©   KölnTourismus GmbH

Art & Culture

Cologne: 2,000 years of being “in”

Cologne’s more than 2,000 years of history — the city’s DNA, so to speak — includes a flourishing art scene that dates back to the Middle Ages. In addition to many ancient treasures and cultural monuments, Cologne boasts a remarkably dense network of galleries, a very active art scene, one of the world’s oldest art fairs, and many events across every genre of art and culture throughout the year. From exhibitions to guided tours, performances, evergreens, festivals and urban art, there’s an attractive mix of tradition and modernity that has become a hallmark of Cologne’s range of cultural offerings.

 

Culture

Enjoy, learn and discover

Cologne is renowned as the home of many highlights of the German cultural scene — for example, its festivals of contemporary music and high-quality literature from all over the world. It’s also known for pure entertainment. Its many venues, including smaller ones, for concerts, events and readings create an appealing framework for the city’s cultural scene. Here you can take a look at Cologne’s evergreens and its current event calendar.

Museums

“Must-visits”

In addition to its famous municipal museums, Cologne has numerous private museums, collections and exhibition venues. Some of them are still being discovered by long-term residents of Cologne! The spectrum of Cologne’s museums ranges from traditional art museums to museums specializing in technology, local history, cultural history and culinary history. It’s time to explore other perspectives and discover new horizons…

Street Art

Urban life – with a message

Cologne is one of Germany’s hotspots for street art. Several routes, guided tours and specialized galleries offer you an entry into the street art scene. You can see a lot of this public art — including its messages of social criticism — in neighbourhoods such as Ehrenfeld and the Belgian Quarter as well as in the city centre. The biennial urban art festival CityLeaks has made a name for itself since 2011. And for all those who are interested in creative approaches to the socialization of city, art and life, a look at the Ebertplatz is highly recommended. The street is calling you… 

© Bilderblitz, KölnTourismus GmbH

Sights

Exploring and discovering history

Cologne Cathedral is a landmark with a long history and probably the city’s best-known attraction. It’s impossible to miss — but only a few people actually climb the 533 steps to its 157-meter-high viewing platform. Will you be one of them? Also worth a visit are Cologne’s historic Altstadt (Old Town), the Cologne Zoo, the Flora botanical gardens, the new Rheinauhafen (Rheinau Harbour), the bridges over the Rhine with their “love locks”, the four remaining city gates, the brewery restaurants and the cable car. You can experience many of the highlights of Cologne’s history in a walking tour during a single day.

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