Cologne profile for Gay Games participants and visitors

The city’s skyline is marked by one of the most dramatic architectural works in Europe – the 515-foot Cologne Cathedral, which was built over the course of six centuries and merits a visit to appreciate the sheer wonder of its interior. Cologne also has plenty of cultural high points. Near the cathedral are the fabulous Museum Ludwig, which contains one of Europe’s most impressive collections of modern art (with Picasso a particular specialty) and the Romisch-Germanisches Museum, known for its priceless collection of Roman artifacts. The starkly modern Wallraf das Museum excels in European art of the past seven centuries, and the Museum fur Angewandte Kunst (Museum of Applied Art) is a rich trove of furnishings, decorative arts and textiles from throughout Europe. It’s also worth looking for tickets to the renowned Cologne Opera and the city’s esteemed WDR Symphony Orchestra.

There’s also some serious shopping in the city center, with the massive Olivandenhof department store among the hot spots for retail. The pedestrian-only Schildergasse is the most popular shopping street in the city – lined with brand-name shops and always abuzz with people. If you’re a fan of German snacks, don’t miss Hoss an der Oper, a justly famous delicatessen that proffers everything from sausages to fine Rieslings. Another retail highlight is the 4711 shop, which sells the product for which the city is named, eau de Cologne, a rather heady perfume with a citrus-y fragrance.

Visitors will find several enchanting places to stroll around the City Center, including the broad and open Stadtgarten, which lies just west of the city. Just follow Rudolfplatz west a few blocks and look for the soaring Colonius telecom tower, which rises 872 feet above the park. It’s also enjoyable to stroll along the Rhine, walking across the historic and dramatic Hohenzollem rail bridge (look for the triangular tablet along the river promenade just south of the bridge – it’s a memorial to gay and lesbian victims of Nazism), sauntering back down the right bank, and crossing back over via the Deutzer Bridge, which deposits you right into Old Market (Alter Markt) district.

Read the full article HERE.