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Fish-well in Altstadt (Old Town) harks back to the medieval market days, when fish were kept alive in the fountain before being sold.


Cologne's Rheinauhafen

Cologne - A vibrant metropolis on the Rhine

Cologne is a feeling

Cologne's 2000-year history is palpable everywhere, whether you’re visiting the Roman-Germanic Museum, viewing the Roman praetorium, or strolling past medieval city gates. But modern Cologne pulsates too - more vibrantly than ever. In the past few years, Cologne's calendar of events has shown a clear trend: bigger, more international, more important.

In 2010, Cologne will host not only Gay Games, the world’s largest gay-lesbian sporting event, but also the Ice Hockey World Championship. However, events that recur every year, such as the Cologne Karneval, Cologne Lights, Cologne Pride, and the Christmas markets are also major draws for the public.

With over a million residents and a location at the heart of western Europe, the metropolis on the Rhine has become one of Europe’s most important economic centers in the past few years. Cologne's main train station - a key hub in Europe's railroad network; the Cologne/Bonn Airport - an important location for low-cost carriers; Cologne’s prime access to supra-regional motorways and the second-largest inland harbor in Germany - all of these provide optimal accessibility. Koelnmesse has been showing annual increases in the number of visitors – last year, there were over 50 international trade fairs and exhibitions. The best known trade fairs include photokina, Anuga, Orgatec, ART COLOGNE, and imm, the International Furniture Fair. The large choice of event sites and the outstanding surrounding area make Cologne an attractive place for meetings, incentive trips, conferences, and events of all types. With the creation of a central convention bureau under the KölnTourismus umbrella, there will be even better and more active use of the options for Cologne as a convention site.

City of Media Cologne