Planning a Trip

27km (17 miles) N of Bonn, 40km (25 miles) S of Düsseldorf, 188km (117 miles) NW of Frankfurt

Cologne (Köln), the largest city in the Rhineland, is so rich in antiquity that every time a new foundation is dug, the excavators come up with archaeological finds. Devastating though the World War II bombing was, reconstruction brought to light a period of Cologne's history that had been a mystery for centuries. Evidence showed that Cologne was as important and powerful during the early Christian era as it was during Roman times and the Middle Ages.

Cologne traces its beginnings to 38 B.C., when Roman legions set up camp here. As early as A.D. 50, Emperor Claudius gave it municipal rights as capital of a Roman province. In the early Christian era, a bishopric was founded here and a number of saints were martyred, including the patron of the city, St. Ursula. During the Middle Ages, as Cologne became a center for international trade, Romanesque and Gothic churches were built with prosperous merchants' gold. Today there is much to see from every period of the city's 2,000-year history -- from the old Roman towers to the modern opera house. But Cologne is also a bustling modern city and is becoming the fine-art capital of Germany.

Getting There

By Plane -- Cologne and Bonn are served by the same airport, Flughafen Köln/Bonn Konrad Adenauer (tel. 02203/404001; www.airport-cgn.de), 14km (9 miles) southeast of Cologne. Flights come from most major European cities. Bus no. 670 from the airport to the center of Cologne operates every 12 minutes, from 5am to 7pm. Travel takes 20 minutes, and the fare is 13€ per person. A taxi, suitable for up to four passengers, costs from 25€.

By Train -- The Cologne Hauptbahnhof is in the heart of the city, next to the cathedral. For schedules, call tel. 01805/996633 (www.bahn.de). This depot has frequent rail connections to all major German cities and many continental destinations. There are 18 trains per day from Berlin (trip time: 4 hr., 20 min.), 30 from Frankfurt (trip time: 1 hr., 22 min.), and 25 from Hamburg (trip time: 4 1/2 hr.).

By Bus -- Cologne is linked to several major cities, including Frankfurt, by bus. For complete information and schedules, call Deutsche Touring GmbH (tel. 0221/7598660; www.touring.de). Regional bus service to nearby cities such as Trier is provided by Regionalverkehr Köln GmbH (tel. 0221/16370; www.rvk.de).

By Car -- Cologne is easily reached from major German cities. It's connected north and south by the A3 Autobahn and east and west by the A4 Autobahn.

Visitor Information

For tourist information, go to the Köln Tourismus Office, Kardinal-Höffner-Platz 1 (tel. 0221/22130400; www.cologne-tourism.com), a few steps from the cathedral. October to June, it's open Monday to Saturday 9am to 9pm and Sunday 10am to 6pm; July to September, hours are Monday to Saturday 9am to 10pm and Sunday 10am to 6pm.

Getting Around

For 1.60€ to 9.80€, depending on where you're going, you can purchase a ticket allowing you to travel on Cologne's excellent bus, tram, U-Bahn, and S-Bahn connections. A day ticket, the Kölner Tageskarte, which costs 5.60€, allows you to travel throughout the city's transportation network from 9am to 3am. For more information, call tel. 0221/5470 or go to www.kvb-koeln.de.

For a taxi, call tel. 0221/19410 for a recorded message and then press 1 in reply. Meters start at 3€ and rise 1.55€ per kilometer for rides between 6am and 10pm, and 1.70€ per kilometer for rides between 10pm and 6am.