Cologne's very name bears witness to its Roman past as the town of Colonia. As well as the legacy from Roman times and the Middle Ages, particularly the world-famous cathedral, Cologne has an extremely lively arts and culture scene. And besides being Germany's center of carnival activity and the "capital of Rhenish joie de vivre", Cologne is also an extremely attractive trade fair center. Open, friendly and uncomplicated: that's Cologne!

Cologne can look back on a long and eventful history, and you can see evidence of this all over the city. Cologne Cathedral is Germany's largest cathedral and a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. The city's Rheingarten park and old quarter are a firm favourite with locals and tourists alike, a great place to enjoy a stroll and stop off at one of the traditional breweries. You'll find a striking group of twelve large Romanesque churches in the city centre.

With a fascinating range of museums and the ART COLOGNE art fair, Cologne's international reputation as a centre of art and culture is well-deserved. The most important museums include the Ludwig Museum and the Wallraf Richartz Museum/Fondation Corboud, one of Germany's largest collections of paintings. The Romano-Germanic Museum presents Cologne's archaeological heritage, and the Museum Schnütgen houses one of the world's most important collections of art from the Middle Ages.