to onlookers — a Cologne satirical motif with roots in the Middle Ages.

Käthe Kollwitz Museum

since 1985

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Home to the world's largest Käthe Kollwitz collection, this Cologne museum brings together her drawings, prints, and all 15 known bronze sculptures.

Katzenbuckelbrücke

since 1957

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A curving prestressed-concrete pedestrian bridge from 1957 that links the Rhine bank in Cologne-Mülheim with the Katzenkopf river peninsula.

Kölner Festungsmuseum

4.5(75)· Google

Volunteer-run museum in Prussian fortification VIII b — home to Germany's last surviving drawbridge, moat, and sculpture park in Marienburg.

Kölner Häfen

Cologne's harbours rank second only to Duisburg in cargo handling – and their history reaches back to Roman times.

Kölner Seilbahn

since 1957

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Gliding over the Rhine: since 1957, this six-minute cable car ride has offered sweeping views of Cologne, the Old Town, and the Cathedral.

Kölnischer Kunstverein (Cologne Art Association)

since 1839

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Founded in 1839, the Kölnischer Kunstverein is one of the oldest and most respected institutions for contemporary art in Germany. Today it resides in the striking building "Die Brücke" on Hahnenstraße, presenting current international art in Cologne.

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KölnTriangle

4.6(5,633)· Google

Triangular skyscraper in Cologne-Deutz with a fully glazed observation deck "Cologne View" at just over 100 metres, offering panoramic views across the city.

Konrad Adenauer Monument

since 1995

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A bronze statue near Neumarkt honouring Konrad Adenauer as Cologne's mayor and Germany's first chancellor.

Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer

Section of Cologne's Rhine riverside road named after Konrad Adenauer, running along a bank whose oldest traces lie at St. Kunibert.

Kranhäuser

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Three striking high-rises in Cologne's Rheinauhafen whose inverted-L silhouette mimics harbour cranes extending their jibs toward the Rhine.

Kunibertsturm

Remnant of a medieval gate fortress at the northern end of Cologne's city wall, its small round tower Weckschnapp still standing today.

Kurtekotten Motte

4.0(1)· Google

The remains of a medieval motte in Cologne-Flittard: a raised castle mound and a wide water-filled moat sit tucked between sports grounds and a dredging lake, protected as a natural monument.

Landschaftspark Belvedere

5.0(2)· Google

Park in Cologne's west that completes the Outer Green Belt — home to four viewing platforms and Germany's oldest surviving railway station.

Lenauplatz

Neighbourhood square in Neuehrenfeld with the Max-and-Moritz Fountain — lined with lime trees and framed by Gründerzeit townhouses.

Cologne's longest bridge Leverkusen Rhine Bridge

Leverkusen Rhine Bridge

since 1965

Cable-stayed bridge carrying the A1 motorway across the Rhine at Leverkusen — replacing the demolished 1965 bridge that could no longer handle modern traffic.

Luthernotkirche

Emergency church built from the rubble of the destroyed Lutherkirche, designed by Otto Bartning — the only one of its surviving kind fully preserved.

Malakoffturm

since 1855

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Brick gatehouse of Prussian Rhine fortifications at Rheinauhafen — now linked by a swing bridge to the Chocolate Museum across the water.

Märchenbrunnen (Fairy Tale Fountain)

since 1914

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A 1914 sandstone-and-bronze fountain at the edge of the Mülheim municipal garden, created after designs by Wilhelm Albermann and a protected monument since 1980.

Marian Column Cologne

since 1858

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A neo-Gothic Marian monument from 1858 on the Gereonsdriesch in Altstadt-Nord that looks like „a piece of the cathedral“.

MediaPark

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Car-free media business park on a former freight yard — built around a central square with an artificial lake, crowned by the soaring Kölnturm.

Memorial for the Gay and Lesbian Victims of National Socialism in Cologne

since 1995

4.6(13)· Google

First memorial of its kind erected by a trade union — a 1995 riverside stone for gay and lesbian Nazi victims, inscribed 'Totgeschlagen – Totgeschwiegen'.

Messeturm Köln

since 1928

An 85-metre brick tower from 1928 in Deutz — crowned by a three-faced Hermes sculpture and united with the Rheinhallen by its striking Expressionist façade.

Motorworld Köln

Home of the Michael Schumacher Private Collection: a hub for classic and collector cars on the grounds of the former Butzweilerhof airport.

Mülheim Town Fountain

since 1884

4.6(22)· Google

A roughly ten-metre sandstone fountain from 1884 whose crowned patroness, the "Mülheimia", commemorates the devastating Rhine flood of 1784.

Mülheimer Brücke

since 1951

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Rhine suspension bridge between Mülheim and Riehl — the origin of Cologne's iconic bridge-green colour and Germany's first bridge with an orthotropic deck.

Mülheimer Freiheit

Street in Cologne-Mülheim, once lined with late-Baroque merchant houses. Its name recalls the liberties Mülheim received in 1322.

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Museum Ludwig

since 1976

4.5(9,547)· Google

20th- and 21st-century art on Cologne's Cathedral Plateau — home to Europe's largest Pop Art collection and the world's third-largest Picasso collection.

Napoleon Stone at Melaten Cemetery

since 1853

A war memorial at Cologne's Melaten Cemetery, unveiled in 1853 in memory of Cologne soldiers who died in the Napoleonic Wars. Funded by 65 surviving veterans, it serves as both a memorial to the fallen and to the veterans.

Neptunbad

4.6(2,883)· Google

Art Nouveau bathhouse from 1912 in Ehrenfeld — Cologne's first modern suburban public bath, now a fitness and wellness centre.

Neumarkt

Cologne's largest square at over 27,000 m² — once a livestock market, execution ground, and legendary witches' sabbath site, with Roman remains beneath.

NS-Dokumentationszentrum (EL-DE-Haus)

since 1979

4.5(3,917)· Google

Memorial and museum in Cologne's former Gestapo headquarters — with preserved prison cells and prisoners' wall inscriptions surviving in the basement.

Offenbachplatz

The theatre square in Cologne's Altstadt-Nord, fronting the Opera House and Schauspielhaus, centred on the long-neglected Opernbrunnen by Jürgen Hans Grümmer.

Old Ehrenfeld Cemetery

Listed 1870 cemetery that Ehrenfeld had to build for itself after Cologne refused its citizens burial at Melaten.

Opernbrunnen

since 1966

3.7(20)· Google

Mosaic fountain in front of Cologne's Opera House, incorporating tiles from Aristotle Onassis's yacht and the bombed-out Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin.

Opernterrassen

A 1957 dining pavilion by Wilhelm Riphahn — a rare surviving witness to Cologne's 1950s architecture at Offenbachplatz.

Ottoplatz

The station square in front of Köln Messe/Deutz, home to the Otto-Langen memorial and an award-winning landscape redesign.

Overstolzenhaus

4.3(59)· Google

Built around 1230, the Overstolzenhaus on Rheingasse is a Romanesque patrician house that today houses the Academy of Media Arts Cologne.

Palais du Rhin

French Baroque-classicist riverside palace built in 1908 for banker Emil von Oppenheim—today luxury apartments housing a Sotheby's location.

Panther

4.2(5)· Google

A bronze big cat poised to strike by sculptor Fritz Behn, created around 1920, in the Südpark in Cologne's Marienburg district.

Peristyle House with the Dionysus Mosaic

Roman townhouse by Cologne Cathedral, its dining room floor paved with a 1.5-million-tile mosaic of the wine god Dionysus.

Pfaffenpforte (North Gate)

since 100

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Cologne's Roman north gate – once a three-arched main entrance, today preserved as a fragment on the Domplatte and in the Roman-Germanic Museum.

Platzjabbeck

Late-medieval wooden figure on Cologne's town hall tower that, since 1913, opens its mouth and sticks out its red tongue on every full hour.

Poller Köpfe

Historic riverbank fortification on the right bank of the Rhine — built over 250 years to keep the river from carving a new course around Cologne.

Radstadion Köln

4.8(99)· Google

Müngersdorf velodrome opened in 1996 with a track made from rare tropical Afzelia wood; partly demolished since 2022, replaced by the Albert Richter Velodrome from 2027.

Reformationskirche

4.6(21)· Google

Protestant church in Cologne-Marienburg famed for its 15-metre concrete-glass window depicting creation striving toward Christ.

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Rheinauhafen

Former Cologne harbour with the iconic Crane Houses – today a residential and commercial quarter on the 'Werthchen' peninsula in Altstadt-Süd.

Rheinboulevard

since 2015

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A wide riverside staircase and promenade on the right bank of the Rhine in Deutz — with one of the finest views of Cologne's old town and cathedral.

RheinEnergieStadion

since 1921

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Home ground of 1. FC Köln in Müngersdorf — rebuilt in 2004 as a dedicated football stadium and one of twelve 2006 FIFA World Cup venues.

Richmodis-Haus

4.4(9)· Google

Cologne landmark with two stone horse heads in its octagonal tower — rooted in the haunting legend of Richmodis von Aducht from the Black Death era.

Rochuskapelle

4.3(20)· Google

The oldest surviving building in Cologne's Ehrenfeld district – a chapel founded in 1666 following a plague outbreak.

Roman Baths and Medieval Bathhouses in Cologne

Foundations of a 2nd/3rd-century Roman bath complex unearthed in 2007 beneath Cologne's Altstadt-Süd — including an 18-metre-wide rotunda.

Roman Cologne – Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium

The birthplace of Cologne: the Roman CCAA, capital of Lower Germania — and today part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Roman Tomb Cologne-Weiden

4.8(172)· Google

Underground Roman burial chamber from the 2nd century — one of the best-preserved funerary structures north of the Alps, discovered in 1843.

Romano-Germanic Museum (RGM)

since 1946

Cologne's archaeological museum — world's largest collection of Roman glass and the Dionysus Mosaic near the cathedral (currently at the Belgian House).

Römerturm

4.3(423)· Google

The best-preserved tower of Cologne's Roman city wall, built around 50 AD and decorated on its outer face with an elaborate mosaic of natural stones.

Roncalliplatz

The square around Cologne Cathedral traces a dramatic transformation from a densely built medieval neighbourhood to an open national monument.

Ruhender Verkehr

since 1969

4.7(10)· Google

A car fully encased in concrete on Hohenzollernring – Wolf Vostell's ironic 1969 action sculpture about parking.

Schildergasse

4.4(324)· Google

The Schildergasse is one of Cologne's central shopping streets, linking Neumarkt with Hohe Straße as a pedestrian zone. With Roman roots and a name derived from medieval shield painters, it blends centuries of history with modern retail.

Schloss Arff

4.6(267)· Google

Schloss Arff is a former moated castle built in the 18th century in the north of Cologne, today used privately as a wedding and event venue and not open for public visits.

Schloss Röttgen

2.0(5)· Google

Schloss Röttgen is a listed castle-and-stud complex in Cologne's Eil/Rath-Heumar districts spanning about 250 ha — not open to the public.

Schmitz Column

4.4(23)· Google

A sculpture in Cologne's Old Town in front of Great St. Martin Church that marks the city's 50-metre elevation point and playfully commemorates the Schmitz family and the Moon landing.

Severinsbrücke

since 1959

4.5(793)· Google

Cable-stayed bridge with a single A-shaped pylon over the Rhine to Deutz — Cologne's first entirely new bridge built after World War II.

Severinstorburg

since 1230

4.5(1,188)· Google

One of only four surviving medieval city gate towers in Cologne — a landmark of the Severinsviertel and today a vibrant community venue at Chlodwigplatz.

St. Andreas

since 974

4.6(403)· Google

One of Cologne's twelve great Romanesque churches — home to the tomb of Albertus Magnus in its crypt and stained-glass art by Markus Lüpertz.

St. Aposteln

since 1020

4.6(669)· Google

One of Cologne's twelve great Romanesque churches — known for its trefoil-shaped trichoral apse at Neumarkt and celebrated as the city's premier music church.

St. Brictius (Cologne-Merkenich)

Catholic parish church whose 12th-century Romanesque tower stands freely beside the modern 1963 building.

St. Cäcilien – Museum Schnütgen

since 801

4.5(28)· Google

One of Cologne's twelve great Romanesque churches — home to the Museum Schnütgen for medieval art since 1956.

St. Dionysius

Neo-Gothic brick basilica of 1898/99 in Cologne-Longerich, its furnishings blending medieval figures with 20th-century works.

St. Georg

since 1059

4.6(127)· Google

11th-century Romanesque collegiate church rising above a columned crypt with Roman spolia — one of Cologne's twelve great Romanesque basilicas.

St. Gereon

since 1201

4.7(1,058)· Google

Romanesque church in Cologne with a ten-sided domed rotunda from the Hohenstaufen era — the largest surviving free-vaulted central-plan building of the Middle Ages north of the Alps.

St. Joseph (Cologne-Kalk)

Neo-Gothic brick hall church in Cologne-Kalk featuring stained-glass windows by Dominikus Böhm, including seven Stations-of-the-Cross windows in the transept.

St. Kunibert

since 1215

4.7(368)· Google

Youngest of Cologne's twelve Romanesque churches — with original 13th-century windows preserved in wartime storage, rising just north of the Cathedral.

St. Margareta

Neo-Gothic brick basilica of 1909–1911 in Cologne-Libur, whose original interior—altars, pulpit, and windows—survives intact.

St. Maria im Kapitol

since 1100

4.6(549)· Google

Cologne's largest and oldest Romanesque church — built on the foundations of a Roman temple, featuring a trefoil choir and a thousand-year-old carved wooden door.

St. Maria in Lyskirchen

4.7(196)· Google

The smallest of Cologne's twelve great Romanesque churches — the only one with largely intact 13th-century vault frescoes.

St. Maria Königin

Catholic parish church in Cologne-Marienburg by Dominikus Böhm, its glass south wall opening onto the Südpark.

St. Martinus

Former parish church of Esch with an 11th-century Romanesque core and a late Gothic expansion.

St. Pantaleon

since 1002

4.6(368)· Google

Early Romanesque abbey church with an Ottonian westwork; burial site of Byzantine Empress Theophanu and Archbishop Bruno of Cologne.

St. Peter

Neo-Gothic Catholic hall church in Cologne-Neuehrenfeld with a 62-metre tower, affectionately known as the "Ihrefeld Cathedral."

St. Pius

Catholic church in Cologne-Zollstock with one of the city's tallest steeples and a peal of seven bells.

St. Severin

4.6(371)· Google

One of Cologne's twelve great Romanesque churches, grown from a late-antique burial chapel — home to the relics of Saint Severin.

St. Stephanus Chapel

Gothic Catholic chapel in Cologne-Weiden, first documented in 1407 and commonly known as the Üsdorf Chapel.

St. Thomas More

Catholic church in Cologne-Lindenthal from 1962/63, whose tower's rising folded spire defines the local skyline.

St. Ursula

since 401

4.6(867)· Google

Romanesque basilica near Cologne Cathedral housing the Golden Chamber — the largest ossuary north of the Alps, with roots in Roman Cologne.

Staatenhaus am Rheinpark

4.3(1,491)· Google

Listed 1920s event hall in Cologne-Deutz – currently the temporary home of the Cologne Opera and a future musical theatre.

Stapelhaus

4.2(1,331)· Google

Standing on the Rhine bank in front of the choir of Groß St. Martin, the Stapelhaus recalls Cologne's medieval staple right and is today regarded as a symbol of the trading metropolis.

Sternwellenzelt at Cologne's Tanzbrunnen

since 1957

The Sternwellenzelt is the membrane roof structure Frei Otto built in 1957 for the Federal Garden Show over the dance floor of Cologne's Tanzbrunnen, and it is now a listed monument.

Südbrücke

since 1946

4.5(190)· Google

Steel three-arch railway bridge from 1910 spanning the Rhine, primarily for freight traffic, with pedestrian and cycle paths; listed heritage structure.

Südstadion

since 1973

4.1(1,454)· Google

Home ground of SC Fortuna Köln in Zollstock — a football stadium with athletics facilities and capacity for around 11,700 spectators.

Swing Bridge in the Rheinauhafen

since 1896

4.5(117)· Google

Cologne's oldest crossing over Rhine water: a listed swing bridge from 1896 that pivots aside using hydraulics powered from the Malakoff Tower.

Takuplatz

Triangular square in Neuehrenfeld's "Chinese Quarter" — the centre serves as a pétanque court on a former tram turning loop.

Tanzbrunnen

4.4(9,888)· Google

Cologne's open-air venue — home to up to 12,500 concertgoers beneath Frei Otto's iconic star-wave tent, inspired by a dancing fountain from 1950.

Taubenbrunnen

since 1953

4.6(97)· Google

Cologne's first post-war fountain and the city's first abstract fountain: designed in 1953 by Ewald Mataré as a drinking trough for the Cathedral pigeons.

Tauzieher

since 1908

Shell limestone sculpture at the Rheinauhafen — Cologne's first freestanding sculpture in public space, standing around 6½ metres tall.

The Golden Bird

since 1989

4.6(21)· Google

HA Schult's gilded winged car crowned the Zeughaus tower from 1991 on – since August 2026 it has been under restoration and will return to Cologne's cityscape at a new address.

Thielenbruch Tram Museum

since 1997

4.5(537)· Google

Historic Cologne trams in a 1906 depot hall — including the fully operational 'Finchen', which still runs to Frechen today.

Ulrepforte

since 1230

4.5(755)· Google

Cologne's smallest medieval land gate, dating from the 13th century — scene of a patrician feud in 1268 and today the home base of the Rote Funken carnival society.

Volkspark Raderthal

Laid out by Fritz Encke from 1922, this listed park features a natural theatre, reading garden and dance lawn — a landmark of social green space in Cologne's south.

Volkssternwarte Köln

4.6(64)· Google

Volunteer-run observatory on the roof of Cologne's Schiller-Gymnasium, equipped with a 60 cm reflector telescope funded entirely by public donations.

Wahn Palace

4.3(138)· Google

A late-Baroque palace in Cologne's Wahn district – today home to a major theatre collection and a civil wedding venue.

Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud

4.6(3,476)· Google

Cologne's oldest museum — home to the world's most extensive collection of medieval painting and Germany's largest Impressionist collection.

Wallrafplatz

Historic square in Cologne's Altstadt-Nord between the Hohe Straße and the Cathedral, created around 1830 on the site of the demolished Dompropstei.

Water Tower Cologne-Stammheim

since 1881

4.2(10)· Google

A listed 1881 water tower on the edge of Stammheim, now part of a gated residential development.

Water-Kinetic Sculpture

since 1977

4.1(160)· Google

A walk-in stainless steel fountain by Wolfgang Göddertz on Ebertplatz, nine metres tall and known locally as the "Nail Fountain".

Weckschnapp

4.6(5)· Google

Medieval tower of Cologne's Kunibert fortifications on the Rhine — a surviving piece of the city wall and setting of a chilling legend.

Wegekreuk Dellbrücker Hauptstraße

A small 1762 monument in Cologne-Dellbrück, erected for a bachelor shot dead during the Seven Years' War.

Weißhaus

2.8(59)· Google

The Weißhaus is a medieval moated castle in Cologne's Sülz district on Luxemburger Straße; its park-enclosed, moat-ringed grounds are today in private ownership and not open to the public.

Weltstadthaus

since 2005

4.4(337)· Google

Renzo Piano's glass department store on Schildergasse, affectionately nicknamed "the Whale" by Cologne's locals for its shape.

Westgate

Cologne office and retail building heated and cooled by its own groundwater system, crowned by a glass dome.

Wiener Platz

Central square and transport hub in Cologne's Mülheim district — a pedestrian zone with the district town hall, weekly market, and the 57-metre Bull high-rise.

Wilhelmplatz

since 1899

4.4(1,592)· Google

A square in Cologne's Nippes district, named after Emperor Wilhelm I and laid out in 1899 – best known for its international weekly market, the only one in Cologne to open every working day.

Wolkenburg

4.6(1,439)· Google

Baroque heritage building on Mauritiussteinweg – today home of Cologne's Men's Choral Society and an event venue.

Zoobrücke

since 1966

Rhine bridge in Cologne: the world's longest-spanning box girder bridge with just one main bearing — and crossed diagonally by the city's cable car.

No longer exists Amerikanerbrücke

Amerikanerbrücke

since 1945

A temporary US Army bridge that crossed the Rhine south of the Südbrücke from 1945 to 1946, connecting the districts of Poll and Bayenthal.

No longer exists Ara Ubiorum

Ara Ubiorum

Where conquered Germanic chiefs swore loyalty to Rome: a lost Roman altar in Cologne, dedicated to the goddess Roma and the emperor, and site of a 'Germanic diet'.

No longer exists Bachtor

Bachtor

since 1230

One of the twelve great gates of Cologne's final medieval expansion, built around 1230 in the southwest, later converted into a windmill and demolished in 1883.

No longer exists Bismarck Monument (Augustinerplatz)

Bismarck Monument (Augustinerplatz)

The second Bismarck statue in the German Empire — unveiled in 1879 in Catholic Cologne as a deliberate provocation, lost to war.

No longer exists Cologne Cathedral Crane

Cologne Cathedral Crane

since 1357

A wooden slewing crane that stood atop the unfinished south tower of Cologne Cathedral for more than 500 years and shaped the city's skyline – until it was dismantled in 1868 to make way for construction.

No longer exists Deutschordenskirche St. Katharina

Deutschordenskirche St. Katharina

Long-demolished church of a Teutonic Order commandery in Altstadt-Süd; only the street An Sankt Katharinen preserves its name today.

Permanently closed Deutz-Kalker Bad

Deutz-Kalker Bad

since 1913

4.3(180)· Google

A listed Art Nouveau indoor swimming hall from 1913 in Cologne-Deutz. Public bathing ended in 1996; the magnificent pool hall has been preserved.

No longer exists Deutzer Gierponte

Deutzer Gierponte

since 1674

Historic cable ferry that linked Cologne-Deutz with the Old Town from 1674 to 1822 – no longer in existence today.

No longer exists Deutzer Schiffbrücke (Deutz Pontoon Bridge)

Deutzer Schiffbrücke (Deutz Pontoon Bridge)

since 1822

Historic pontoon bridge that linked the Rhine banks between Cologne and Deutz from 1822 to 1915 – no longer standing today.

No longer exists Dombrücke

Dombrücke

since 1859

Cologne's first permanent Rhine crossing since Roman times and direct predecessor of the Hohenzollern Bridge — nicknamed the 'Mousetrap' by locals.

No longer exists Dominican Monastery Cologne

Dominican Monastery Cologne

Where Albertus Magnus taught and was buried: one of Germany's earliest Dominican monasteries, now lost to history.

No longer exists Dreikönigenpforte

Dreikönigenpforte

since 1200

A small gateway in Cologne's riverside city wall from the 13th century, named after the Three Magi painted above its arch, demolished in 1854.

No longer exists Ehrentor

Ehrentor

since 1250

One of the gate-towers built around 1250 in Cologne's medieval ring wall, successor to the Roman "Ehrenpforte," demolished in 1882.

No longer exists Filzengrabentor

Filzengrabentor

5.0(2)· Google

A gate in Cologne's Rhine wall built around 1200 at the Filzengraben, demolished in 1854 and no longer preserved today.

No longer exists Fordturm

Fordturm

Former 112 m steel lattice tower in Cologne-Deutz, crowned by a rotating "Ford" globe — built in 1950 and demolished just thirteen years later.

No longer exists Frankenturm – the vanished defensive and prison tower on the Trankgasse

Frankenturm – the vanished defensive and prison tower on the Trankgasse

The Frankenturm was a medieval tower of Cologne's city wall near today's Frankenwerft, demolished in 1856. Only the street name „Am Frankenturm" and three salvaged stone panels in the Cologne City Museum still recall it.

No longer exists Gereonstor

Gereonstor

since 1215

Medieval twin-tower gate of Cologne's city wall — bricked up for over 400 years, once the city's strictest prison, demolished in 1881.

No longer exists Glockengasse Synagogue

Glockengasse Synagogue

since 1857

Cologne's destroyed 1861 synagogue — a domed central building on a Greek cross plan with Alhambra-style decor; today a bronze plaque marks the site.

No longer exists Griechenpforte

Griechenpforte

since 900

A gateway in Cologne's southwestern city wall, probably created as early as the 10th century, pulled down around 1856; a fragment of wall still marks the spot today.

No longer exists Hohenstaufenbad

Hohenstaufenbad

Cologne's largest public swimming bath: a grand building on Hohenstaufenring — not lost to the war, but deliberately demolished in 1958.

No longer exists Hotel du Nord

Hotel du Nord

Vanished 19th/20th-century Cologne grand hotel — Museum Ludwig and Heinrich-Böll-Platz now occupy its former site.

No longer exists Hotel Kölner Hof

Hotel Kölner Hof

Grand late-19th-century Cologne hotel opposite the main station, demolished in 1973 to make way for the ABC-Haus office building.

No longer exists Idiotenbrücke

Idiotenbrücke

Nickname of a former Cologne railway bridge in Neuehrenfeld, where trucks repeatedly got wedged due to a clearance of only 3.9 m.

No longer exists McNair-Brücke

McNair-Brücke

since 1945

A temporary bridge built by the US Army in 1945 that connected Cologne's Old Town with Deutz and was dismantled again as early as 1946.

No longer exists Mechtern

Mechtern

Medieval Cologne settlement named after the church "ad martyres" – site of the Reformation-era "Mechtern Sermons".

No longer exists Mülheimer Schiffbrücke

Mülheimer Schiffbrücke

since 1888

Floating timber bridge on some 40 anchored pontoons (1888–1927), with an opening section for river traffic, that replaced the Rhine ferry crossing at Mülheim.

No longer exists Pantaleonstor – a Vanished Double Gate of Cologne's City Wall

Pantaleonstor – a Vanished Double Gate of Cologne's City Wall

The Pantaleonstor was a medieval double-tower gate in Cologne's city wall that from 1844 even served as the passage for the city's first railway to Bonn, before being demolished in 1894.

No longer exists Patton-Brücke

Patton-Brücke

since 1946

A historic temporary bridge over the Rhine that connected Cologne with right-bank Deutz between 1946 and 1951 and no longer exists today.

No longer exists Römerbrücke

Römerbrücke

since 310

The first permanent bridge across the Rhine near Cologne — built under Emperor Constantine I from 310 AD, at the site of today's Deutzer Brücke.

No longer exists Schaafentor

Schaafentor

since 1225

A gate in Cologne's western ring wall from the second quarter of the 13th century, named after the local sheep farming, torn down in 1882.

No longer exists Sporthalle

Sporthalle

since 1958

Cologne's main arena for over four decades, with a permanent velodrome — stage for six-day races, boxing, and rock concerts, demolished in 1999.

No longer exists The Alteburg Fleet Fort – Headquarters of the Roman Rhine Fleet in Cologne-Marienburg

The Alteburg Fleet Fort – Headquarters of the Roman Rhine Fleet in Cologne-Marienburg

The district of Marienburg was once home to the headquarters of the Classis Germanica, Rome's Rhine fleet. Nothing of it survives above ground today – the fort lies entirely beneath the densely built-up Alteburg area.

No longer exists The Kahlenhausen or Jews' Gate (Judenpforte)

The Kahlenhausen or Jews' Gate (Judenpforte)

A short-lived medieval gate in the north-eastern stretch of Cologne's city wall between the Eigelstein gate and the Kunibert tower, recorded in 1349 as the "porta judeorum" and no longer preserved today.

No longer exists The Roman West Gate of the Colonia (vanished city gate at the Apostelnkloster)

The Roman West Gate of the Colonia (vanished city gate at the Apostelnkloster)

A gate of Cologne's Roman city wall that vanished without a trace, its road remains excavated near the Neumarkt at the Apostelnkloster.

No longer exists The South-West Gate of the Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium

The South-West Gate of the Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium

A vanished Roman city gate on Clemensstraße in southern Cologne that once formed the south-western exit of the fortified Roman town.

No longer exists Trankgassentor Gate

Trankgassentor Gate

A medieval gate in Cologne's riverside fortifications that vanished for good in 1898 after several rebuildings.

No longer exists Weyertor

Weyertor

One of medieval Cologne's 14 great land-side city gates, guarding the southwestern approach since the 13th century — demolished in 1889.

No longer exists Williamsbau

Williamsbau

since 1947

On Aachener Straße, the Williamsbau was Cologne's largest post-war event hall and the birthplace of the FC Cologne mascot "Hennes".

No longer exists Worringen Castle – Site of the 1288 Battle

Worringen Castle – Site of the 1288 Battle

since 1275

Worringen Castle was a fortress of the Electorate of Cologne on the left bank of the Rhine, before whose walls the famous Battle of Worringen was fought in 1288. Built in 1275 and destroyed in 1288, nothing of it survives today.