If you are a sports fan, then it is time to visit the famed German sports and Olympics museum in Cologne. Spanning an area of 2000 square meters, this museum’s exhibit area reflects the essence of pure sports.
Enjoying the distinction of being Germany‘s national museum, it is located in the port of Rheinau. Enter this museum and you will be struck by the exquisite blend of original objects, modern technology and historical atmosphere of the old customs and storage hall of the port.
German sports and Olympic museum is the youngest museum in Cathedral city. Visitors are offered a fascinating insight into the history of sports and its transformation to the present form.
You will be taken on a journey through time to the very root of modern sports. Your journey will span decades of sports development starting from the Greek athletics 2500 years ago, the English sports and the German gymnastics movement right up to the modern athletics and other professional sports.
Relive some of the most exciting and outstanding sporting events of the last two hundred years at this museum. A lot of attention is given to the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the 1972 Munich Olympics. You will also find a rich collection of traditional and modern sporting collections such as documents, medals, game and sports equipment, clothing, graphics, art posters and sports prizes.

There are a total 12 Romanesque churches in Cologne and St. Mary in Kapitol is the largest of them. This church was built in the 11th century over a Roman temple site. The church is designed similar to Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity.
The building which houses this Church in Kapitol was constructed by Abbess Ida, the granddaughter of Theophanu and Otto II. Pope Leo IX consecrated the altar in the year 1049. It was in 1065 that Archbishop Anno II consecrated the completed church.
As you enter through the west doors and move towards east, you can enjoy the best view of St. Maria in Kapitol. The Romanesque nave can be accessed through an iron gate here. Narrow round striped arches and strong pillars rectangular in shape support the nave. You will also find highly decorative cluster of columns and a flat wooden ceiling covering the vault.
Do not miss the spectacular trefoil choir. This choir can be accessed from any side of the altar. Pointed blind, striped arches and round headed windows are some of the significant non-Romanesque features of this church.
If you are an art lover, you will be thrilled with the amazing medieval artwork found here. Some of the important artworks include the richly carved wooden doors at the south aisle.

One of the popular tourist attractions in Cologne is the Fragrance Museum and Shop. This shop is across the City Hall and close to the Wallraf-Richartz Museum. Fragrance museum was founded in 1709 by John Maria Farina to provide visitors with an insight into the art of producing perfumes. Here you will see how perfume is produced using different methods.
As the focus is on Eau de Cologne, you will find a variety of distillation apparatus and other technical devices that were used earlier. There are many documents and pictures that help you trace back history and gain insight into the perfume manufacture evolution process.
As there was nothing called copyright, manufacture and sale of imitation Eau de Cologne was quite popular in the earlier days. You can find forged Colognes and their related details at the museum.
A staircase will lead you to the original cellar vaults, right back to those ancient days. This is where scents were produced three hundred years ago.
On your trip to Cologne, visit the perfume museum and learn all about what this city is popularly known for. Go through an interesting 300 year old journey unfolding the essence, culture and fragrance of the perfume industry here.

City Hall or the town hall in Cologne was constructed by Wilhelm Vernukken between 1569 and 1573. He was a well known master builder. This building is also referred to as loggia and is a standing example of a typical Renaissance era construction.
Originally, the function of loggia was to act as a link between the citizens and the city council. Even today, in many aspects, it functions in the same manner. Previously, latest rulings used to be informed to the citizens during the morning address at the loggia. Now, it acts as an informal link between Cologne citizens and the council.
On the upper floor parapet, you can find an exquisite sculpture that depicts the struggle between a lion and mayor Gryn. This sculpture was created to symbolize the council’s power. The tower of the town hall was constructed by the Cologne Guilds between 1407 and 1414.
The height of this tower is 61 meters and there are a total of five floors. Three lower floors are tetragonal shaped and the two upper floors are octagonal. At the upper floors you can find a popular wooden sculpture with a grotesque face called "Platzjabbeck" and 130 impressive stone statues. When the tower clock strikes twelve, the grotesque faced statue sticks out its tongue.
Other impressive features of the City Hall you must not miss include the Gothic shaped Hansasaal, which is the meeting room and the heart of town hall, the eight figures of prophets located at the north side, council chairs and the wood inlay doorways.

Schnutgen Museum brings to the present the strident, colorful, vibrant and romantic Middle Ages. Middle Age is all about magnificence, grandeur, contemplation, religion and spirituality. All these aspects of the age are revealed expertly at the Schnutgen Museum.
Back then, Cologne was one of the most powerful cities in Europe. At this museum you can enjoy the very essence of people who lived during this multifaceted era. Here you will find a range of exciting, priceless collections of international importance. These include carved sculptures and art works in gold, bronze and ivory, wood and stone sculpture, textiles, manuscripts and glass paintings.
Art has always been a medium that helps us understand our past, present and our very existence. Art works that have survived through ages give us an insight into the culture and lifestyle of the bygone era. Schnutgen Museum introduces visitors to a world of beautiful, magnificent, timeless art.
Tourists throng this museum to enjoy the exceptional aesthetic experience. In 1950s, Karl Band was instrumental in extending the Romanesque St. Cecilia Church to include the museum. A latest addition here is the charming St. Cecilia Garden that acts as an ideal open air exhibition platform. This garden features a range of medieval plants arranged in a contemporary design.

Out of the 12 Romanesque Churches in Cologne, St. Gereon Church is very unique. This church dates back to the period between 11th and 13th centuries. The nave in St. Gereon’s Basilica is decagonal shaped and has a dome on top. Inside the church you will find a variety of medieval mosaics, murals and precious ancient relics.
Historically this site is where a Roman soldier from Egypt, Saint Gereon was beheaded in the third century for his faith. It was in 380 AD that the Church of St. Gereon was first constructed. This oval shaped church is designed similar to a church in Rome called Minerva Medica.
In the year 1920, the pope elevated St. Gereon’s status to a Minor Basilica. Partially destroyed during World War II, this church was restored to its original glory like all the other churches in Cologne.
Exterior of St. Gereon Church at the east features an apse and two east towers that are square shaped. This side overlooks a small park and a busy street. From here, do not miss out the view of St. Gereon’s sculpted head in the park. This sculpture was carved by Iskender Yediler in the year 2002. The western end of the church overlooks a plaza.
At the northern porch from where you enter the church, there are two side chapels. Centered on a Pieta sculpture, the chapel on the right dates back to 1897 and features an apse vault. On this vault, you will find exquisite paintings of vines and cross. This is one of the ancient Romanesque churches in Cologne you must not miss on your trip to this city.

The popular Museum Ludwig in Cologne was established following a contract signed by Mrs. And Mr. Ludwig on 5th February 1976 donating their art collection to the city of Cologne. Irene and Peter Ludwig, through this contract, agreed to hand over 350 modern artworks from their extensive collection.
Located at the building on Bischofsgartenstrasse, Museum Ludwig features a range of contemporary art pieces that reflect the essence of twentieth century approach. Originally, Dr. Josef Haubrich, a lawyer in Cologne amassed the core collection of paintings on display at this museum.
In 1946, after the World War II, he presented his Expressionism collection that includes works of popular artists such as Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Erich Heckel, August Macke, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Otto Mueller. A selection of 100 paintings was displayed at the Old University of Cologne in October 1946.
21 year old student of art history, Peter Ludwig, was greatly impressed by this collection of art and decided to start collecting art and make it available to public. This is the story behind the first ever gift of artworks from the Ludwigs to the city of Cologne in 1976. This collection includes works of Russian avant-garde artists: Malevich, Popova, Exter, Larionov, Goncharova and Rodchenko, dated 1905 to 1935. If you love art, you must not miss a visit to the wonderful Museum Ludwig in Cologne.

Hohenzollern Bridge is built over the river Rhine. This is one of the eight bridges on this river and is an iconic structure. Tourists to Cologne do not leave without enjoying a visit to this train bridge situated close to the Cologne cathedral and central station.
This three humped bridge survived the onslaught from Allied bombers during World War II. When the allies invaded Germany, the bridge was blown up by the Germans as a block to slow down the advance of the allies. Cologne was then ravaged by war and this bridge sadly collapsed.
Later on, Hohenzollern bridge was reconstructed. Today it stands in all its grandeur across the river Rhine and is a popular place for romantic interludes. Couples come here to enjoy the breathtaking view of the riverside skyline of this wonderful city.
Here they walk hand in hand with their loved ones despite the noise around, not really bothered about the three busy rail lines. Romance is in the air and you can find metal fences with padlocks that feature lover’s names etched on them through the entire length of the bridge. Tourists too come here to enjoy the unique atmosphere and to soak in the spectacular view.

Situated on the right bank of the river Rhine, one of the unique and innovative office blocks known as the Cologne Triangle was constructed in the year 2005. This high rise building is one of the most prominent landmarks in Cologne today. The building has 29 stories and is 100 meters tall. It features the triangle observation deck at 100 meter height, from where visitors can enjoy an amazing view of the city.
Cologne Triangle is surrounded by other high rise buildings and skyscrapers. Originally this tower had only seven floors. Construction was stopped for quite a while due to issues with the approval process. After construction resumed in November 2003, three more floors were added to it apart from a winter garden and the observation deck.
Cologne Triangle is a local favorite known for its aesthetics and for Mongo’s, the Mongolian restaurant that serves delicious food. Tourists from across the world come here to enjoy the spectacular view and relish mouthwatering Mongolian cuisine.
According to some, triangle observation deck offers the best view of the famous Cologne Cathedral. From here you can also enjoy breathtaking view of the river Rhine and its bridges. Just stand on this viewing platform and allow the wind to ruffle through you. Listen to the faint noise of the bustling city below and stimulate your appetite with the tantalizing smell of Mongolian food wafting from the restaurant.

Brauhaus Ohne Namen is a beer garden located in Deutz area of Cologne, which is not far from Hohenzollern bridge. The beer garden serves Gaffel Kolsch beer alongside other types of beer. The menu offers a variety of dishes that are best served with a beer. The Brauhaus Ohne Namen is unique because it chooses special days in which they offer special menus.