Cologne

Cologne sprawls along both sides of the Rhine, divided into nine districts that together contain 86 neighborhoods linked by bridges and green corridors running between residential blocks and the waterfront. The cityscape mixes church spires, glass office towers, low brick housing, and industrial buildings near the river, while the old town clusters tightly on the east bank with shopping streets, residential quarters, and outer suburbs radiating outward beyond the medieval ring.

The settlement started as a Roman military post in 38 BCE and grew into Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, one of the most important urban centers in the province of Germania. Medieval growth as a trading hub and heavy bombing during World War II shaped the current layout, which combines fragments of Roman walls with postwar reconstruction and modern development.

Carnival season brings colorful parades in February, with floats rolling through the old town and groups dressed in traditional costumes filling the streets with singing and brass music. The brewhouses serve their local beer in tall, narrow glasses that servers refill often, and customers sit at long wooden tables eating regional sausages and sharing space with strangers in a relaxed, communal atmosphere.

Public transit connects all districts through 11 underground lines and 8 commuter routes running frequently from early morning until midnight, while trams and buses reach the outer neighborhoods. Many landmarks in the center lie within walking distance of each other, especially along the Rhine promenade that stretches from the cathedral to the southern bridges without major obstacles.

Twelve Romanesque churches from medieval times still stand and form a ring around the central district, each showing distinct arrangements of towers, windows, and side chapels. The floor plans and facades of these churches differ noticeably from one another, and walking between them along nearby streets lets you compare round arches, heavy columns, and varying roof shapes within short distances.