True Cologners are quite literally overcome with emotion when they glimpse the spires of Cologne cathedral in the distance on returning from their travels. The city's famous landmark is one of the largest churches in Europe and one of Germany's top attractions, with more than six million people visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site every year. At approximately 157 metres in height, the Gothic cathedral has the second tallest church spire in Europe and houses the shrine of the Three Wise Men. Another highlight at the cathedral since 2007 is the window by artist Gerhard Richter. For the modest admission price of €2.50 you can climb one of the two towers and the effort is rewarded by a fabulous panoramic view. Read more

There are plenty of good reasons why Cologne is known as the carnival capital of Germany. During what is known as the 'fifth season of the year', the people of Cologne really let their hair down. Locals and visitors from all walks of life come together to enjoy a few drinks and have a party. The highlight is the Rose Monday procession on the Monday before Lent. This is the culmination of the carnival season, which officially starts on 11 November at 11.11am. The city goes wild for many days after the women's carnival. Everyday life grinds to a halt and the city is taken over by the Prince, the Peasant and the Virgin, Cologne's highest-ranking representatives during the crazy carnival celebrations.

For those wishing to admire – and perhaps purchase – outstanding works of art, Art Cologne is just the event. The world's foremost exhibition of modern and contemporary art demonstrates the prowess of the European and overseas art trade. Around 200 international galleries present painting, sculpture, installations, videos, photography and works on paper as well as editions and multiples. Art Cologne also features unusual presentation formats such as 'Open Space', talent-nurturing programmes, 'New Positions' for artists and 'New Contemporaries' for galleries.

The Chocolate Museum has approximately 2,000 exhibits, making it a memorable experience for anyone with a sweet tooth. Visitors are taken on a journey spanning 3,000 years of chocolate history. The chocolate production area located at the tip of the museum is one of its highlights. Stretching across two levels, it shows visitors how bars of chocolate, truffles and hollow figures are made. Near the museum entrance there is a three-metre high chocolate fountain filled with melted, velvety chocolate – everyone can dip a waffle into it. At this museum, visitors can not only see the exhibits, but also smell, taste and touch them!

Countless legends are told about the inception of Cologne's twelve Romanesque churches, clustered together within the medieval city walls. The Via Sacra route encircles the city centre linking all these fine examples of Romanesque architecture. Especially worth seeing is the St. Maria im Kapitol church, built between 1040 and 1065. The churches provide the ideal setting for the Romanesque Summer, a music festival of the very highest calibre intended as an alternative to the philharmonic concerts.

For many a truly unique experience on the water, a cruise on the Rhine is probably the most relaxing and convenient way to enjoy the river. Although there's always something to see, it's the perfect way to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. A number of river cruise operators from as far afield as Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland drop anchor in Cologne. There are also a number of smaller local companies offering short cruises, e.g. to Cologne through the romantic Rhine Valley. Read more

Overlooked by majestic Cologne Cathedral, the Ludwig Museum houses a modern and contemporary art collection of international standing. The museum was founded in 1976, when Peter and Irene Ludwig made an endowment of some 350 modern artworks. Iconic pieces such as Roy Lichtenstein's 'Maybe' and Andy Warhol's 'Brillo Boxes' can be viewed at the biggest pop art collection outside the United States, along with the world's third-largest collection of Picasso prints, sculptures and paintings, a great many works of the Russian avant garde and important examples of Surrealism, Expressionism and art from 1920s Germany.

Cologne Musical Dome is an exceptional venue located right on the Rhine promenade only a stone's throw from the cathedral. It also catches the eye from the outside thanks to its impressive architecture of glass and steel. With seating for up to 1,700 people, it is also the largest theatre in the city. Built over a period of just six months, Cologne Musical Dome opened in 1996 and has become an absolute hit with productions such as Saturday Night Fever, We Will Rock You, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Hairspray and Thriller – Live.

The Romano-Germanic Museum gives a vivid impression of how Cologne became a city under Roman law and the capital of the imperial province of Lower Germania. Opened in 1974, the museum was built over the Roman villa discovered here in 1941, preserving its famous Dionysos mosaic, and on the site of the medieval Kaiserpfalz. The museum is a research centre, an archaeological archive for the city and a public collection all in one. Sensational presentation concepts make the Romano-Germanic Museum one of the most visited museums in Germany.

A treasure trove of art from China, Korea and Japan. Opened in 1913, the Museum of East Asian Art was the first of its kind in Germany. The collection of the museum's founder, Adolf Fischer and his wife Frieda Bartdorff forms the core of the holdings. Their collection of Buddhist paintings and wooden sculpture, Japanese screen paintings, colour woodcuts and lacquer art is considered one of the most important in Europe. The new building, opened in 1977, is a major monument of classical modern architecture in Cologne. It was designed by Kunio Maekawa, a student of Le Corbusier.

The Rhine Park is set in delightful parkland covering 40 hectares in the heart of Cologne. Its present-day form is a reflection of 1950s garden design: the plans were drawn up for the 1957 Federal Garden Show in Cologne. The attention to detail, the layout of its pathways and the many architectural features make the Rhine Park one of the most beautiful landscaped creations from the post-war period and one of the best preserved of its day in Germany. In 2007, on its 50th anniversary, the Rhine Park was voted Germany's most beautiful park and the second most beautiful park in Europe.

Millowitsch: as integral to Cologne as the carnival and cathedral. The name appeared for the first time in the city back in 1792. 1830 saw the birth of Josef Caspar Millowitsch, whose puppet theatre required a permanent venue in Cologne. The next generation of the family switched to real-life actors and eventually, in 1936, the Millowitsch Theatre moved to its present location on Aachener Strasse. The current director, Peter Millowitsch, was born in Cologne in 1949 and is the son of the famous Willy Millowitsch. He played his first role here at the age of eight, proving that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.