Cologne

Cologne is a city in western Germany, built on the river Rhine 2,000 years ago. It is the cultural center of the region. In the reconstructed old town there is an emblematic monument of High Gothic architecture: the Cologne Cathedral. It is characterized by its two spire towers, its golden medieval reliquary and its views of the extensive river. Next to the cathedral is the Ludwig Museum, whose collection of 20th-century art includes masterpieces by Picasso, and the Romano-Germanic Museum, which exhibits Roman antiquities.