Cities & Culture

German Sports and Olympics Museum Cologne

This museum is a place of discovery designed to invoke passion and excitement. The permanent exhibition presents the history of the phenomenon of sport from ancient times to the modern day, incorporating social and cultural perspectives. The exhibition features no end of original objects.

Head to Cologne's Rheinauhafen harbour district to explore 3,000 years of sports history from ancient times to the modern day and admire 2,000 exhibits conveying the wide range of emotions felt in the sporting world. The high points and unusual stories from the last decade of sport are brought to life so that visitors can learn more and an entire room is dedicated to on-trend sports. Big-screen video installations and countless original objects are used to illustrate the evolution of sports such as surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding.

And there's even a chance for visitors to get active too, with the option of having a go at the ancient long jump, jumping into the boxing ring, practising penalty kicks at the goal walls and experiencing Tour de France speeds on a racing bike in the wind tunnel. There are also a couple of impressive courts on the museum roof if anyone fancies a game of football, tennis or basketball. And there are stunning views of Cologne Cathedral, Severin Bridge and the Rhine, which flows right alongside the museum. Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday 10 am–6 pm.

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