I had a few hours before my flight and Museum Ludwig was the perfect activity to fill in that time…read more This place is massive (3 floors!), so wear your comfortable walking shoes as there is a giant staircase (elevators too of course). It's next to the main train station as well, so it's a great spot to burn time before a flight or train. I only had about 2 hours and it wasn't enough--give yourself the full afternoon or at least 3 hours! They offer a free service desk for jackets and purses. However, don't bring a large tote--they have a strict size limit and you'll have to leave it at the desk. Even if you aren't an "art person," the sheer variety here from Pop Art to Surrealism keeps it from feeling boring. Each room felt well-curated and combined with the high ceilings, there was an openness that allowed each art piece to breathe and have it's moment. Do not sleep on the gift shop. I found some nice trinkets for my desk and souvenirs for friends + family.

Museum Ludwig is the most popular museum in Cologne on TripAdvisor and one of the top attractions…read moreoverall in the city, and for good reason. I stopped by on a Sunday evening for two hours before they closed. Ideally, you'd like to spend 3-4 hours here, especially if you do the audio guide. Museum Ludwig is Cologne's preeminent museum of contemporary art. You'll find works of art from pretty much every major artist who painted in this style. Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian, Rene Magritte, etc. It's a feast of riches so I'm only scratching the surface. Beyond the quality of the art, something else I care about at museums is how the exhibitions are laid out. Here, it's intuitive. It's pretty easy to go from room to room without worrying about missing something. Some museums aren't laid out in the best way logistically---Museum Ludwig is. There are three floors. Start at the top and then make your way down. Outside of the layout and the artwork, the final piece for me is comfort. You have that here, too. There's air conditioning which certainly is not a guarantee in Europe. You have free lockers. You have free WiFi. Well done all-around. If you're visiting Cologne, Museum Ludwig should definitely be part of your itinerary.

The Lindt Chocolate Museum itself is beautiful, informative, and genuinely enjoyable. The exhibits…read moreare well designed, the chocolate history is fascinating, the tasting stations are everything you'd hope for and staff interactions enhanced our experience. Up until the very end, our visit was truly wonderful. Sadly, the way we were treated by staff as we were leaving completely overshadowed what had been a great experience. While we were calmly waiting near the exit for family members who were finishing in the gift shop -- where they had just spent a couple hundred euros -- staff members became abruptly rude and aggressively chased us out of the building. Even more unacceptable, one family member was refused access to the restroom, despite being an active, paying customer who had just made a substantial purchase. The tone used with us was unkind, unnecessary, and frankly shocking for a company that promotes hospitality. Because of this final interaction, we would not return, and it's very unfortunate -- because everything else about the museum was excellent. A guest's last experience matters, and ours left us feeling disrespected and unwelcome.

Lots of complaints of crowds.... Arrive early, less people…read more We got here early and there was no line. Super comfortable and not crowded. The kids ordered chocolate and that takes 45 minutes so we went to the cafe shop and ordered some things to tide us over while we waited. By the time we left the lines were ridiculous, the entrance was super crowded and there were far too many people for my liking. Probably would not have paid to go into the museum had the crowds been there when we arrived. You can get chocolate during tour, when you walk in and during the tour itself. Lots of history. It was interesting. 44.50€ for a family, feels expensive for what it is, but a decent way to waste time. You can go in and get cake and coffee, chocolate or drinks and skip the tour.

Eine ansprechende Architektur. Moderne Kunst gemischt mit sakraler. Sehr empfehlenswert!read more

Kolmbia shows the art collection of the archdiocese..and this is something I thought would be…read moreinteresting to see. I have to admit, the collection that was on exhibition when I went was quite boring. But from my understanding there are a number of different exhibitions shown throughout the year, and I would hate for one bad curation to ruin a recommendation for someone to visit here as these kinds of things are so subjective. The reason I say this is the architecture of the building is spectacular, and for me the highlight of the experience. The building is the creation of Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, and incorporates the remains of St Kolumbia which was destroyed in WWII with a spectacular and modern exhibition space for the arts. The way in which this is done is seamless and the building maintains a sense of serentiy and sancitity that you would have expected to find in the church which once stood there. Perhaps the most sobering part of the experience of Kolumbia is visiting the small chapel on the side of the building called Madonna in den Trümmern (Our lady of the rubble). This chappel was built in the 1950s around a madonna figure that survived the bombing of Cologne and was venerated as a sign of hope.

The Schnutgen is basically a museum dedicated to religious art. Actually, it shares a building with…read moreanother museum which seems to be about world cultures, but having wandered around the Cologne Cathedral the previous day (and saw advertisements for this place) I simply had to go and check it out. Well, all I can say is that it was nothing short of amazing, but then again I do have a soft spot for religious art, particularly since the amount of detail that goes into the artwork is incredible (though the way some of these artworks were originally paid for is a little dubious). One section contains stained glass windows and some statues, however the lower level, which looks like it was once a church, contains a huge number of wood carvings - which are literally mind blowing. While it isn't one of the more well known Museums, it is definitely a place to check out.

This review is strictly for the bookstore/gift shop, since we didn't tour the museum. The shop…read moreisn't very large, but it has an interesting selection. The three people working there yesterday - two women and a man - looked like retirees and I'm guessing they're volunteers. They were very friendly and we enjoyed talking to them. Also, the building is quite attractive.

By 50 AD Cologne was the largest Roman settlement north of the Alps with a population of 45,000…read more The Romans called it Colonia, Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (Colony of Claudius and Altar of the Agrippines). It was the massive Roman settlement that is the basis of the museum's collection. The first major find occurred in 1941 when while digging for an air raid shelter a large mosaic floor tile from a first century Roman Villa was discovered. It depicted the world of Dionysos (220/23). The find and other artifacts found represents the basis of the museums collection. Other notable objects are the reconstructed sepulcher of legionnaire Lucius Publicus (40 AD), the largest collection of Roman glass vessels and a unique collection of Roman and Medieval jewelry. The museum has three floors for viewing and countless objects. The Adult admission price is 9 Euros. Large bags are checked at the front desk. No credit cards are accepted. Some English translations and no English audio. the Cologne Welcome Card gets you a 20% discount. It's open Tues-Sundays 10-5. It's rather old school in the way objects are displayed with limited interaction and technology but the objects are well lit and there is much natural sunlight. I was impressed by the collection itself.

One of my all-time favorite museums!…read more After my first visit 6 years ago and then later while I studied in Cologne 4 years ago, the Romisch-Germanisches Museum came to feel like a home, connecting and emphasizing years of study at university in the US and bringing the culture and art of the Romans to life again. It highlights the history of Cologne as a "colonia" of Rome under the early emperors (from which its name derives) and its transition into Late Antiquity. The highlights of any visit are the in situ mosaic of Bacchus and funerary monument of Publicius, around which the museum is constructed and centers. Thanks to this set-up, you can view the mosaic from multiple levels and angles, taking it in in all its glory. The rest of the museum tour and collection is arrayed on a few floors and allows you to get up close and personal with the statues, busts, and other artifacts. Unless you're working on an archaeological site, this is the closest you'll get to such objects. I have loved every visit here and will definitely be back when I can!

Only went to the tim burton collection so can only review that and the general area of the museum…read more The museum seemed very modern in an older looking building, very beautiful. Parking was at the trainstation 200 meters away and was very cheap. 3€ for 4 hours. The tim burton expo itself was pretty good, lots of drawings and art-displays. The only thing that we though that could have been better was that it was really unclear where to start and in what direction to go. I don't have a problem finding my own way but there were arrows telling us to go in certain directions but they didn't seem to make any sense. Besides that we loved the expo and the museum and if they have another really cool expo like this, we'll def. be back!

Awesome Tim Burton exhibit going on right now! Couldn't take pics unfortunately. Go see it for…read moreyourself. It's definitely worth it. Quick trip from Köln HBF, easy to get to. Nice park and castle near by.

This place is just WOW. Calling it a museum doesn't really do it justice - it's an experience…read more The concept is combining nature and art. There are 12 giant, windowless brick structures spread across a huge forest area, each housing different types of art. You just wander around a crazy German forest, find the houses and shock your eyes with whatever is inside. Three houses in particular really stood out as incredible, but every house is worth a visit. Besides the art inside, there's art bursting in the wild as well, including living areas where artists work and chat with visitors. When we were there, a Joseph Beuys protégé was casually hanging out. AND, there's a gorgeous cafe that goes by the honor system. Like, what?! Another thing to note is the fact that I saw 0 employees. Just... no one. You can touch the art, take pics, whatever without judging eyes. There's also no names, descriptions or anything next to the art. Tickets are 15 EUR full / 7 EUR student, and maps are available at the front. They come in handy because the forest can feel like a maze. I'm usually a fast walker through museums, but I needed 3 hours to take in this magical place. Everything is just beautiful, and I don't know if there's anywhere else quite like it. Go here!

Maybe the best museum in Germany, as far as I remember, it has been the first one to combine art…read moreand nature in such a consequent way.

Interesting to see Roman ruins underneath a German city, but since Cologne was a provincial…read morecapital, there they are! This is an underground excavation of the governor's residence, and if you're a fan of ancient history then it's worth the €3,50. For that matter, even if you're not a huge history fan, it's a unique feature of Cologne and probably worth it. There is only one small room of displays, and they are almost all in German, but they appear to be quite professionally done. There is also a stretch of Roman sewer tunnel you can walk though; while interesting there aren't any displays or anything in it, it's just a long hallway. The ruins themselves are in a huge room with a walkway running around and through it. The signs in this area are in both German and English. Not someplace you should expect to spend hours, but if you like this stuff you should probably upgrade to the €10 ticket that includes admission to the Romisch Germanische Museum (next to the cathedral) that has a lot more displays.

The praetorium was the residencs of the roman proconsul in Köln (…read moreCOLONIA CLAVDIA ARA AGRIPPINENSIVM). It was the military and civil administration department of the roman province "Niedergermanien". Today you can look at the ruins that are located under a house in the " Kleine Budengasse". Probably that is only interesting for people who are interested in roman history and/or archaeology. I think all other people can save the EUR 2,50 for the entry...