Cologne

No trip to Köln is complete without a visit to Der Dom. — Afar Magazine

A repository of medieval religious art and sculpture. — Lonely Planet

A famous collection of European paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries, the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum occupies a postmodern cube designed by the late OM Ungers. — Lonely Planet

Housed in a building designed by P. Busmann and G. Haberer, the jagged roof of the Ludwig museum provides a striking contrast with the city's Gothic cathedral and railway station. — Michelin Guide

Built in the 11th and 12th centuries on the site of a Roman temple, St. Maria is best known for its two beautifully carved 16-foot-high doors and its enormous crypt, the second-largest in Germany. — Fodor's

Located around the ruins of Kolumba church, this museum contains some precious religious objects and a collection of holy art from the Middle Ages, presented in a contemporary manner. — Michelin Guide

Focus on social themes like the plight of the poor and the atrocities of war. — Fodor's

Hop on Cologne’s funicular and enjoy a view-filled ride. — On the Grid

In a 19th-century customs building, the Deutsches Sport & Olympia Museum is an imaginative Germany-focused tribute to the sporting life from antiquity to today. — Lonely Planet

Cologne's Third Reich history is poignantly documented in the NS Documentation Centre. — Lonely Planet

The highlights of this museum include Thai and Khmer art from the 8C-16C (stone, bronze and clay sculptures, and ceramics) and a collection of Egyptian antiquities. — Michelin Guide

This festival hall, one of the first secular Gothic buildings (1441-1444), served as a model for many town houses. — Michelin Guide

This remarkable Romanesque parish church was rebuilt after being flattened in World War II. — Fodor's

Cologne used the construction of the U-Bahn line to also build this grand new museum, which is located under the Rathausplatz and fully ecompasses two major parts of the city history. — Lonely Planet

The Kölnisches Stadtmuseum, in the former medieval armoury, explores all facets of Cologne history. — Lonely Planet

The church of St Ursula stands atop the Roman graveyard where the virgins’ remains were allegedly found. — Lonely Planet