The Cathedral is probably the biggest tourist attraction of all. Walk to the top of the spires and check out the view. Between the cathedral and the Rhine you’ll find the Museum Ludwig, which houses the largest collection of pop art outside the USA; Roy Lichtenstein’s ‘Maybe’, Andy Warhol’s ‘Brillo Boxes’ and George Segal’s ‘Restaurant Window’ can all be found here. There’s also a great café and a museum shop (Bischofsgartenstrasse 1, www.museenkoeln.de).

The Stollwerck Chocolate Museum is a must for all chocolate lovers, but don’t be disappointed when you don’t find any oompah loompahs – it’s not quite Willy Wonka’s. The museum tells the story of chocolate, from its use by ancient South American cultures to its discovery by Europeans. You can also get a taste of the brown stuff from the chocolate fountain (Imhoff-Stollwerck-Museum, Rheinauhafen 1a, www.schokoladenmuseum.de).

The Museum of East Asian Art houses Chinese, Korean and Japanese art, and was the first museum of its kind in Germany. Situated by the side of a tranquil pond, the tea room is also worth a visit for some quiet and relaxation (Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Universitätsstrasse 100, Tel: 940 5180). After many years planning and fund-raising, Cologne Zoo opened its latest attraction, the elephant house, in September 2004. It’s designed to allow a herd of elephants to live almost as they would in the wild. Other attractions include the monkey house, with its families of chimps, orangutans and gorillas, and the hippo house.

If you visit in February or March, you’ll be a part of Karneval, when the city parties for five long days – whether you want to or not. Cologne is home to the largest carnival celebrations in Europe, so if you’re planning a visit during the ‘crazy times’, as they are called here, make sure you book well in advance.

Excursions
Your first excursion should be to the Dom (cathedral), which is situated next to the main station. You’ll find the city’s main tourist office just across the road from the cathedral (Unter Fettenhennen 19, Tel: 221 30400, Fax: 221 30410, email koelntourismus@stadt-koeln.de)

The tourist office can make reservations for you to take a river tour on the Rhine to nearby Bonn, and the Siebengebirge south of Bonn. Bookings can also be made directly at the ticket offices along the banks of the Rhine in the Altstadt, or on 208 8318 and at www.k-d.com/engl. From the zoo take a cable-car ride across the Zoobrücke and the river, giving you spectacular views across the Rhine and the city, and taking you to the park area of the Rhine Terrace (Rheinterassen). Kölsch is one of the city’s traditions, you’ll come across this local brew in all bars and restaurants. So take a Kölsch tour through the city’s Brauhäusern, it will take you across the Altstadt from one brewery to another, tasting the beers along the way. To book call 93 272 63 or visit www.tour-agentur.de.