Explore Cologne’s past, present and future on the Via Culturalis – between Cologne Cathedral and St. Maria im Kapitol. On just 800 metres, you can experience 2,000 years of municipal and cultural history – ancient places, monuments, quarters, spaces and visions for the future. Your cultural trail leads you to places above and below ground, to churches, famous sights, such as the Kölner Philharmonie, central squares and museums, including the Museum Ludwig or the Wallraf-Richartz, archaeological sites and future cultural hotspots, such as the MiQua, a new museum that explores Cologne’s Roman and Jewish history. The trail is flanked by a shopping street and the terraced banks of the Rhine.
The free “Audiotour Via Culturalis” app invites you to rediscover the approximately 800-meter route between Cologne Cathedral and St. Maria im Kapitol. In around 30 audio pieces, historical events, archaeological discoveries, and architectural developments come to life directly at their original locations.
Experts provide context for stops such as the Dionysus mosaic, the Praetorium, Museum Ludwig, and the future MiQua, tracing the arc from Roman antiquity through the Middle Ages to the present day.