Hardly any other city in Germany is as history-mad as Cologne and hardly any other deals in such an uninhibited way with its cultural heritage. The great periods in the history of the city – the ‘holy’ Cologne of the Middle Ages with archbishops, monasteries and patricians, the self-confident, international trading centre of the early modern period, the emerging industrial metropolis of the 19th century still profoundly influence the appearance and confidence of the city. The contiguity of old and new, of high-brow culture and carnival, joie de vivre and civic pride make Cologne a unique city and mark the collections of its museums. They are in a sense the focus of the “kölsche Seele” (soul of Cologne).
The Wallraf shows how modern and relevant European art from the 13th to the beginning of the 20th century still is today. The museum has one of the most important collections of medieval art worldwide. Stefan Lochner’s “Madonna in the Rose Bower” is the absolute highlight. Other highlights are Baroque painting with works by Rubens, Rembrandt, Tiepolo and Boucher, German Romanticism and French painting of the 19th century. In the paintings of the Fondation Corboud the museum has the most extensive collection of Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist art in Germany. Manet, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Morisot, Signac and Seurat are all represented with outstanding works. Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin, Bonnard, Ensor and Munch herald in modernism. Experience the modern design of this important gallery. The impressively clear lines of the building by the Cologne star architect Oswald Mathias Ungers (1926-2007) was opened in 2001. The presentation of the collection on display is being constantly optimised, the Graphisches Kabinett shows a changing selection of master drawings from its rich collections with works by Leonardo, Dürer, Rubens, Liebermann, Rodin and many others.
Museum Schnütgen houses a precious collection of medieval works of art in one of the oldest churches in Cologne. Many of them, such as the radiant bust by Parler, the expressive crucifix of St George or the unique so-called Heribert comb, a delicate ivory carving alone merit a visit to Cologne. The spectrum of the presentation ranges from wood and stone sculptures to axamples of precious goldsmiths’ work and glass painting and rare ivories and textiles. A special feature of the museum is its large display area, which itself is over 800 years old. The tranquillity of the Romanesque church of St Cäcilien and the especial proximity of the exhibits invite the visitor to experience the works of art in their spiritual emanation and beauty.
Discover the most exciting and fascinating aspects of Cologne’s 2000 year history at the Museum of the City of Cologne. In the historic Zeughaus (armoury) you will gain an insight into politics, cultural life, economics, and the everyday life of Cologne and its inhabitants. On your tour you will first encounter things typical of Cologne: Klüngel (social networking), Kölsch (the local beer), Carnival and Eau de Cologne, Tünnes and Schäl (two popular stock characters from Cologne’s traditional puppet theatre). Unique exhibits plunge you into the history of this cathedral city from the late Middle Ages to the post-war period. You will experience the 20th century as a kaleidoscope: the 1920s with Konrad Adenauer as the Lord Mayor of Cologne, the National Socialist period and destruction in the Second World War, finally reconstruction. In the second half of the permanent exhibition you will encounter themes from culture and the economy: Reformation and Jewish life, school and university, citizenry and civic pride, trade and transport.
The Museum of Applied Arts in Cologne (MAKK) is unique in North-Rhine Westphalia. It presents the entire spectrum of European artistic craftsmanship from the Middle Ages to the 20th century with focusses on furniture, ceramics, glass, textiles and fashion, jewellery and metal work, graphic art, painting, sculpture and design. The extensive collections of the second oldest museum in Cologne can be seen on a c. 5,000 m2 display area. Not only the exhibits are exquisite; the same is true of the outstanding centrally situated museum building from the 1950s by the Cologne architect Rudolf Schwarz. You will be fascinated by the treasures from the past at MAKK, but do come a second time to experience the encounter between Modernism and Avantgarde.
Kolumba is the art museum of the archdiocese of Cologne. It was founded as the diocesan museum in 1853. Since 2004 it has been called ‘Kolumba’ after the former church on whose foundations the building stands. The new building in Cologne city centre, which had been planned for a long time, was opened in 2007. A threefold harmony of location, collection and architecture. The visitor experiences 2000 years of Western art in one building. In art from late Antiquity to the present day. In architecture in the conjunction of the wartime ruins of the late Gothic church of St. Kolumba, the chapel “Madonna in the Ruins” (1950), the unique archaeological excavations (1973-1976) and the new building after a design by the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.
Guided tours are only possible outside the usual hours of opening between 10.30 am and 12 pm and between 5.30 pm and 7 pm. Guided tours are not possible on Tue and Sun. Booking: Mon – Thu 10 am to 12 pm and 2 pm to 4 pm, Fri 10 am to 12 pm on:
T +49.(0)221.933-19332
There has been a valuable church treasure since the 9th century. You can admire it in the Cathedral Treasury, a display area of roughly 500m2 – precious reliquaries, liturgical devices and garments and insignia of Archbishops and cathedral clergy from the 4th to the 20th century, medieval sculptures and Frankish burial objects. The historic vaulted rooms with vestiges of the Roman city walls, columns from the previous building and modern architecture with the presentation of the cathedral treasure combine to vouchsafe the visitor an impressive experience of the changing history of the Cologne cathedral.
Domforum
Domkloster 3 · 50667 Köln
T +49(0)221.9258-4720
www.domforum.de
tgl. 06 – 19.30 Uhr (November – April)
bzw. 06 – 21 Uhr (Mai – Oktober)
besondere Öffnungszeiten während der Karnevalstage
These take place daily but only after prior
arrangement. Book on
T +49(0)221.17940-555
fuehrungen@domschatzkammer-koeln.de
Cologne Cathedral is one of the largest and most important cathedrals in the world. Its interior has been well-known and renowned far beyond the borders of Cologne for centuries. The site on which the cathedral now stands was since late Roman times the place where the first Christians gathered in Cologne. Several churches of increasing size succeeded each other on this site near the city walls. Remains of these structures have been preserved beneath the present cathedral. After the relics of the Three Kings were brought to Cologne in 1164 the cathedral became one of the most important churches of pilgrimage in Europe. Thus, in 1248 the foundation stone for a new church, which took 600 years to complete, was laid. In its interior which survived the war almost intact the visitor can see works of art of the highest spiritual and art-historical importance.
Today the Shrine of the Three Kings in the choir is visited by thousands of pilgrims every year and is a spiritual centre which exerts a huge attraction.
The guided tours arranged via Dombauhütte Köln bring alive the fascinating history of the construction of the cathedral. You will visit spots which are otherwise inaccessible and see unusual things – for example the impressive steel construction of the roof truss, a Roman underfloor heating system beneath the cathedral, a precious Gothic bishop’s crozier in the Treasury or a historic bell-ringing machine in the south spire – or you explore the interior of the cathedral by auditory and tactile experiences. Has this awakened your curiosity?
Info / Tickets / Bookings: www.dombau-koeln.de
Nov to April 6 am to 7:30 pm; May to Oct 6 am to 9 pm
Guided tours in Cologne Cathedral are permitted only by authorised or registered cathedral guides. Other guided tours are not permitted. Groups must therefore book a guided tour.
In the centre of Cologne alone there are twelve large and extremely important Romanesque churches. They were all built between the 10th and the 13th century and are impressive examples of the importance of Cologne in the High Middle Ages. Their interiors are still partly in place but many works of art are part of the museum collections. If you are interested in the Middle Ages a visit to these impressive churches is both a must and a pleasure. The Förderverein Romanische Kirchen e.V. can provide any information and tips for groups you may require.
Info / Guided group tours: Förderverein Romanische Kirchen Köln e.V., Gülichplatz 1–3, 50667 Köln. T +49(0)221. 221-25302. www.romanische-kirchen-koeln.de
If you want to experience Cologne more intensively, you should take a themed tour of the town. The tour guides from KölnTourismus know all the tales, legends and stories which make Old Cologne what it is, from the Heinzelmännchen (house gnomes) and the Battle of Worringen to St Ursula and the 11,000 virgins. Whether you stroll through the old part of the town or through the famous cemetery of Melaten – a tour of the town on foot that joins up the sights, churches, museums and monuments introduces the who’s who of Cologne history.
Info / Guided City tours: KölnTourismus GmbH, Kardinal-Höffner-Platz 1, 50667 Köln, T +49(0)221.221-30400, www.koelntourismus.de
Take a stroll through Cologne’s Old Town and experience everything around ‘Koelsch’, the legendary local beer, and sample the different brands. Afterwards, at a brewery the production of ‘Koelsch’ is explained and you will be served a typical meal to go with it.
Info / Guided group tours: KölnTourismus GmbH, Kardinal-Höffner-Platz 1 · 50667 Köln, T +49(0)221.221-30400, www.koelntourismus.de
First visit the Kölnisches Stadtmuseum (City of Cologne Museum) because their model of the city shows late medieval Cologne. Here you will also encounter the leitmotifs of Cologne’s past. A few hundred metres from the museum in the church of St Ursula you will discover the stories around saints and relics. Through the famous or infamous street called Eigelstein and the ‘Kunibertsviertel’ you reach the centre. Now for a hearty snack in one of the brewery inns! After that you visit Cologne Cathedral, the third largest ecclesiastical building in the world. You round off your day with a stroll through the Old Town down to the Rhine. Or you go shopping in the Schildergasse – one of the busiest High Streets in Europe!
Your visit to the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum becomes an encounter with the Cologne School of painters. But Stefan Lochner’s “Madonna in the Rose Bower” is only one of many masterpieces. A glance at the excavations in front of the Historic Town Hall opposite the museum takes you back many centuries. The tour leads past the Gürzenich, the medieval banqueting hall to the church of St Maria im Kapitol with its famous wooden door. In Cologne the distances are not very great so you could make a slight detour to Museum Schnütgen where one of the most important medieval art collections worldwide awaits you. You should spend the evening in the ‘Südstadt’ enjoying the lively atmosphere in one of the many pubs.
Kolumba, the museum of the archdiocese, welcomes you and your group outside normal opening times and the guided tour is a superb experience. After an espresso in the beautiful inner courtyard of the Museum of Applied Art with a view of the Antoniterkirche (Church of the Hospital Brothers of St Anthony) you set off again. In this museum you have a choice between painting, sculpture, ceramics, porcelain, glass and jewellery. A guided tour is the best way to experience the huge diversity of its historic collections. In the early afternoon you leave the city centre and travel west to the Melaten cemetery. The graves of the most famous people and the most interesting tombs are easy to find in the midst of the park with the help of a professional guide.
