As if they were magnets, the two spires draw visitors to the cathedral, which rises like a dark giant between the rail tracks, busy roads and the overcrowded pedestrian zone. No other German city has an emblem like this. Planned to be the biggest cathedral in Europe, it is imposing for its huge dimensions alone: it covers an area of 8,000 square metres altogether, with a length  of 144 metres and a width of 80 metres. The huge, colourful surfaces of window glass, a combined total of 10,000 square metres, are equally impressive.

632 years betrug die Bauzeit, bis der Dom am 15. Oktober 1880 vollendet war.

It all began with an act of theft: after the conquest of Milan, in 1164 the bones of the Three Magi were brought to Cologne as spoils of war, making the city one of the most important places of pilgrimage in the Christian world. But it tooks more than six centuries to complete Cologne Cathedral.  In order to house the relics, the goldsmith Nicolas of Verdun made the precious shrine of the Three Magi, dating from 1190–1220. It now stands behind the altar in the choir and is the main attraction inside the cathedral. Shaped like a basilica church, this is the largest reliquary shrine in the West. Its iconographic programme ranges from the Creation to the Last Judgement. The figures are fashioned from gilded copper, the front end of pure gold, complemented by filigree work in precious and semiprecious stones, including ancient gems and cameos.

If you visit the Old Town with the  shops, atmospheric eating places and traditional Brauhaus pubs are situated in little gabled houses, narrow alleys and picturesque squares you will understand why the song says: „Hey Kölle, du bes e Jeföhl“.  Alter Markt, the centre of the Old Town, is one of the pleasantest places in Cologne when the sun shines, and pubs, cafes and restaurants set up their tables and chairs outdoors. The former appearance of this marketplace can be seen by looking at the historic Gaffelhaus at Alter Markt no. 20/22. This Renaissance double building, the houses Zur Brezel and Zum Dorn, with their typical gables and fine windows, s one of the few imposing buildings that remain here.

THE OLD CITY HALL

2,000 years of city history are concentrated around the Rathaus (city hall). The oldest testimonies to this are the Praetorium, seat of the Roman governor, and the remains of the medieval Jewish quarter. The imposing tower of the city hall and its magnificent Renaissance loggia (1569–73) bear witness to the wealth and pride of the burghers in past times. As early as 1130 they had a “house of the citizens”, which is thought to be the oldest city hall in Germany. The tower was built by the guilds of craftsman between 1407 and 1414 to demonstrate their rule of the city.

THE GÜRZENICH

A little further on stands a major Gothic secular building. Constructed by the citizens of Cologne in the 15th century on land belonging to the patrician Gürzenich family, it served as a venue for celebrations and a storehouse. Today the Gürzenich is the city’s best-known place for congresses and events. To reach the great hall on the first floor, once the scene of receptions for emperors and glittering festivities, visitors pass through the spacious foyer and curving staircase in the extension built in the 1950s.

The remarkable interior of a third Romanesque church, dedicated to St Gereon, is a good reason to add this one, too, to the list of visits. According to a medieval legend, Gereon was a Roman military officer who died for his Christian faith along with 318 legionary soldiers. When you enter the tensided building with its massive dome, slender pillars draw the gaze upwards. The glowing red of  the dome with golden flames that refer to the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the modern windows by Georg Meistermann combine with the medieval building in a striking colour scheme. The breath-taking spatial impression derives from a unique symbiosis of late Roman and medieval architecture. The core of the church is an oval structure dating from the 4th century. In the early 13th century it was converted to a decagon spanned by a huge dome, the largest that was built between the construction of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople in the 6th century and the dome of Florence cathedral in the 15th century.

In the pedestrian zone along two main streets, Schildergasse and Hohe Strasse, which connect Neumarkt with the central station, fashion outlets and department stores as well as branches of international chains present their wares for window shopping. For exquisite and unusual items, or simply to do some window shopping, Mittelstrasse and Pfeilstrasse to the west of Neumarkt are an excellent destination. go on to Ehrenstrasse. Here stores for coveted labels have appeared between shops specialising in hip and in-your-face fashion. If you prefer art and antiques, then nearby St.- Apern-Strasse around the Kreishausgalerie is the place to browse in galleries and antique shops. To leave the mainstream, go to the Belgisches Viertel (Belgian Quarter) around St Michael’s Church. Young fashion and jewellery designers have set up shop in attractive old buildings.

And 365 days a year you can shop and feast in over 60 shops at the Cologne  Einkaufsbahnhof .

Cross a hydraulic swingbridge next to the so-called Malakoff Tower, part of the Prussian city defences, to see the newest highlight of modern urban planning in Cologne, the Rheinauhafen harbour area. Built over 100 years ago for the trade in grain and wood, it has now become an attractive district for living, working and culture, with a fascinating juxtaposition of late 19th-century and modern architecture. On all sides you see the combination of historic materials such as stone paving, train rails and restored harbour cranes with huge slabs of concrete, steel and glass, set off by high-class lighting design. Despite the renewal of its appearance, the Rheinauhafen has not lost its original harbour character.

Between the harbour basin and Rhine, the three tall “crane buildings” by Hadi Teherani are among the architectural highlights. The striking shape of these glass high-rises is a reminder of the cargo cranes of the old port. They are now a significant feature on the city skyline. Now they house luxury apartments. Beyond them lies the modern Kap am Südkai, a ten-storey structure with a roof garden at the south end of the harbour development. A major monument of the city is the Bayenturm, a fortified medieval tower – now seat of a feminist research foundation, the Frauen- MediaTurm – that was stormed in 1262 by the people of Cologne, protesting against the rule of the archbishop. A popular saying has always maintained that whoever holds the tower holds power in the city. The next eye-catcher is the neo-Romanesque red-brick harbour office with its square clock tower, today the headquarters of the Cologne harbour and freight company, HGK.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: VISIT THE FINE ARTS

Whether you would like to see the most important currents and viewpoints in modern art or follow the development of painting in Cologne between 1300 and 1550 – in this art city on the Rhine, both are possible. Von Werken der klassischen Moderne über die Picasso- oder Pop-Art–Sammlung bis hin zur Gegenwartskunst und Fotografie, das Museum Ludwig ist ein Kunsttempel der Moderne. Visitors are guided through various eras of art history on three floors and can see paintings made over seven centuries  from medieval beginnings until the early 20th century geben dagegen im Wallraff-Richartz-Museum Einblicke in verschiedene Epochen und Kunstlandschaften. Tips for many other museum you can find in our guide „3 days in Cologne“.