Cologne, Roman city on Rhine River, Germany
Cologne extends across both banks of the Rhine River with nine districts containing 86 neighborhoods and multiple green spaces throughout the urban landscape.
The settlement began as a Roman outpost in 38 BCE, later gaining prominence as Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, becoming one of the largest cities in Germania.
The annual carnival celebrations in February include street parades with decorated floats, traditional music performances, and participants wearing elaborate costumes through the streets.
The public transportation system combines 11 underground lines and 8 commuter train routes connecting all districts with frequent service from 5 AM until midnight.
The city maintains 12 functioning Romanesque churches from medieval times, forming a ring around the central district with their distinctive architectural features.
Location: Cologne Government Region
Elevation above the sea: 59 m
Shares border with: Rhein-Erft District, Rhein-Sieg District, Rhein-Berg District, Leverkusen, Mettmann, Rhein-Kreis Neuss, Hürth
Address: Cologne, Germany
Website: https://stadt-koeln.de
GPS coordinates: 50.94222,6.95778
Latest update: November 1, 2025 18:35
This ranking includes the most populous cities in Europe in 2025, from Moscow with 11.62 million inhabitants to Budapest with 1.7 million. It features major European capitals like London, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, and Paris, as well as Saint Petersburg, Vienna, and Hamburg. These metropolitan areas are the continent's main demographic centers, each with its own history, architecture, and legacy. The selection is based on the municipal population of each city. Some cities surprise with their size, such as London, which covers an area fourteen times larger than Paris, or Rome, which extends over a territory twelve times greater than the French capital. Others are distinguished by their major economic roles, such as Hamburg, which hosts Germany's largest port, or by their internationally recognized quality of life, like Vienna. These destinations invite exploration of European urban diversity from east to west.
Cologne, the fourth largest city in Germany, has stood on the banks of the Rhine for over two thousand years. This collection presents the main monuments, museums, and sites that trace the city's history from Roman times to the present day. The Gothic cathedral dominates the city center with its two 157-meter-tall towers, while remnants of medieval fortifications, such as the Hahnen Gate, testify to the defensive past of the city. The museums in Cologne offer a journey through the centuries. The Roman-Germanic Museum displays Dionysus’ mosaic and archaeological remains of the Roman colonia. The Wallraf-Richartz Museum houses seven centuries of European painting, from the Middle Ages to Impressionism. The Museum Ludwig contains one of the largest collections of pop art outside the United States, including major works by Warhol and Lichtenstein. The Nazi Documentation Center, located in the former Gestapo headquarters, documents the period from 1933 to 1945. The Chocolate Museum traces the history of cacao from Central America, while the Farina House remembers that Cologne has given its name to a world-famous fragrance since the 18th century.
Cologne Cathedral
101 m
Petersglocke
135 m
University of Cologne
2.6 km
Melaten-Friedhof
2.7 km
Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium
467 m
Hohenzollern Bridge
553 m
Shrine of the Three Kings
134 m
Cologne Central Mosque
2.1 km
Schokoladenmuseum Köln
1.2 km
Cologne Zoological Garden
2.1 km
Colonius
1.9 km
Museum Ludwig
220 m
Kolumba
490 m
Volkstheater Millowitsch
1.6 km
Cathedral Window
139 m
Great St. Martin Church
504 m
Köln Messe/Deutz station
1.2 km
Leverkusen Bridge
10.3 km
Palladium
5.1 km
Kölner Philharmonie
252 m
Cologne City Hall
482 m
St. Gereon's Basilica
836 m
Forts in Cologne
1.7 km
Colonia-Haus
2.7 km
KölnTriangle
995 m
Cologne Cable Car
1.8 km
Cologne Opera
632 m
Romano-Germanic Museum
204 mReviews
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