The Kölnisches Stadtmuseum, in the former medieval armoury, explores all facets of Cologne's history. Although the permanent exhibit remains closed while undergoing rehabilitation following water damage suffered in 2017, the dedicated curators mount excellent themed temporary exhibits that shed light on the things that make Cologne unique.
Kölnisches Stadtmuseum
Cologne
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.36 MILES
Cologne’s geographical and spiritual heart – and its single-biggest tourist draw – is the magnificent Kölner Dom. With its soaring twin spires, this is…
0.4 MILES
Sculptures and ruins displayed outside the entrance are merely the overture to a full symphony of Roman artefacts found along the Rhine. Highlights…
20.52 MILES
A stately 19th-century parliament building forms a fabulously dichotomous setting for the cutting-edge art of the K21 – a collection only showcasing works…
21.22 MILES
A collection that spans the arc of 20th-century artistic vision gives the K20 an enviable edge in the art world. It encompasses major works by Picasso,…
8.02 MILES
The favourite palace of archbishop and prince-elector Clemens August, Schloss Augustusburg is a precious rococo symphony designed by François Cuvilliés…
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud
0.46 MILES
One of Germany's finest art museums, the Wallraf-Richartz presents a primo collection of European art from the 13th to the 19th centuries in a minimalist…
15.61 MILES
Star composer Ludwig van Beethoven was born in 1770 in this rather humble townhouse, where today original scores, letters, paintings and instruments,…
17.15 MILES
The Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland presents a smart, fun romp through recent German history, starting from the end of WWII. Walk…
Nearby Cologne attractions
0.05 MILES
Cologne's Third Reich history is poignantly and exhaustively documented in the NS Documentation Centre housed in the very building that served as the…
0.21 MILES
The most eccentric looking of Cologne's many Romanesque churches, St Gereon grew from a late-Roman chapel into this massive complex lidded by a 10-sided…
0.21 MILES
This jaunty tower marks the northwest corner of the ancient Roman town fortifications, which stretched for 4km and had at least nine gates and 19 round…
4. Museum für Angewandte Kunst
0.24 MILES
If Aalto, Eames and Olivetti are music to your ears, you should swing by the Museum of Applied Arts, which displays a prestigious and extensive collection…
0.27 MILES
Art, history, architecture and spirituality form a harmonious tapestry in this spectacular collection of the Archdiocese of Cologne's religious treasures…
0.31 MILES
This arch outside the Dom is a rare vestige of Cologne's ancient Roman city wall and once formed the northern gateway into the colony.
0.35 MILES
Käthe Kollwitz (1867–1945) was a famous early 20th-century German artist whose social and political awareness lent a tortured power to her lithographs,…
0.36 MILES
If you look at Cologne’s coat of arms, you’ll see what looks like 11 apostrophes. In fact, the squiggles represent St Ursula and 11,000 virgins who were…