The Romans are considered the founders of Cologne. In 38 BC. e. The Roman commander Mark Vispanius Agrippa founded a military camp with his soldiers on the banks of the Rhine. Thanks to the descendant of the military commander (she is also the wife of Emperor Claudius) Agrippina, the military camp became a settlement and received the name Colonia Claudius and the altar of the Agrippines, which was then reduced to Colonia (Cologne).
In 85 CE e. Cologne is proclaimed the capital of German Inferior. Narrow streets turned into pavements, there were baths, places for cultural recreation. A century later, 15,000 inhabitants lived in Cologne. At the beginning of the 4th century, the first bridge over the Rhine was built.
In 454, the Franks seized power, placing King Clovis on the throne. After about 100 years, the city reaches its peak of development. In 1388, Germany's first university opened in Cologne.
The French Revolution in 1794 led to the occupation and surrender of the Rhine to the French, who ceded the conquered territory to the Prussian troops a couple of decades later. After 1900, the population exceeded 600,000.
ModernCologne is divided into 9 districts: 4 are the old quarters (left bank of the Rhine), 5 others arose after the Second World War.
The city of Cologne in Germany, whose sights arose in the process of centuries of history, owns a large number of architectural monuments. Unfortunately, most of them are restored buildings that were destroyed during the bombing.
Cologne Cathedral (from German Kölner Dom)
The first stage of construction of the Catholic Cathedral in the Gothic style began in 1248 and lasted for two centuries. The completion of the large-scale construction took place in 1880. Now the cathedral ranks third among the tallest (157 m) temples in the world and is the main attraction of Cologne, included in the UNESCO list.
The construction of the towers took place according to the first drawings made in 1300. The transverse buildings, the decoration of the facades were designed in the 19th century by E. F. Zwiener, who retained the original style of the cathedral.
The cathedral is decorated with hundreds of sculptures, stained glass windows, frescoes and mosaics, the gates were cast by bronze craftsmen.
The temple has been guarding its treasures since the 13th century. The most valuable exhibits: the chest of St. Engelbert with the relics of the archbishop, staff of St. Peter of the 4th century, the monstrance of St. Peter, the chest with the relics of the three wise men, the two-meter crucifix of Gero, the library of the most valuable manuscripts.
Of course, the construction of a landmark of this magnitude in Cologne could not do without mysterious stories and legends. Gerhard von Riehl, the first architect, did not succeeddrawings of the temple, and he turned to the devil for help. He immediately appeared and offered a standard exchange: blueprints in exchange for the soul, which must be given immediately after the rooster cries. The architect agreed, but his wife, who at dawn imitated a cock crow, became a witness to the deal. As a result, the drawings were fraudulently obtained, and the angry devil predicted the end of the world with the completion of the construction of the cathedral.
Museum Wallraf-Richartz (from German Wallraf-Richartz-Museum)
One of the outstanding museums in the country. Inside there is a gallery representing the largest exposition of paintings from the Middle Ages to the first half of the 20th century, drawings in various techniques (more than 70,000 works, including miniatures, sketchbooks and printed graphics). The creations of the Cologne masters Stefan Lochner, the Master of St. Veronica, the Master of the Legend of Ursula and others are kept here. The Baroque style is represented by paintings by Rembrandt, Boucher, Rubens, Van Dyck. Sculptures by Renoir, Rodin, Houdon complement the exposition. And this is a small part of the names of the great creators exhibited in the museum.
Museum Ludwig (from German Museum Ludwig)
For contemporary art - the Ludwig Museum, located near the Cologne Cathedral. In the museum's collection you can see works of expressionists, surrealists, avant-garde artists, including Kandinsky, Malevich, Picasso.
Roman-Germanic Museum
Will interest fans of the Roman Empire. The period proposed for study in the museum is from the Paleolithic to the beginningmiddle ages. It was created in 1946. Here are the household items of the Roman colony of the first - fourth centuries AD. e., antique mosaics, jewelry, colored glass items.
Cologne Philharmonic
In the immediate vicinity of the Ludwig and Wallfraf-Richartz museums, there is a philharmonic hall built in 1986 in the form of an amphitheatre. The Philharmonic attracts connoisseurs of classical, jazz, folk music with excellent acoustics, design and world-class performers.
Monument to King Friedrich Wilhelm III
Equestrian statue of King Frederick III of Prussia installed on Heumarkt Square. This monarch played a role in the victory over Napoleon's army. Nowadays, this Cologne landmark is often used as a convenient meeting point.
Hohenzoller Railway Bridge (from German Hohenzollernbrücke)
Total length 409 m. Opened in 1911 instead of the Cathedral Bridge. In 1945, the bridge was blown up by the US military, the work on the initial restoration of functionality lasted three years, and the final reconstruction was completed in 1959. Later, in 1989, two more tracks and paths for cyclists and pedestrians were added to the existing four.
Today, the bridge attracts thousands of lovers, who, according to the legend, hang and lock padlocks as a symbol of love.
Cable car
City cable car over the Rhine open in1957 Passing through the Rheinpark thermal baths. Recognized as the safest means of transportation in the city.
Botanical Garden Flora
The park was founded in the middle of the 19th century by the architect Peter Lenne. Landscape design is built on the basis of a mixture of styles: these are English classics, and reservoirs, rocks with waterfalls, paths among centuries-old trees. Florists will be surprised by the variety of flowers: camellias, heather coexist with tropical, exotic plants.
Cologne Zoo
This is a 20,000 square meter area, where more than 800 species of animals live comfortably. It has been operating since 1860 and receives almost 2,000,000 guests annually. Visitors are delighted with the kingdom of animals and birds, where they can meet tigers and giraffes, elephants, rhinos and hippos, fur seals and penguins.
Chocolate Museum
Opened in 1993 by the Imhoff-Stollwerk confectionery company, whose products have been known since 1839. In 2006, Lindt & Sprungli became their partner. It is one of the most visited museums in Germany, with over 600,000 visitors annually. The shape of the building, made in the form of a ship, is interesting. The museum will tell about the history of chocolate, manufacturing technology from the Maya and Aztecs to our time. The exhibition features many types of chocolate, and even a three-meter chocolate fountain.
Beer Museum
This is more of an exhibition hall, opened in 1982, wheremore than 1000 types of beer and its attributes are presented. The museum has the opportunity to taste a variety of beer from any corner of the world.
Köln Triangle Viewpoint
Located on the right bank of the Rhine, on the 28th floor of the Orange Business Center. This 100-meter-high observation platform offers magnificent panoramic views of the sights of Cologne. The photo and description will not convey all the emotions received while contemplating the Cologne Cathedral at sunset.
Perfume Museum
The Spirit Museum (Farin's House) is located opposite the City Hall. Since 1709, a perfume factory has been located here, recognized as the oldest in the world. Now in the museum you can see the production methods of the famous Cologne water - cologne, distillation apparatus, bottles of different eras, paintings and photographs.
Description of the sights of Cologne would be incomplete without mentioning the Cologne Carnival. This tradition developed already in the 11th century and personified the farewell to winter. Carnival is held at the end of February and lasts for a week between Indian Thursday and Ash Wednesday.
This is not a complete list of reasons to visit Cologne, whose photos attract millions of tourists every year.
Cologne Town Hall, St. Martin's Church, Church of the Holy Apostles, Eigelstein Gate, Zatzwei Castle will also welcome guests and share a rich history.
