Current Time in Köln, Germany

Köln (Cologne in English) is the largest city in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the fourth-largest city in Germany, located on the Rhine River in the western part of the country. With a population of approximately 1.1 million, Köln is one of Germany's most important economic, cultural, and historical cities, sitting at the heart of a major metropolitan region that extends to neighboring cities including Bonn, Düsseldorf, and Aachen. The city is a major center for media, commerce, the arts, and — perhaps most famously — the annual Cologne Carnival.

Köln has one of the longest documented urban histories in Germany, founded as a Roman colony called Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium in 50 CE. The city served as the capital of the Roman province of Lower Germania and grew into one of the most important cities in the Western Roman Empire. The city's Roman heritage is still visible in numerous archaeological finds and in the Roman-Germanic Museum, which houses outstanding collections of Roman glass, mosaics, and artifacts unearthed in the city. After the fall of Rome, Köln became an important ecclesiastical center in the Holy Roman Empire and was one of the largest cities in medieval Europe.

The Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the city's most iconic and awe-inspiring landmark. Begun in 1248 and not completed until 1880 — over 600 years later — the cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With its twin spires reaching 157 meters, it was the world's tallest building when completed and remains one of the greatest achievements of Gothic cathedral building. Inside, the Cathedral houses the Shrine of the Three Kings, one of the most important relics in medieval Christendom. The view of the cathedral from the Rhine bridges, particularly the Hohenzollern Bridge with its thousands of love locks, is one of Germany's most iconic urban panoramas.

Köln is a major media city, home to Germany's public broadcaster WDR (West German Broadcasting) and numerous private media companies. The city hosts some of Europe's most important trade fairs, including the Art Cologne fair, the world's oldest art fair, and Cologne Game, one of the largest gaming events in the world. The Museum Ludwig holds one of the world's most important collections of Pop Art, and the Wallraf-Richartz Museum houses an outstanding collection of medieval and early modern European paintings.

The city is famous for Kölsch beer, a light, top-fermented lager that by European protected designation of origin can only be brewed in the Cologne area and must be served in traditional tall, narrow glasses called Stangen. The Cologne Carnival (Karneval), beginning on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, is one of Germany's largest and most exuberant street festivals, transforming the entire city for a week of costumes, parades, singing, and celebration.

Köln is a major transportation hub with an international airport, excellent rail connections, and easy access to the Rhine waterway. Its combination of remarkable history, extraordinary Gothic cathedral, vibrant media and arts scene, and legendary carnival spirit make it one of Germany's most lively and appealing cities.