Cologne or Köln is one of the largest cities in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The place is situated within the Rhine-Ruhr metro region and is regarded as one of the prominent metropolitan regions in Germany.
Cologne has the Rhine River on both the sides and is less than eighty km from Belgium. One of the Europe’s largest and oldest universities called the University of Cologne is located here. Also, the city’s famous Cologne Cathedral seats the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne.
Till the World War II period, the city Cologne had undergone several occupations by the French people and even the British around the period 1918-1926. Also, the city was one of the heavily bombed cities in Germany during the war. The Royal Air Force had dropped 34,711 tons of bombs on the city during this time. It was seen that the bombings reduced the population of the city by a drastic 95% because of evacuation and had destroyed the entire city! After this, there had been many restoring and post-war rebuilding which had taken place which has resulted in a mixed and unique cityscape.
Also the city, Cologne is a major cultural center for the Rhineland. It has more than thirty museums and about hundreds of galleries. You will find exhibits ranging from regional ancient archaeological sites of the Romans to contemporary sculptures and graphics.
History
The roots of the city Cologne can be traced back to almost 2000 years ago. At this time the cologne was still ruled by the Romans, this makes it one of the oldest cities in Germany. This long history has had a strong and sturdy influence on the cathedral city and has become what it is today: a city which is a dynamic and vital metropolis that provides its visitors with a unique atmosphere.
The studies show that Cologne being one of the oldest cities in Germany has its origins dating back to the Roman Empire. They had found the Village Ubii on the Rhine during the 50AD and had named it Colonia. At this time the imperial governors of Rome stayed here and very soon the town had begun to grow into one of the very important trades and production centers of the Roman Empire north of the Alps. Also, there are traces of the inhabitants leaving behind many of their culture and traditions in the town center, evidence of which can be seen in the Romano-Germanic Museum.
At the time of Second World War, as mentioned before, almost 90 percent of the city was destroyed with just 40,000 people still staying in the city area. There were initial thoughts of giving up the old area, but slowly work began in the year 1947 that was aimed at rebuilding the Old Town. You will find several post-war architecture marvels that still portray the characteristics of the face of Cologne today. Now, the Rhine Metropolis is regarded as the fourth largest German city and also one of the significant travel destinations located in Germany and Europe.
Around 55 international trade fairs are conducted in the city and welcomes more than two million visitors. Apart from this the shopping streets, a variety of restaurants and shopping arcades have been attracting many visitors over the recent years.
You will find that a very significant highlight in the annual calendar is the very famous Cologne Carnival, which is conducted during the month of February or March and enjoyed by hundreds of people every year.
During the advent season, several visitors get attracted due to the Christmas markets which sell different wares. Even now cologne remains a favored destination all because of its central location. Also today, the city happens to be one of the most important traffic hubs in the Western Europe. The Cologne-Bonn airport lets you travel to more than 130 destinations around the world. Also, all the high-speed trains halt here for the convenience of the travelers.
Cologne Characteristics
The city was an ancient Roman city and has had many races which were united in a successful blend. With time the city grew to become one of Germany’s largest trading metro in the Middle Ages and had seen the influx of craftsmen, bargees, pilgrims and also merchants over time. Also, as the city is a leading congress and trade fair city, the city is known for dealing with foreigners friendly.
You will notice that the people are friendly, open minded and also cosmopolitan. At the same time, the “Kolner” are known to be superficial and may take some time to make friends. The city on the Rhine consists of a population which is a mix of Kolsch and Kolner. Kolsch is the people who were born in the city and in whose veins you can feel the pulse of the city. Kolner is the people who reside here.
Things to do
The city is full of many cultural and historical treasures, active art scenes, and world-famous museums. You will enjoy the trip through 200 years of history by visiting various cultural monuments ranging from the Roman Empire to modern times.
The Cologne Cathedral was built during the period ranging from 1248 and 1880 and is considered to be a masterwork of medieval Gothic architecture. The cologne’s 2000 years old history can be felt everywhere, in the Romano-Germanic Museum, amongst the city gates reminding of the medieval time eras or the Roman Praetorium. The Romano-Germanic Museum has beautiful Dionysos mosaic collection and outstanding glass collection and is home to the famous tomb of Poblicius
Besides this, Cologne is a wonderful culture and art metropolis which is known internationally. The innumerable museums, galleries, pop art collection are all a proof of that. Also, Cologne has animated theater scene as well.
Cologne has a lot to offer. We tell you the Fun Facts about the city.
- Cologne is known as one of the oldest cities situated in Germany and is ranked today amongst the fourth largest city in the country.
- The Cologne Cathedral was built after 632 years of hard work.
- Kölsch is the name of the local beer in Cologne. If you compare it with the other German beers, you will notice that this tastes sweeter and is more refreshing than any other German beer.
- Although Kölschusually is served in small glasses, this doesn’t make it anything less of a strong beer.
- At Rhine park, there is a tree called the “Comforter-tree.“ Here kids hang their old comforter in order to put it to rest.
- Germany’s only Palm Tree Alley, which is at Flora, is found only in Cologne.
- A musical firework display known as the ‘Cologne Lights’ is hosted by the city Cologne every year in the month of July and is one of the high-altitude musical. This beautiful display along with the party atmosphere attracts thousands of tourists every year.
- Largest Pride events are also conducted in the city Cologne. You will find that every year during the first weekend of July almost half a million people along with visitors come together to be a part of Cologne city’s party. The event focuses on various topics like political issues, besides the fun and has been one of the frequently expressed themes in the parade.
- Cologne’s Schildergasseis one of the most visited shopping boulevards in Germany. There are almost over 13,280 visitors per hour. The Cologne city is very well known for its shops and surely is a heaven for all those who love to shop!
- The fragrance eau de cologne meaning “water from Cologne” is very famous world over and is being produced in the city today. It was created by an Italian expatriate called Johann Maria Farina.
So visit this amazing place with your family and friends and have a great time together, exploring various parts of the place. The things to do in this awesome place will never run out, giving you the experiences of a lifetime. Visit this historically rich place and make your vacation a memorable one with your friends and family.