Largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
“A place where the past is not just remembered, but woven into everyday life.”
Cologne is the fourth-most populous city of Germany and the largest city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia with over 1.0 million inhabitants in the city proper and over 3.1 million people in the Cologne Bonn urban region. Cologne is also part of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region, the second biggest metropolitan region by GDP in the European Union. Centred on the left bank of the Rhine, Cologne is located on the River Rhine, about 35 kilometres (22 mi) southeast of the North Rhine-Westphalia state capital Düsseldorf and 22 kilometres (14 mi) northwest of Bonn, the former capital of West Germany.
What it’s like to be here — and what to go and see.
Pleasant days and fresh blossoms make wandering the streets a pleasure.
Long, sunny days give you extra hours to explore and soak it all in.
Mellow light and mild weather are perfect for slow, scenic strolls.
Festive lights and low-key crowds bring a calmer charm to sightseeing.
A rough, general read — not a precise guide.
Getting around by metro, regional trains, trams and buses is easy, and a car is rarely needed.
