Cologne

Fun facts about Cologne: the cathedral that took 632 years, the Heinzelmännchen legend, the house number behind 4711 and what to eat. Checked October 2026.

Heumarkt in Cologne: the 1878 statue of Frederick William III, bombed in 1943, melted in 1973 and rebuilt in 1990, and the Pädsfott. Checked October 2026.

Pegelturm in Cologne: how to read the 1951 Rhine gauge’s clock dial, what 7, 8.3 and 9 metres mean, and the floods of 1784, 1926 and 1995. Checked October 2026.

Chocolate Museum in Cologne: Hans Imhoff’s 1993 museum on the Rheinauhafen, its cacao trees, mini production line and 3-metre fountain. Checked October 2026.

Fischmarkt in Cologne: the herring trade and the 1259 staple right, the Stapelhaus, the Fishwives’ Fountain and the best photo spot. Checked October 2026.

Cologne Cathedral: 632 years of building, the Shrine of the Three Kings, the Gero Cross, the Richter window and 533 tower steps. Checked October 2026.

Heinzelmännchenbrunnen in Cologne: the 1900 fountain near the cathedral, the house gnome legend, the tailor’s wife and her peas. Checked October 2026.

Alter Markt in Cologne: a Roman harbour turned market square, the Jan von Werth fountain and legend, the Kallendresser and carnival. Checked October 2026.

Ratsturm glockenspiel in Cologne: nearly 50 bells from the guilds and Adenauer, Stockhausen at noon, Offenbach at six, the Platzjabbeck. Checked October 2026.

Tünnes and Schäl in Cologne: the bronze puppet-theatre pair by Great St. Martin, who they are, why Tünnes’ nose shines and the ‘Schäl Sick’. Checked October 2026.

Great St. Martin in Cologne: the Romanesque church built on Roman warehouses, its clover-leaf choir, wartime rebuilding and a forged chronicle. Checked October 2026.