The unique and hospitable Cologne attracts tourists not only with outstanding architectural monuments, but also with its rich cultural life. The city satisfies the needs of even the most demanding art connoisseurs. This is evidenced by numerous exhibition complexes and galleries. The museums of Cologne keep unique collections of artifacts and exhibits that amaze with their diversity.

Chocolate Museum

A visit to the Chocolate Museum in Cologne guarantees a lot of positive impressions and pleasant surprises. This popular place receives more than 600 thousand tourists a year. An impressive collection of exhibits gives visitors the opportunity to get acquainted with the main technological processes and the secrets of producing the famous delicacy of mankind. The exposition reflects the history of the manufacture of chocolate products, from the cultivation of cocoa beans to the creation of a variety of finished products. The modern four-story building of the exhibition complex, built of glass and brick, looks like a ship.

Internal glass galleries and semi-circular flights of stairs will lead tourists to a greenhouse with cocoa beans, a miniature factory, an exhibition hall and a candy store. Of interest is the collection of old confectionery molds, vending machines, colorful labels of famous brands, tools and many other attributes. In the museum you can see a fully automated chocolate production line, as well as manual production of sweet figurines. It is impossible to pass by the main pride of this cultural institution – a three-meter chocolate fountain. About 200 kilograms of melted chocolate mass circulates in its system, flowing from various holes into the pool.

Works from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00. On weekends, the doors of the chocolate laboratory are open from 11:00 to 19:00. The exhibition is closed on Mondays from January to March and in November.

Perfume Museum (Farina's House)

Perfume lovers are advised to make an exciting visit to the famous Farina House. This is an ancient architectural complex, where the world‘s first manufactory for the production of fragrant water was located. It was in this historic building three centuries ago that the famous Italian alchemist Johann Maria Farina glorified Cologne with his invention – Eau De Cologne cologne. The perfumer has created a magnificent perfume that embodies the exquisite smells of Italy. He brought together the aromas of oranges, lemons, daffodils, garden roses and flowers of fragrant mountain herbs. His clients were the crowned persons of Europe, among whom was the Empress of the Russian Empire Catherine II.

In the factory building, where Farina lived and worked, there is an interesting exposition dedicated to the masterpiece of perfumery art. Visitors will appreciate the preserved luxurious and pompous interiors of a rich house of the Rococo era. In the halls of the museum you can see bottles and packaging for perfumes, works of art and antique furniture, crockery and cutlery, jewelry and numerous manuscripts of the perfumer. In parallel with admiring the exquisite environment, guests are imbued with the secrets of the production technology of fragrant branded essences. Noteworthy are the original barrels made of cedar wood, in which the iconic Cologne eau de toilette was aged.

Open every day from 10:00 to 19:00 (Monday-Saturday) and from 11:00 to 17:00 (Sundays). Here, tourists can have an informative time, having visually studied the methods of creating colognes, as well as tasting and purchasing branded perfumes.

Cologne House No. 4711

One of the legendary buildings of Cologne is located on Glockengasse Street – the House of Cologne No. 4711. This famous perfume shop-museum is associated with the name of the German entrepreneur Wilhelm Mullens, who in 1792 organized the production of fragrant toilet water. The oldest company is housed in a building of the Gothic architectural style with characteristic decorative openwork turrets. The trade brand got its name in honor of the number of the house where the cologne was produced.

At the entrance to the store, a huge glass showcase with countless bottles of famous perfumes arouses interest. Visitors can purchase various perfume products for both women and men. There is a wide range of scents here. A special tap is installed in the lobby, from which fragrant Cologne water flows continuously. On the second floor of the house there is a collection of historical items, including photographs, diplomas, awards, personal belongings of the owners of the house, all kinds of bottles and other curious artifacts.

Open every day, except Sunday, from 9:00 to 19:00.

Museum Ludwig

In the central part of Cologne, next to the majestic Gothic cathedral, there is a magnificent building – the Ludwig Museum. The exhibition halls of the four-story gallery sheltered within their walls an impressive collection of exhibits of contemporary art. It presents a variety of art canvases, sculptures, installations and photographs. The basis of the museum fund is the private collection of the industrialist Peter Ludwig, who bequeathed most of the works in favor of his beloved city.

The exposition covers the works of such trends as avant-garde, surrealism, cubism, pop art, graphics and expressionism. Outrageous and sometimes provocative masterpieces reject the traditions of classical art, which causes genuine interest among many visitors to the complex. A special place in the gallery is occupied by the masterpieces of the following masters: Picasso, Malevich, Dali, Chagall, Rodchenko, Warhol and Kandinsky. A separate hall of the exhibition center is dedicated to sculptural installations that reflect the pressing current problems of mankind. The Ludwig Institute is open from Tuesday to Sunday.

Opening hours: 10:00-18:00.

Wallraf-Richartz Museum

Connoisseurs of classical art will not leave indifferent the Wallraf-Richartz Museum. This is a wonderful art gallery, which houses an extensive collection of paintings, ranging from the most famous masterpieces of medieval masters to paintings by artists of the 20th century. This cultural institution owes its foundation to two citizens of Cologne: Professor Franz Wallraf and philanthropist Heinrich Richartz. Both figures, who lived during the 19th century, had a passion for fine art.

In the five-story new building of a cubic shape, with an area of 3,500 square meters, unique rare altar paintings, graphic drawings and art canvases from different schools of painting (Flemish, Dutch, French and German) are on display. Among the exhibits you can see paintings of such outstanding authors as Rembrandt, Rubens, Boucher, Van Dyck, Van Heemskerk, Van Gogh and other talented painters, fascinating with their stories. The property of the gallery are the works of the medieval painter Stefan Lochner – “The Last Judgment” and “The Virgin in the Arbor of Roses”. The museum is famous for a series of paintings that reflect religious themes.

The exhibition halls of the complex receive visitors from 10:00 to 18:00 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday-Sunday) and from 10:00-21:00 (Thursday). Day off is Monday.

Kaethe Kollwitz Museum

The German artist Käthe Kollwitz is a prominent representative of expressionism at the beginning of the 20th century. The expressive drawings, engravings and sculptures of the famous opponent of National Socialism can be found in her personal museum, located in the Neumarkt Passage shopping complex. The works of K. Kollwitz, impressive to the depths of the soul, make visitors think about the consequences and tragedies of wars, as well as feel the despair of workers and peasants exhausted by overwork.

Difficult human destinies are reflected in emotional artworks and engravings, which explains the popularity of Kollwitz's works. Pain, suffering, hunger, the search for justice and poverty – all this is presented in the famous cycles of paintings “Rebellion of the weavers”, “Proletariat” and “War”.

The collection can be seen every day except Monday. Working hours: 10:00-18:00 (Tuesday-Friday), 11:00-18:00 (Saturday, Sunday).

Roman-Germanic Museum

In the immediate vicinity of the famous Cologne Cathedral is the Roman-German Archaeological Museum. Its collection includes about three million valuable artifacts found on the territory of Cologne and its environs. In a modern gray building, an exhibition is exhibited that testifies to the historical period when one of the colonies of the Roman Empire was founded on the banks of the Rhine. Most of the presented unique specimens date back to the first centuries of our era.

Walking through the numerous exhibition halls of the complex, visitors will see an impressive collection of all kinds of rare items. These are sculptural groups, sarcophagi, figurines, ancient tombstones, jewelry, clothes, shoes, dishes, weapons, fragments of walls, examples of architecture with bas-relief images, columns and much more. Lovers of exquisite antiquity will find it interesting to consider the golden laurel wreaths, buckles and rings of emperors, as well as cutlery and household items of noble people.

The pride of the exhibition is the colorful mosaic floor, consisting of multi-colored limestone, glass and ceramic tiles. This surviving masterpiece of art adorned the interiors of a Roman villa. The mosaic panel depicts scenes from the life of the Greek god of winemaking, Dionysus. The museum is open from 10:00 to 17:00 (Tuesday-Sunday).

Museum of the Diocese of Cologne “Columbus“

In the historic district of the city there is an art museum of religious art of the Cologne Archbishopric (Diocese). This is a unique architectural object of Cologne. The modern building was erected on the site of the ruins of the temple of St. Columba. The surviving fragment of the wall of the destroyed church is literally built into the facade of the new building. A very extensive exposition is collected in sixteen exhibition halls. It contains a collection of paintings, ancient icons, antique engravings, sculptural compositions and church utensils.

The archbishop's collection spans over 2,000 years. The exhibits are presented to the public without information tables with descriptions and dates of creation of the works. This is done so that visitors can get only aesthetic pleasure without having to study the tablets. A special place is occupied by the painting “Madonna with Violets”, painted in the 15th century. In the basement of the building, you can see the archaeological excavations of the foundation of the temple and the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Open every day from 12:00 to 17:00.

Schnutgen Museum

When planning a trip to Cologne, tourists should include a visit to the former Catholic Basilica of St. Cecilia in their cultural walk program. The three-nave building without a transept and with numerous lancet windows is an expressive representative of the Romanesque style of architecture. Under the high silver-white vaults, there is a collection of unique artifacts of religious art from the Middle Ages. The interior of the church building with arched galleries and massive columns creates an unusual historical setting. The fund was based on valuable exhibits, transferred at the beginning of the last century to the city municipality by Archbishop Alexander Schnytgen.

The exposition is a collection of elements of church decoration, tapestries, paintings, figurines, masterpieces of jewelry, textiles and various decorative items. Visitors can get acquainted with ancient items of vestments and liturgical robes of the clergy. Colorful temple stained-glass windows amaze with their graceful execution. Picturesque art canvases illustrate biblical scenes. Connoisseurs of sacred art are of particular interest to the various sculptures of the Virgin Mary, made of wood, gold, silver and ivory.

Opening hours: 10:00-18:00 and 10:00-20:00 (Thursdays).

Cologne City Documentation Center for National Socialism

The Museum of National Socialism is located in the former headquarters of the Cologne Gestapo. The presented exposition of this depressing atmospheric place calls on humanity to remember the tragic times of the rule of the “Third Reich”. Numerous audio and video materials, photographs, booklets, posters and various archival documents are collected here, which provide visitors with evidence of the birth, formation and development of fascism in Germany.

The exhibits provide an opportunity to get acquainted with the activities of the National Socialist regime. The institution is intended to show the chronicle of the work of the Gestapo, whose methods were persecution, executions, imprisonment, torture and propaganda of Nazism. In the basement of the building, prison cells have been preserved, inspiring feelings of horror and hopelessness. On the walls of the prisons you can see the inscriptions and drawings of the prisoners. Many phrases were made in Russian.

Open from 10:00-18:00 (Tuesday-Friday) and from 11:00-18:00 (Saturday-Sunday). Monday is a day off.

German Sports and Olympic Museum

An impressive collection of sports exhibits is on display. This is an excellent example of a cultural institution that can captivate fans and sports fans of all ages. Here you can see game equipment, medals, cups, photographs, various equipment, as well as actively and entertainingly spend time. For visitors to the complex, whose area is about 2000 square meters, unique interactive events are organized. Crossing the threshold of the exhibition halls, tourists are immersed in the atmosphere of movement and excitement.

Those who wish can test their strength in the ring, ride a bike inside a wind tunnel, do gymnastics, take part in a football and hockey match, ride a bobsleigh, and be the head coach of one of the teams. Among the exhibits, the legendary Benetton-Ford and Ferrari F1-91-A Formula 1 cars, on which Michael Schumacher won the championship, deserve attention. One of the pavilions has a large screen showing football matches and the best goals of the year.

The complex awaits guests every day, except Monday, from 10:00 to 18:00 (Tuesday-Friday) and from 11:00 to 19:00 (Saturday, Sunday).

Museum of Applied Arts

Not far from the Cologne Cathedral and the main railway station is the Museum of Applied Arts, founded at the end of the 19th century. This is one of the oldest institutions in the city and has the widest collection of handicrafts, household items and all kinds of decorative interior items. The doors of the complex are open from Tuesday to Sunday. Opening hours: 11:00-17:00.

About 100,000 exhibits, which were created by German masters from different eras, are on display for people to see. These are dishes, clothes, furniture, textiles, jewelry, tapestries, household appliances and much more. The exhibition is dedicated to the applied art of both the medieval and modern periods. Most of the items previously belonged to representatives of the European nobility and clergy.

Of interest is the collection of unique products of the German faience manufactory. Tea sets, jugs, dishes and vases are decorated with exquisite gold and silver ornaments. On the dishes you can see picturesque illustrations describing the customs of the Germans or idyllic villages with castles, churches and endless forests. Behind the glass shelves are caskets decorated in the form of outlandish figurines or animals. The exhibition of the history of fashion, from 1800 to the present day, attracts attention. The outfits presented in the hall make it possible to trace how the European style of clothing has changed and developed over three centuries.

Museum of East Asian Art

Since 1913, an exhibition has been operating, specializing in demonstrating a collection of various works of art by East Asian masters. The museum fund has an impressive number of luxurious and amazing artifacts brought from China, Japan and Korea. In the exposition you can see Buddhist paintings, painted screens, wooden sculptures, dishes, lacquered boxes, porcelain and ceramic products, jewelry, engravings, books, furniture and much more.

The exhibition is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00. The exhibits are housed in a building designed by the Japanese architect K. Maekawa. A special entourage is created by a landscaped Japanese garden with stone compositions, a pond and lush flowering trees.

Ethnological Museum Rautenstrauch-Jost

The collection consists of over 60,000 artifacts, 100,000 photographs and 40,000 volumes of scientific publications. The magnificent exhibits, divided into thematic blocks, give an idea of the cultural values, everyday traditions and festive customs of the ethnic groups of the countries of Oceania, Asia, America and Africa. Visitors to the exhibition will receive extensive information about life principles and rituals, the role of religion and the family, as well as the relationship between men and women.

The exhibits are household items and art, jewelry and clothing items, figurines and various sacred artifacts. It is worth highlighting a number of drawers equipped with touch screens for displaying photo and video materials. In a separate room, the exposition is dedicated to children‘s upbringing and growing up. Here it will be interesting to see recreated rooms of teenagers from Japan, Canada, Turkey, Germany or Sierra Leone.

Open every day except Monday from 10:00 to 18:00.

Schumacher Museum

In 2018, the official opening of an exhibition dedicated to the legendary Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher took place. The collection is located on the territory of the former airfield. Cologne is the closest major city to Schumacher's birthplace. Fans of the talent of the seven-time world champion are presented with more than 200 exhibits that characterize all stages of the career of the world-famous successful pilot. These are cups, awards, helmets, costumes, shoes, gloves, photographs, personal items, video materials and much more. The exhibition pavilions house personal fireballs, on which Schumacher won trophies. Racing Ferrari, Mercedes and Benetton were presented to the racer for his merits and achievements in motorsport.

Open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 18:00.