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.

This is a simple museum, it is not complicated or pretentious. It relys on a well designed…read moreexhibition space and the quality of the items on exhibition. If you have an appreciation for industrial design and the sorts then you will be inspired by all aspects of the permanent and feature exhibitions. The staff do not speak alot of English, but for those who are not fluent in German many of the comments on the placards have an english comment as well, so you can get the background on many of the pieces. Although this may not be an obvious first choice among the many museums represented in Cologne, this to date has been one of my personal favorites and well worth the visit!

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...

Unfortunately I had a group of children visiting the same time as me who were very noisy and…read moreconstantly running around the museum. I liked the fact they had English translations most if the time,however these are placed quite low down so it's a strain to see- and I'm only 5'3. The museum could have done with abit of an update with more from the Bejing or even better, the London Olympics.

Im going to preface this review with statement that I am writing this review from the perspective…read moreof an adult visiting a museumI am not considering the perspective of children, or the relief that it may bring parents on a deary weekend. So Im going to start with the negatives: - I had a 2:1 voucher for the museum (the fare being EUR6 each a EUR3 entry fee is still small change) and the cashier argued with me about the validity of it and then made me show my identification for him to honour the voucher. Then despite haveing a draw full of change would not accept my EUR50 note, and insisted we pay in change. German customer serive at its very best. - The layout of the museum is confusing. I am sure we missed parts of it because there is not a natural flow to the museum that draws you from section to section. - The interactive stuff wasnt that great, even if i was a kid ive been to many other museums with more and better activities relating to sports science. The positives: - The information is in both english and german - There are some interesting and historical items in the museum (but you have to keep an eye out for them) - Its open on sundays and quick to get around, so if you are visiting and looking for something to do before you have to catch a plane on a sunday, you can do this. - Its next to the chocolate museum. Personally when i have friends visit cologne this will not be one of the first places I would recommend they visit while seeing the sights. Although Im sure it has its educational benifits for children.

We visited several museums in Köln during our recent stay. This was far and away the best and most…read moreinteresting museum we visited. It is compact and multi-level, but with an elevator, which was much appreciated due to my bad knee. The museum has a modern feel. The information is attractively presented concisely and clearly in both English and German. I did not make it to the top floor. I sat on a conveniently placed stool near the evaluator while my wife went up. She said that I missed the best part, so be sure to check it out.

The museum's permanent collection is closed (at least as of fall 2019) while a new building is…read morebuilt, with the date that will happen unknown. The two special exhibitions I saw (about the Cologne pavilion at the 1937 World's Fair in Paris; also an exhibition of Cologne buildings before and after the war) were both interesting, and there were some interesting local books for sale (about Carnival, etc.). Still worth a stop if the special exhibition sounds interesting, but somewhat disappointing if you want to learn the history of Cologne. Do walk all the way around the building to enjoy the sight of the gold winged car on the roof and the statue /fountain paying tribute to Cologne's Roman history (there are pieces of the Roman wall quite close).

One of my favorite parts about exploring Europe is the large number of awesome museums…read more Wallraf-Richartz Museum is no different. Located in Cologne, I spent a good three hours or so exploring this museum of fine arts. When it comes to museums, I look for several different things, and Wallraf delivered on all fronts. Logistics: museums are typically large. There's a lot to see. I like when a museum is easy to navigate. Where you don't have to use a lot of brainpower to make sure that you don't miss anything. In addition to a map of the museums, the way the museum is laid out makes a difference. It adds to my comfort, along with A/C which you have here. And which is by no means guaranteed in Germany. More importantly, the artwork. Wallraf has an impressive collection of international art spanning various periods and styles including French impressionism, pointillism, and much, much more. You'll find paintings by Monet, Rembrandt, and many other famous artists. I've been lucky enough to learn a lot about art history since I was a kid. I know I'm at a good museum when I'm snapping pictures left and right. This is what happened here. Wallraf-Richartz Museum is one of the top attractions on TripAdvisor in Cologne. Don't miss it when visiting!

This seems to the the museum where you find the not so modern art - that is the art that doesn't…read moreconsist of weird paintings and sculptures but rather the more traditional works. The museum is set on three levels, with the upper levels having the older works and the lower levels having the newer works. I do admit that I liked the museum, but it didn't come across as great as some of the other museums that I visited. However, there was a pretty decent selection of art from across the centries, and it was an enjoyable visit. Also, it isn't that huge so you can complete it in an hour or so, depending on how fast you breeze through the rooms.