Cologne, a 2,000-year-old city is the region’s cultural hub. It is the fourth largest city in Germany and largest city

of the Land (state) of North Rhine–Westphalia. A landmark of High Gothic architecture set amid reconstructed

old town, the twin-spired Cologne Cathedral is also known for its gilded medieval reliquary and sweeping river views.

The adjacent Museum Ludwig showcases 20th-century art, including many masterpieces by Picasso, and the Romano-Germanic Museum houses Roman antiquities.

 

Cologne’s commercial importance grew out of its position at the point where the huge traffic artery of the Rhine

(German: Rhein) River intersected one of the major land routes for trade between western and eastern Europe. In the Middle Ages it also became an ecclesiastical centre of significance and an important centre of art and learning.

 

This rich and varied heritage is still much in evidence in present-day Cologne, despite the almost complete destruction of the Inner City (Innenstadt) during World War II. Cologne is the seat of a university and the see of a Roman Catholic archbishop.

Its cathedral, the largest Gothic church in northern Europe, was designated a UNESCO AnchorWorld Heritage site in 1996; it is the city’s major landmark and unofficial symbol.