Cologne is Germany’s party city. A gay hub, carnival centre and riverside resort, this medieval place of pilgrimage doesn’t have to try too hard to attract visitors. Not least because, right by the railway station, it has Germany’s most famous tourist attraction: the vast yet exquisite Cologne Cathedral. Started in 1248, the Kölner Dom was completed 600 years later. Its 19th-century spires dominate the city, and you can climb to the top for an overwhelming view.
[Cologne guide]