Cologne in a nutshell

Cologne has 2000 years of city history – you only have 90 minutes. The compact city tour “Highlights of Cologne” brings these numbers together. As a guided walk, this city tour takes you once through the Cologne city center and stops at the most important historical and cultural highlights of the cathedral city.

Embark on a leap through time – from Cologne as a Roman metropolis, to Cologne as a rich and powerful imperial city in the Middle Ages, to Cologne as a vibrant, modern city that has especially embraced tolerance and togetherness.

Included in “Highlights of Cologne”: The Cologne Cathedral - from the outside

Landmark of the city, Gothic masterpiece, and UNESCO World Heritage Site – the Cologne Cathedral has to be part of every tour, at least briefly. The interior awaits you when you have more time to spend in Cologne, with its impressive array of famous stained-glass windows, sculptures, and one of the most significant reliquary shrines in Europe.

Included in “Highlights of Cologne”: the Town Hall

124 sculptures on 5 stories, cheeky and piquant statuettes, a carillon, and one of the longest town hall histories in Germany make the Cologne Town Hall a building worth seeing.

Included in “Highlights of Cologne”: the Cologne Old Town

Colorful narrow steep-gabled houses, cobblestones, winding alleys: the Cologne Old Town awaits with medieval flair. Between courtyards, romantic squares, and bustling activity lie pubs, restaurants, and breweries. Monuments, fountains, and excavations can be found on many corners, surrounded by stories.

And time and again: Little Anecdotes

Cologne is full of stories. You’ll hear some of them on “Cologne in a Nutshell,” along with plenty of entertaining tales: why the people of Cologne insisted on an XXL-sized cathedral, why a crane was once the city’s landmark for a long time, and why there is a “right” and a “wrong” side of the Rhine. The 90 minutes will surely fly by—consider them an invitation to come back again.