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    Old City
    Ahgee / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

    Germany

    Old City

    City

    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…

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    7. Köln
    9. Old City
    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.
    The Old Town is Cologne's historic center between the Rhine and the Ring Roads. The Dom, Rathaus, Alter Markt, and Heumarkt are nearby, all walkable. Around Groß St. Martin, you can drink Kölsch in the brewpubs. To the south, Romanesque churches like St. Maria im Kapitol and the museums on Neumarkt await.

    Sights in Old City

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    House Gnomes Fountain
    Historic Landmark

    1House Gnomes Fountain

    The Cologne Beautification Society commissioned the Neo-Gothic fountain in 1899, designed by cathedral sculptor Edmund Renard and his son Heinrich. It tells the legend of the Heinzelmännchen, who did the work of the Cologne residents at night until a curious tailor's wife discovered them. She is enthroned as a stone figure on the fountain in front of Brauhaus Früh.
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    St. Mary in the Capitol
    Church

    2St. Mary in the Capitol

    The largest of Cologne's twelve great Romanesque churches stands on the foundations of a 1st-century Roman temple. Its eastern choir with three conches is considered the earliest of its kind in the Western world; also noteworthy are the carved wooden doors from the mid-11th century.
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    Old Market
    Attraction

    3Old Market

    The square was already mentioned in 922 as mercatus coloniae. Here stands the Jan-von-Werth Fountain from 1884, and since 1953, the new Carnival season opens on Alter Markt on 11.11. at 11:11 AM.
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    Museum Schnütgen
    Museum

    4Museum Schnütgen

    In the Romanesque St. Cecilia's Church, the museum has showcased Christian art since 1956, primarily from the Rhenish Middle Ages, with over 13,000 objects ranging from sculptures and ivory carvings to stained glass. Canon Alexander Schnütgen donated the foundational collection to the city in 1906.
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    Restaurants in Old City

    1

    Augustiner at Heumarkt

    Bavarian restaurant with German cuisine directly on Heumarkt.
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    2

    Brewery at the Malt Mill

    Family brewery with around 150 years of history, a traditional brewhouse, and a casual restaurant for German cuisine.
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    3

    Peters Brewpub

    Long-established brewpub with Cologne specialties and a dining room under a stained-glass ceiling.
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    Nightlife

    1

    Papa Joe's Jazz Club Em Streckstrump

    Cozy jazz club with nightly concerts featuring traditional jazz, blues, and swing.
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    2

    Papa Joes Beer Salon & Tinkling Piano

    Old Town pub with Kölsch, Rhenish cuisine, and a collection of old mechanical musical instruments and memorabilia.
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    3

    Brewery to the Priests

    Traditional inn with carvings and stained glass, serving Kölsch and Rhenish specialties.
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    Accommodations in Old City

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      • 1House Gnomes Fountain3 days
      • 2St. Mary in the Capitol4 days
      • 3Old Market5 days
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    Nearby

    Cologne & Rhineland

    Cologne & Rhineland

    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.
    Köln

    Köln

    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.
    Deutz

    Deutz

    Deutz is on the Rhine's right bank, opposite the Old Town. You cross from the Cathedral via the Hohenzollern Bridge's pedestrian and cycle path. Around 310, Emperor Constantine built the Divitia fort here to protect a Rhine bridge. The formerly independent town was incorporated into Cologne in 1888. Today, Koelnmesse (first halls 1922) and the Lanxess Arena define the district.At the Rheinboulevard, opened 2015, sit directly by the water facing the Old Town. North of it, the Rheinpark adjoins, and the KölnTriangle's 29th floor offers city views. Köln Messe/Deutz station serves many trains and tram lines 1, 3, 4, and 9.
    Südstadt

    Südstadt

    Als Südstadt bezeichnen die Kölner den südlichen Teil des Severinsviertels zusammen mit dem östlichen Teil der Neustadt-Süd. Auf Kölsch heißt das Severinsviertel Vringsveedel, benannt ist es nach der Kirche St. Severin, die 1237 geweiht wurde. Bis 1881 begrenzte die mittelalterliche Stadtmauer das Viertel, erhalten sind unter anderem die Severinstorburg und der Bayenturm am Rhein.Die Severinstraße ist die Einkaufsstraße des Viertels, seit den 1970er-Jahren wuchs hier eine lebendige Kneipenszene. Am Chlodwigplatz vor dem Severinstor findest du viele Kneipen und Restaurants, außerdem ist das Viertel traditionell Start- oder Zielpunkt des Rosenmontagszugs. Mit den Linien 15, 16 und 17 fährst du bis zur Haltestelle Chlodwigplatz.
    Kwartier Latäng

    Kwartier Latäng

    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.