Cologne

No less a tourist magnet is the world-renowned Carnival in Cologne, the so-called "fifth season", which kicks off every year on 11/11 at 11:11 AM. Until Ash Wednesday, the traditional start of Lent, the Cathedral City is firmly in the hands of the "Jecken", who celebrate the carnival with numerous costume balls and ”Prunksitzung” celebrations. The street carnival is the climax of the festivities, with its world-famous Rose Monday Parade through the downtown of Cologne.

Cologne is at least as well known for its beer: the light, top-fermented "Kölsch". The beer must be brewed in Cologne to bear the name. Cologne has more breweries than any other city in the world. 24 breweries in Cologne and its environs alone manufacture the special Cologne beer, which is traditionally poured in narrow cylindrical glasses, the so-called “Stange”.

Roman trade center

As the fourth-largest city in Germany, this Rhine metropolis looks back on almost 2000 years of history. Even in the year 50, the Roman "Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium" on the Rhine was granted city rights. The city quickly became one of the most important Roman trade centers north of the Alps.

Today, there are still numerous traces of those times, like the remnants of the Roman city walls, five of the twelve original city gates, parts of the aqueduct, and the famous Dionysos Mosaic, which can be viewed in the Roman-Germanic Museum. The map of Cologne still shows the Roman street grid.

Archbishopric and Free Imperial City

In 785, Cologne, now under Frankish rule, was raised by Charlemagne to the status of an archbishopric. For centuries, the Archbishop of Cologne was one of the most powerful feudal lords of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1248, he laid the cornerstone for the Cologne Cathedral, which was only completed 632 years later, in 1880.


Bearing architectural witness to the clerical influence of these times, besides the Gothic Cathedral itself, are twelve large Roman cathedrals, like St. Martin in the Old Town, St. Severin, St. Pantaleon, and St. Aposteln.

As a free imperial city in the late Middle Ages, Cologne experienced another heyday, establishing itself as an important center for science, culture, and trade. Under Prussian rule during the onset of industrialization, the city finally became the significant economic location which it remains today.

Booming economic metropolis and attractive media location

Cologne stands out for its thoroughly modern economic structure. More than 76% of all employed people work in the service sector. At the same time, the Cologne region is also the third-largest industrial location in Germany. In the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, it ranks among Europe's top addresses and the automobile industry and mechanical engineering are also represented by companies of world standing.

Cologne is of extreme importance as a media location. With nine television broadcasters, including industry giants WDR and RTL, the Rhine metropolis is a significant television city. In all, the media industry employs more than 100,000 people in the Cologne metropolitan area. That makes the city one of Europe's most important media centers.

Music trends, clubs, and museums

In the music industry, too, the city on the Rhine is at the international forefront. Besides numerous radio stations and the VIVA music channel, many labels and record companies are also located in Cologne. Live concerts are held on a daily basis. Besides the Cologne Arena, the largest, most modern event hall in Europe, the Philharmonic and more than 70 clubs with ambitious programs deserve a mention.

Culturally, Cologne also has other things to offer, from its many theaters to a number of museums, which, like the famous art convention ArtCologne, add to Cologne's reputation as an international art metropolis. Deserving of mention here are particularly the Wallraf-Richartz Museum, with a collection of art from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the modern, and the Museum Ludwig, continuing the art journey with works after 1900, including expressionism, Russian avant-garde, and American pop art.

The Cologne Billy Goats

Cologne is a great place for sports fans, too: from American football to ice hockey to soccer! The 1. FC Cologne, a team with a long history and its famous billy goat mascot, enjoys the highest of acclaim in Cologne. Just as the Kölners love their city, the Cathedral, and the Rhine, they stand by their Billy Goats. It doesn't matter what league their team plays in.