Fotos: KölnTourismus, Rudolf Barten und Günther Ventur

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Learn German in Cologne!

Cologne City Travel Guide

Cologne is a beautiful and scenic city with plazas, shopping and nightlife and well worth a visit, especially during its famous Carnival celebrations. During the festivities the city looks back on changing fates always finding an outlet in going completely berserk during Carnival season. Nowadays the 'Kölner Karneval' is an institution which attracts numerous tourists. There are rumours, though, that some of Cologne's inhabitants actually flee the city on a short holiday for the duration of the festivities.

The twin-spired structure of Cologne's cathedral might just be the most famous architectural sight in Germany and has shaped the city's appearance for many centuries.

The 'Ring' - a giant semi-circle following the contours of ancient city walls - offers a good starting point for sightseeing and shopping. Numerous theatres, restaurants and bars - many of them serving beer from local breweries - invite you to linger.

In the last decade Cologne has developed from a classical industrial city into a modern centre for the service industries. Today, Cologne is associated primarily with media, trade fairs and culture. Cologne is now Germany's leading media metropolis with one third of all German TV productions being produced there.

Learn German in Cologne!