Central: Optimal accessibility, at the heart of Europe

• Cologne/Bonn Airport is a hub served by many low-cost carriers; more than 30 airlines fly from Cologne/Bonn to over 100 destinations worldwide
• Less than an hour's reach to Frankfurt and Düsseldorf Airports
• Fast connections via Thalys trains to two of Europe’s biggest cities: Brussels (1h 47) and Paris (3h 14), or with the Eurostar to London (4h 09)
• Centrally located on the Rhine – one of the most vital hubs in Western Europe; second largest inland port of Germany

Historic: 2,000 years of history, Germany's oldest metropolis

• Roman heritage, including the Praetorium (the governor’s palace) and the worldfamous Dionysos mosaic in the Romano-Germanic Museum
• Medieval city gates, medieval town hall, the Archaeological Zone
• Cologne City Museum with exhibits from the Middle Ages to the present
• Distinctive, historic old town scenery on the banks of the Rhine
• Museum of the History of National Socialism in Cologne (EL-DE House), Germany’s biggest local memorial to the victims of National Socialism
• Today: The fourth-largest city in Germany, with over one million inhabitants

Cultural: One of Europe's leading cities for art and culture

• 244 churches, including the 12 big Romanesque churches
• More than 40 museums, for example Kolumba, Museum of Applied Art, Museum Ludwig, Romano-Germanic Museum, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum
• Since autumn 2010, New Cultural Centre at Neumarkt, featuring RautenstrauchJoest-Museum – Cultures of the World and Museum Schnütgen
• 120 galleries, 1,500 professional visual artists, 200 professional music ensembles, 170 record labels, 60 stage theatres and cabaret venues
• lit.COLOGNE – one of Europe's largest international literature festivals

Distinction: A UNESCO World Heritage Site – Cologne Cathedral

• Germany's largest Cathedral, third tallest in the world; over 765 years old
• A World Heritage Site since 1996, the cathedral is the world’s purest and most complete example of a High Gothic cathedral, according to UNESCO
• Home of the renowned Shrine of the Three Magi
• Since 2007: The window with over 11,000 colourful squares, designed by the artist Gerhard Richter
• Germany’s most visited tourist attraction: 6.5 million visitors a year

Bustling: Centre for trade fairs and conventions

• Koelnmesse – hosting 75 trade fairs and exhibitions every year, attracting 46,700 exhibitors and over 2.6 million visitors from about 208 countries
• Leading trade fairs: Anuga, Art Cologne, gamescom, International furniture convention (imm), Intermot, ISM, Orgatec, photokina
• 166 attractive conference venues with around 1,000 rooms, as well as 300 hotels with almost 30,000 beds, are available
• More than 45,500 events where visited by 3.56 million participants
• Cologne Convention Bureau (CCB): the umbrella organisation for Cologne's convention industry and first independent partner for conference organisers

Eventful: Top events throughout the year

• Annual events: Cologne Carnival, lit.COLOGNE, c/o pop, ColognePride, Summer Jam, eight bridges – music for Cologne, Cologne Lights (fireworks), Long Nights of the Cultural Institutions, Cologne's Christmas markets
• Mega-events: World Youth Day 2005, FIFA World Cup 2006, World Handball Championship and German Protestant “Kirchentag” 2007, finale of the World CyberGames 2008, Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010, Final Four tournament of the Handball Champions League since 2010, DFB Cup Women’s final round since 2010, Germany Travel Mart (GTM) 2011

Cosmopolitan: An open and multicultural lifestyle

• People from 180 countries and 250 distinct cultures live in Cologne
• Over 200 foreign cultural initiatives, three international cultural institutes, 24 partner cities around the world, like Peking or Rio de Janeiro
• With 14 public and private colleges and universities and about 90,000 students, Cologne is home to more students than any other German city
• Vibrant night life: A major German city with the highest density of pubs and over 3,300 gastronomic establishments
• Cologne's vast gay and lesbian community help shape the cityscape

Traditional: Karneval and Kölsch culture

• The world-famous traditional Cologne Carnival – the “fifth season” with more than one million spectators at the Rose Monday parade
• “Kölsch”, the typical local top-fermented beer, is served by waiters called “Köbes”; there are over 27 different brands of Kölsch
• Local specialities including “Halver Hahn” (a rye bread roll with butter, mustard and Dutch cheese) and “Himmel un Ääd” (black pudding, fried onions, mashed potatoes and applesauce)

Creative: The night life district and the shopping miles

• Rheinauhafen, a new, modern district and innovative business and culture centre, with galleries, showrooms, trendy cafés and restaurants
• Small, exclusive designer boutiques and studios with offbeat clothing and accessoires in the “Belgian Quarter” and in the city’s Ehrenfeld district
• Cologne’s Schildergasse, one of the most-visited shopping streets in Germany

Compelling: A metropolis with a unique range of attractions

• Special: Chocolate Museum, German Sports and Olympic Museum, Fragrance Museum Farina, 4711-House in the Glockengasse
• Odysseum: Massive, interactive adventure and experience centre for the entire family, with more than 5,500 m2 of experimental areas
• Cologne Zoo: The third-oldest zoo in Germany, with an elephant park covering 20,000 m² and the Hippodom, a recreation of an African river valley landscape
• Cologne’s impressive panoramic view of the Rhine River, which can best be enjoyed through a ship ride
• Daily excursions to the Castles of Brühl: UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 1984) Augustusburg Castle, Falkenlust Hunting Lodge and Brühl Garden

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