Jumping across to the far west of the country we find Gelsenkirchen, a famous footballing town (home to the team Schalke 04) and Cologne, the cathedral city on the banks of the Rhine. The cities’ pasts are wholly different but equally fascinating: Gelsenkirchen is a major industrial town which has undergone astonishing regeneration in recent years, while Cologne boasts a 2,000-year history as a cultural centre. Today both are vibrant, welcoming places with a wealth of local and regional attractions to offer.

Cologne

First, let’s make sure there’s no confusion: Köln and Cologne are the German and English names for the same city. The one famous for its huge Gothic cathedral (if you have the stamina, a long spiral staircase leads to the top of the south tower) and the notoriously boisterous carnival that overruns it just before Lent. Here Roman history jostles for space with vibrant modern music and art scenes, countless museums, high-class shopping and bars serving ‘Kölsch’ – a unique local beer.

Outside Cologne you’ll find magnificent countryside in the volcanic Eifel region, whose waters the Romans believed to have healing powers. At its heart lies the imperial city of Aachen, with a cathedral and town hall that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Stadium and football team: Rhein Energie Stadion, FC Köln

Travelling to Cologne: Cologne is connected by two major airports (Cologne/Bonn is only 12 minutes away by train, Düsseldorf 55 minutes), ten autobahns, 1,200 daily train services and, of course, Father Rhine. New high-speed InterCityExpress (ICE) services have reduced travel time between Cologne and Frankfurt to 1 hour.

Gelsenkirchen

Gelsenkirchen’s regeneration didn’t mean losing sight of its history. Although the area has a new, commercial tourist industry (families with young children will find the Movie Park Germany theme park in nearby Bottrop) old heavy-industry heritage sites are routinely preserved, and constitute popular, often spectacular attractions.

The Himmelstreppe leads up a huge slagheap to a commanding view of the whole Ruhr area – an experience both visually stunning and powerfully symbolic. Duisburg Country Park, meanwhile, offers climbing walls, high ropes courses and scuba diving in a former gasometer. Events in Gelsenkirchen include the popular ‘Summer Sound’ music festival in the city gardens.

Stadium and football team: Arena Auf Schalke, Schalke 04

Travelling to Gelsenkirchen: Drivers can use the A2, A40, A42, A43 and A52 autobahns. Gelsenkirchen is connected by InterCity (IC) and InterCityExpress (ICE) rail services, and served by three airports: Düsseldorf (40km away) Dortmund airport (62km) and Münster/Osnabrück (105km).

Now try answering the following questions. You’ll need to take account of the information on this page, and do some further reading at www.germany-tourism.co.uk. Pay particular attention to:

Destination Germany
Major cities

Events
2006 Cities

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