Colonius, Cologne

Colonius is a prominent telecommunications tower. It is the tallest structure in the city, with a height of 266 meters (873 ft.) and was built in the early 1980s by the Bavarian construction company Dyckerhoff & Widmann. Initially, it was the sixth-tallest communications tower in Germany. The tower is made of concrete and steel and is situated northwest of the city's inner center, at the green belt (Innerer Grüngürtel) that encircles the historic center of Cologne.

The tower has a tower basket that is nine meters high and contains transmission mechanisms for analogue and digital radio and digital television. Until 1999, the tower's observation deck and revolving restaurant situated at a height of 166 meters were open to visitors. From this point, visitors could enjoy breathtaking views of Cologne, Bonn, and Düsseldorf on clear days.

Sadly, the visitor's area including the restaurant and observation deck has been closed since 1992 due to the absence of a leaseholder. However, the tower still serves as an important broadcasting hub for radio relay and radio services within the VHF range. In 2004, a radio tower was added by helicopter, increasing its height to 266 meters. This new addition allowed for the broadcast of digital television (DVB-T) from the tower in the Cologne/Bonn region.