There have been various buildings on this site since at least 400 AD. It was long believed that this is the site of the mass burial of 11,000 virgins associated with the legend of St Ursula. In fact, this is the site of Roman necropolis; sarcophagi are present. The current building, although added to over the century, was started in 1135. In the 17th century, the many relics – supposedly of the 11,000 virgins – were placed in the Golden Chamber, one of the must-see sites of Cologne. The church was damage during WWI, and has been restored since,

The Belgian House was home to the Consulate General for Belgium until 2015, hence the name. Constructed in 1948/49 by the Belgian state to serve citizens of that nation living in the surrounding states. Today, the first two floors house the temporary exhibition of the Römisch-Germanisches Museum, while that venue undergoes a major refurbishment. While the exhibition does not include everything, it is nonetheless a substantial exhibition and should not be missed.

One of Cologne’s more popular attractions, the Chocolate Museum offers the visitor everything from a comprehensive exhibition of the history of cocoa covering 5,000 years o the plant’s cultivation, a tropical greenhouse, many images and films, with lots of tasting opportunities – including a 3m high chocolate fountain. You are free to explore over 4,000 square meters of exhibition space or take a guided tour. End your stay at the chocolate themed café with spectacular views of the Rhine River.

Colonia was always an important town for the Romans; the capital of the province of Germania Inferior and later the capital of Germania Secunda. The regional headquarters of the military in the region was based here. There are a number of features to see in the city, including sections of the wall and towers. The Roman museum, exhibitions are currently in a temporary location, was built on the foundations of a townhouse and displays its mosaic floor of Dionysius.

Construction of the cathedral began in 1248 and was completed in 1880. Despite the passing of seven centuries, the building stayed true to the original plans. Besides being known for its majestic qualities, it is the 3rd largest church in the world, the cathedral is also home to exceptional examples of Christian art, including numerous altars, the Shrine of the Magi, which is the largest reliquary shrine in Europe, and the 14th century stained glass windows. Visitors can enter the treasury, climb the towers and see the bell chambers. A number of themed guided tours are offered.

A former department store has been transformed into a temporary venue for the Kölnisches Stadtmuseum, before it moves to its permanent location. There is nothing temporary about the exhibition spread over four floors, one that is truly accessible for many. Besides the usual explanatory labels, there is provision throughout for deaf and partially sighted visitors, while being easy to navigate for wheelchair users. The story of Cologne is told from its beginning to the present by engaging with emotions of the city’s inhabitants and visitors over the centuries. This is what all city museums should be like.

In 1002 AD Emperor Otto III and Archbishop Heribert established a Benedictine monastery on the remains of the Roman fort of Divitia. Heribert was buried in the Romanesque church – hence the name Alt St Heribert. His bones are now in a shrine in Neu St Heribert, a nearby catholic church. Both the monastery and the church were destroyed many times in their histories. The monastery was dissolved during the Deutsche Mediatisierung, 1802 – 1814. Fully restored following WWII but retaining its Romanesque cellars; the abbey is now an old age home and the church is used by the Greek Orthodox community in Cologne.

At the beginning of the 4th century AD, Emperor Constantine built a fort on the right bank of the Rhine, opposite Colonia. Part of the Roman Limes, it was intended to strengthen the Empire’s border. A textbook example of a late Roman fort, it is well known as a result of numerous excavations, despite there being very little to see. The preserved walls of the east gate are visible. Where possible, the outline of the fort is marked in the pavement. In 1002 AD Deutz Abbey was built on the remains, and much later a Prussian fortification incorporated the NW Roman tower. The western half was destroyed during the construction of a 19th century river embankment.

A bronze memorial in Cologne to Edith Stein, murdered in Auschwitz-Birkenau on 9 August 1942 and sanctified on 11 October 1988. The memorial portrays the saint with three figures: the young, doubting Jewess resting her head on the Star of David, the philosopher, inwardly torn in the search for answers about her faith and the Carmelite nun, who lost her life as a Jewish woman in the concentration camp. The pile of shoes, and the footprints leading to them, are suggestive of her journey to Auschwitz.

Just off the main square in the centre of Cologne is the Heinzelmännchenbrunnen; a fountain based on a local myth about pixies. Legend has it that during the night pixies would do artisans’ work for them. Until they were discovered by a tailor’s wife. The fountain is a tribute to August Kopisch, who in 1836 immortalised the legend in a poem called ‘Die Heinzelmännchen zu Köln’. Conservation of the fountain is sponsored by the adjacent Früh Brewery – a great place to enjoy a kölsch and traditional, local dishes while sightseeing.

Kolumba Museum is one of the oldest museums in Cologne, a collection of religious art from Late Antiquity to the 21st century. As spectacular as the collection is, the museum itself is worth a visit. The celebrated Swiss architect Peter Zumthor has designed a strikingly simple building around the ruins of an ornate Gothic church that was severely damaged during the second World War. In the ‘excavation room’ the foundations of buildings dating back to the Roman period can be seen.

A memorial set up on a street corner in Cologne titled ‘Homage to the Soldiers who Refused to Shoot’. It was designed by Ruedi Bauer, Denis Coueignoux, Vera Kockot and Karim Sabano, and set up 1 September 2009. The monument serves to remember the soldiers who resisted the Nazi’s war of agression, whether as deserters, militzary seidtionists, conscientious objectors, war traitors or civilian resisters. Over 30,000 soldiers and civilians were sentenced to death by the Nazi military judiciary. Of these 20,000 were executed.

From 1935 to 1945 EL-DE Haus was the headquarters of the Secret State Police for the administrative district of Cologne. It was from here that the Nazis orchestrated their reign of terror on the city. A permanent exhibition outlines the history of Cologne during the National Socialist era. In the cellar is the ‘Gestapo Prison’; with more than 1,800 wall inscriptions that bear witness to persecution, torture and murder, this is one of the best preserved detention sites of the Nazi era. The NS Documentation centre is Germany’s largest regional memorial site for the victims of Nazism.

The Romano-Germanic Museum in Cologne is one of Germany’s most important Roman museums. During construction builders came across the remains of a Roman town house. During rescue efforts, the spectacular Dionysus mosaic floor could not be lifted so it was decided a museum would be built around the mosaic. Besides extensive exhibits of art, culture and everyday life in Roman and early medieval Cologne, the museum has largest and finest collections of Roman glass artefacts in the World. Although the museum is currently being renovated, exhibits are on display in a temporary venue (see the website for details).

A virtual reality experience that takes visitors back to the Golden Age of Cologne. More specifically, in 1926 and the days leading up to the start of Carnival. For the main feature of the experience, climb aboard a replica of a 1920s tram, don your VR headsets and sit back and enjoy a ride through the streets of Cologne. The ‘conductor’ points out historic landmarks that are still visible today, despite the extensive damage from Allied air raids during WWII.