Cologne Central Station, Railway station in Altstadt-Nord, Germany
Cologne Central Station is a through station beside Cologne Cathedral with eleven tracks. Its long vaulted main hall is clad in pale green panels with vertical glass strips along the crown, and a flat-roofed wing carries a grid of square skylights. A boxy glass-and-steel tower stands beside the tracks, where parallel rails fan out toward the Hohenzollern Bridge.
The station opened in 1859 to combine five separate terminals of different railway companies into one central hub. During the Second World War the complex suffered heavy damage and was rebuilt in several stages afterwards.
The terminal takes its name from the city, which has been a Rhine river crossing point since Roman times. Travelers today notice the large hall with its curved roof, beneath which shops, food stalls, and waiting areas are arranged.
The station is open around the clock and offers shops, restaurants, and information desks for travelers. Direct connections to trams and buses make it easy to switch to local transport.
The Hohenzollern Bridge connects the main terminal with Köln Messe/Deutz station on the opposite Rhine bank. Thousands of love padlocks hang on the bridge railings, which travelers cross between both terminals.
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