What to see in Cologne ?

Cologne defines itself above all by its relationship with the Rhine and its Gothic cathedral, the Kölner Dom, whose construction spanned six centuries. The city was ninety per cent destroyed during the Second World War, which explains this disorienting mix of 1950s brutalist architecture and medieval fragments. The Altstadt quarter, reconstructed, retains genuine neighbourhood life sustained by local breweries serving Kölsch, the city's pale ale, in twenty-centilitre glasses.

Spring (April-May) and autumn offer comfortable visiting conditions without summer saturation. Two days suffice to cover the essentials, three if you plan the Ludvig Museum, one of Europe's finest modern art collections. The train from Brussels or Paris is the obvious solution. Avoid the February carnival if you seek a peaceful visit: hotels triple in price and public spaces become scarcely navigable.