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Cologne Zoo
Cologne Zoo lays claim to being one of the best in Europe, and it certainly scores well in terms of both numbers and location. With over 4,000 animals representing 500 species, it follows up diversity with beauty in the form of the botanical gardens next door. Find elephants, giraffes and yellow-breasted capuchin monkeys among giant anteaters and pink pelicans. Then head into the aquarium to see seahorses, crabs and some fearsome piranhas. Combine a trip here with a flying visit over the Rhine on the adjacent Seilbahn (cable car open mid-March to early November).

Riehler Strasse 173
Cologne
Germany
Tel: (0221) 5679 9100.
Web: www.koelnerzoo.de
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800 (Mar-Oct); daily 0900-1700 (Nov-Feb).
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes

Cologne's Romanesque Churches
Cologne boasts 12 wonderfully atmospheric churches, largely unassuming from the outside, which were originally built between the 10th and the mid-13th centuries, then rebuilt and restored after severe war damage. Don't miss Gross St Martin, St Aposteln, St Gereon, St Maria im Kapitol, St Cäcilien (now home to the Schnütgen Museum of Sacred Art) and especially St Ursula with its amazing and macabre Goldene Kammer bone chapel and reliquary room.

Hohenzollern Bridge
What makes a railway and pedestrian bridge so special? Why the expression of love, no less! While this is a tradition that's swept across the world, here in Cologne it's taken on a life of its own. In most places, lovers place a single padlock on a bridge, inscribe their names upon it and throw the key into the river. In this way, they symbolise their devotion towards one another and their confidence in marine ecosystems when it comes to surviving heaps of discarded keys. Cologne has put its own party style onto the proceedings, replacing padlocks with bicycle chains and fluffy heart-shaped locks with racy looking handcuffs.

Hohenzollern Bridge
Cologne
Germany
Admission Fee: No
Disabled Access: Yes

Imhoff-Stollwerck-Museum
Set in a stunning building on the Rhine, this entertaining and educational exhibition (in English) studies every possible aspect of the fascinating history of chocolate and features a real working production line that culminates in a chocolate fountain. But before you send yourself dizzy with chocolate mania while taking in the city skyline, there are actually plenty of opportunities to really learn. Real cocoa butter, vanilla and lecithin are on display as well as a tour through the tropics and a history lesson on the origins of the lovely brown stuff.

Rheinauhafen 1A
Cologne
Germany
Tel: (0221) 931 8880.
Web: www.schokoladenmuseum.de/
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1000-1800, Sat-Sun 1100-1900.
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes

Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral)
Unmissable in every sense, this behemoth is one of the most awe-inspiring buildings in the world and holds a number of treasures. Look out for the golden casket holding the remains of the Magi, the ninth-century Gero crucifix, the Stefan Lochner triptych and the medieval stained glass windows. Climb the 509 steps to the viewing platform of the 157m-high (515ft) South Tower for the dizzying views and down below look in the Schatzkammer (Treasury Museum). This is not just a cathedral; it's a symbol of the city, its struggles and its recovery.

Domkloster
Cologne
Germany
Tel: (0221) 1794 0200.
Web: www.koelner-dom.de
Opening hours: Daily 0600-2100 (May-Oct); 0600-1930 (Nov-Apr).
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO site: Yes

Museum Ludwig
This world-class modern art museum is full of eye-catching pop art icons from the late 20th century, including masterpieces from Andy Warhol (Munroes and Campbell soups), Roy Liechtenstein and René Magritte, plus several hundred lesser works by Pablo Picasso. Dalí's huge La Gare de Perpignan is worth the entrance fee alone. Exhibitions staged here represent modern art from around the world in a fresh, engaging fashion.

Bischofsgartenstrasse 1
Cologne
Germany
Tel: (0221) 26165.
Web: www.museenkoeln.de/museum-ludwig
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1800 (until 2200 every first Thurs of the month).
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes

Nazi Documentation Centre
For an unflinching look at the darkest period in German history, step inside the Nazi Documentation Centre. Housed inside the city's former Gestapo headquarters, today the building tries to educate as well as commemorate the lives of those lost during the Third Reich. It's designed to work both as an academic research centre and an exhibition centre for the public, with a mix of permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Appellhofplatz 23-25
Cologne
Germany
Tel: (0221) 2212 6332.
Web: www.museenkoeln.de/ns-dok
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1000-1800, Sat-Sun 1100-1800.
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes

Rathaus (Cologne Town Hall)
At first glance, the Town Hall looks like any other administrative building you'd find in Europe: staid and classical, with stone figures representing nobility. In fact, more than 100 of them peer down, from kings and queens to saints and prophets. However, look more closely, and you'll discover a few surprises; sculptures with their tongues hanging out and their trousers pulled down and even ones with genitals on display. Consider yourself warned. Once you've seen those, you may have a hard time concentrating on the Roman remains and impressive wooden carvings on the interior.

Rathausplatz 2
Cologne
Germany
Tel: (0221) 221 31000.
Web: www.cologne-tourism.com/attractions-culture/historic-town-hall.html#c6699
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 1000-1700.
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes

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