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  • Welcome to Cologne

    The world feels at home in Cologne, where people meet for a Kölsch, a chat or simply a laugh. Life in Cologne is vivacious.

  • What to do in Cologne

    Take a trip through 2000 years of history and visit cultural monuments from the Roman Empire to modern times.

  • Where to stay in Cologne

    Cologne provides over 250 hotels with a total capacity of more than 26,000 beds.

  • Eat and drink in Cologne

    "Drinking a Kölsch is more than just drinking a beer: it´s like drinking an entire culture." (NYT, 5/07)

  • Events in Cologne

    Enjoy the world-famous traditional Cologne Carnival and several top events throughout the year.

  • Business in Cologne

    Prime location in the heart of Europe and exemplary infrastructure also a multitude of highly specialised modern economy.

  • Shopping in Cologne

    Cologne’s Schildergasse is the most-visited shopping street in Germany.

  • Find accommodation

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  • Eau de Cologne

  • Carnival

Sunday, 09-08-2020,

Summer in Cologne

Swimming, relaxing, sipping cocktails and enjoying the famous Rhine panorama - summer in Cologne ist special.

The Cologne people like to spend their free-time in the the green zone - just for relaxing and barbecue. Well over a quarter of the city is made up of green areas. Statistically speaking, for every inhabitant of Cologne there are around 75 m2 of public green space, even in the more cramped areas of the city. The Rhine promenade in the Old Town, various parks in the city centre, the entire forest belt with the Forstbotanischer Garten (arboretum), Friedenspark, Flora and Botanical Gardens all form the city's "green lungs".

Besides taking the usual means of public transport, the Rheinpark at the Koelnmesse can also be reached by foot across the Hohenzollern bridge, by the Rhine cable car from the zoo or by ferry - even making the journey to the park an experience. The ferry service only operates when exhibitions are being held in the city. Visitors are invited to hop off and enjoy the Claudius Therme thermal spa and the Tanzbrunnen in the Rheinpark, which hosted the first National Garden Show in 1957. Although some parts of it are quite worn out the architecture of the 50s is still worth looking. The Cologne Tourist Board is happy to help you plan your activities in Cologne's green areas.

During summer time you can as well enjoy sandy beaches at the trendy Beach Clubs that entice you to enjoy the famous Rhine panorama of Cologne while sipping cocktails in holiday surroundings.

Bathing lakes

The Fühlinger lake with its 2000-metre long Regatta course are popular meeting points for both sportspeople as well as for a family day out. There are also various wildlife parks, a protection station for birds of prey and an extensive network of signposted hiking trails. The Sundown Beach Club has run the Escher See. Deck chairs, climbing walls, slides and other play equipment is provided for children and families. The non-swimming area is sealed off. But be careful: Swimming in the Rhine is dangerous!

Cologne zoo

Cologne Zoo was founded in 1860 and is one of the oldest - yet also one of the most modern - zoological gardens. In no other zoo the development of the zoological gardens over the years can be seen so clearly: the buildings starting from the menagerie of the 19th century to the wildlife reserve of the 21st century, from the Moorish-style elephant house and the former birdhouse in the style of a Russian basilica dating back to the 19th century, to the ape island created in a Hagenbeck style and modern natural worlds such as the rain forest.

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Boat trips

Traditionally a visit to Cologne must include a boat trip on the Rhine. Boat trips along the Rhine take in the view of Cologne's Old Town and travel south to Rodenkirchen or Porz or north to Mülheim.

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Beer Gardens

Sprend an evening or afternoon in one of Cologne's numerous beer gardens. Here you find some pictures of the nicest ones.

Festivals and Concerts

Summertime is festival time: The "c/o pop festival" in June, which takes place every year, sets the pace for the latest vibes in electronic music. During the five days, Cologne will become a mecca of pop culture. The festival will offer a mix of established artists and newcomers playing in unconventional venues.

With the arrival of summer, things heat up at Fühlinger Lake: the traditional Summerjam festival in July. The location in itself is a highlight, but every year in July things are turned up a notch: Reggae and Dancehall fans flood the area and turn the Fühlinger lake, its banks, and Regatta island into an unparalleled festival site.

For many years now, Cologne has established itself as one of Europe's centres for gay and lesbian life. The most important event in the gay and lesbian calendar is the Christopher Street Day (CSD). Every year on the first weekend of July half a million participants and visitors celebrate and demonstrate in the city centre. The parade is the highlight of the countless events and street parties.

In mid-July, the "Kölner Lichter" light up the sky in flames. The impressive firework display is synchronised with music and transforms the view of the Rhine into a colourful sea of banyan lights, waterfalls and hundreds of thousands of sparklers.

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Following the Amphi Festival´s overwhelming success throughout the last years (it has been sold out for the third time by now), you can expect nothing less than a major summer extravaganza for 2020 The Amphi Festival will again take place at the Tanzbrunnen Cologne. Enjoy a multi-layered programme of gothic-, medieval- and electronic sounds.

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The Kölsch beer is a specially beer only brewed in Cologne. It's a light ale und is served in the traditional 0.2 litre Kölsch glasses which are tall and cylindrical.
From trade to service - as a business location Cologne has evolved into an outstanding city of service providers. At the same time, Cologne's profile as a city of service providers encompasses far more than a range of central services catering for the region.
In a picturesque setting overlooking the Rhine, the Cologne Harbour Christmas market at the Chocolate Museum will bring again the gateway to the Rheinauhafen to life and give festive Cologne a maritime flavour.
Drink the Kölsch in an orign "Brauhaus" (the traditional German pub where the beer is brewed). There, the "Köbes" serves the fantastic ale and he serves one after another if you don't say "no" and put the beer pad on your glass.
The media and communication sector is very important for Cologne's economy. More than a third of the nation's TV program is produced in the Metropolis on the Rhine and over 55,000 people work in the region's media industry.