The Belgian Quarter

The Kwartier Latäng is Cologne's student quarter, its name alluding to Paris's Quartier Latin. It is located in Neustadt-Süd between the University, Synagogue, and Zülpicher Straße. Its focal point is Rathenauplatz, where streets converge in a star shape. It was originally called Königsplatz and was laid out during the city's expansion in the late 19th century.The heart of the district is Zülpicher Straße, with its snack bars, cocktail bars, pubs, and clubs; you'll also find plenty of gastronomy on Kyffhäuserstraße. During Karneval, young revellers gather here from the season's opening on 11.11. until the Nubbelverbrennung. During the day, the 'Mäuerchen' at Bahnhof Süd is a popular meeting point.

Ehrenfeld originated as a settlement outside Cologne's gates from 1845, became an independent municipality in 1867, received town rights in 1879, and has belonged to Cologne since 1888. Industry shaped the area: Helios AG, founded in 1882, pioneered alternating current technology; its lighthouse from 1885 is considered a landmark of the district, although it never guided ships. From 1899, August Horch developed his first automobiles on Venloer Straße.Today, Ehrenfeld is known for its cultural scene: small stages, the arthouse cinema Cinenova, and clubs in old factory halls and railway arches. On Venloer Straße, the district's main shopping street, stands the Central Mosque by Gottfried and Paul Böhm, opened in 2018. You can reach Ehrenfeld by S-Bahn and regional trains to Ehrenfeld station, or by Stadtbahn lines 3 and 4, which run through the district.

With over a million inhabitants, Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city and the center of the Rhineland. Its landmark is the Cathedral (Dom), which was built from 1248 to 1880 and whose spires rise a good 157 meters. Since 1996, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site and preserves the relics of the Three Magi.Around the Dom, you'll find twelve Romanesque churches, museums like the Museum Ludwig with one of the world's largest Picasso collections, and the Old Town by the Rhine with its breweries. There, you drink Kölsch from a tall, slender glass, served by a Köbes. Between Weiberfastnacht (Women's Carnival) and Ash Wednesday, the city is dominated by Carnival.

In the Rhineland, some of Germany's most vibrant cities line the river. Cologne, with its Cathedral (a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996) and twelve Romanesque churches, is the hub; upstream lies Bonn, Beethoven's birthplace and, until 1999, the seat of the Bundestag and government. Downstream follows Düsseldorf, the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia.To the west, on the border with Belgium and the Netherlands, lies Aachen with Charlemagne's Cathedral, which became the first German monument on the World Heritage List in 1978. The cities are closely connected by rail, and an old rivalry runs between Cologne and Düsseldorf, most clearly evident in their beer: Kölsch here, Altbier there.

Cologne's Old Town, on the left bank of the Rhine, is considered the city's birthplace: Even before the year 50, when Cologne was elevated to Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, there was a settlement here, and the Roman harbour was located around Groß St. Martin. It is bordered by the Rhine and the semi-circular Ringe, while the axis formed by Hahnenstraße, Neumarkt, and Cäcilienstraße separates Altstadt-Nord and Altstadt-Süd.Here you'll find Alter Markt and Heumarkt, the City Hall, and the alleys of the Martinsviertel with their breweries, as well as museums and Romanesque churches. The Hauptbahnhof, the city's most important railway hub, is itself located in Altstadt-Nord; from there you can walk.