• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

* * *

Finally, there’s the Praetorium (Map; 2212 2394; Kleine Budengasse 2; adult/concession €2.50/1.50; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun), the relics of a Roman governor’s palace below the Renaissance Rathaus (Map). The Praetorium will soon be part of a much larger subterranean archaeological museum that’s taking shape beneath the Rathausplatz. Visitors will be able to get close-ups of remnants, ruins and foundations of both Roman Cologne and the Jewish quarter in their original locations. A 3-D model in the Praetorium illustrates the project that’s expected to open in 2011.

KOLUMBA

Art, history, architecture and spirituality form a harmonious tapestry in spectacular new digs for the collection of religious treasures of the Archdiocese of Cologne. Called Kolumba (Map; 933 1930; Kolumbastrasse 4; adult/under 18yr/concession €5/free/3; noon-5pm Wed-Mon), the building encases the ruins of the late-Gothic church St Kolumba, layers of foundations going back to Roman times and the Madonna in the Ruins chapel, built on the site in 1950. It’s yet another magnificent design by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, 2009 winner of the Pritzker Prize, the ‘architectural Oscar’. Exhibits span the arc of religious artistry from the early days of Christianity to the present. Coptic textiles, Gothic reliquary and medieval painting are juxtaposed with works by Bauhaus legend Andor Weiniger and edgy room installations. The overall effect is contemplative rather than instructive, inspirational rather than historical.

MUSEUM LUDWIG

The distinctive building facade and unorthodox roofline signal that the Museum Ludwig (Map; 2212 6165; Heinrich-Böll-Platz; adult/concession/family €9/6/18, audioguide €3; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun) is no ordinary museum. Considered a mecca of postmodern art, it actually presents a survey of all major 20th-century genres. There’s plenty of American pop art, including Andy Warhol’s Brillo Boxes, alongside a comprehensive Picasso collection and plenty of works by Sigmar Polke. Fans of German expressionism will get their fill here as much as those with a penchant for such Russian avant-gardists as Kasimir Malewitsch and Ljubow Popowa.

Admission is also good for the Foto-Museum Agfa Foto-Historama, an unusual collection of historic photographs and equipment, housed under the same roof.

WALLRAF-RICHARTZ-MUSEUM & FONDATION CORBOUD

A famous collection of paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries, the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum (Map; 2212 1119; Obenmars-pforten; admission varies, usually €6-9; 10am-6pm Tue, Wed & Fri, 10am-10pm Thu, 11am-6pm Sat & Sun) occupies a postmodern cube designed by the late OM Ungers. Works are presented chronologically, with the oldest on the 1st floor where standouts include brilliant examples from the Cologne School, known for its distinctive use of colour. Upstairs are Dutch and Flemish artists, including Rembrandt and Rubens, Italians such as Canaletto and Spaniards such as Murillo. The 3rd floor focuses on the 19th century, with evocative works by Caspar David Friedrich and Lovis Corinth. Thanks to a permanent loan from Swiss collector Gérard Corboud, there’s also a respectable collection of impressionist paintings, including canvases by Monet and Cézanne.

KULTURQUARTIER AM NEUMARKT

East of the Neumarkt, the newly created Cultural Quarter encompasses an extension of the Museum Schnütgen (Map; 2212 3620; Cäcilienstrasse 29; adult/concession €3.20/1.90; 10am-5pm Tue-Fri, 11am-5pm Sat & Sun), a repository of medieval religious art and sculpture. Part of the exhibit will continue to be shown in the beautiful setting of the Romanesque Cäcilienkirche (Cecily Church). Also part of the complex is a new building that will house the non-European art and cultural collections of the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum (Map; 2213 1301; Cäcilienstrasse 29-33).

SCHOKOLADEN MUSEUM

You don’t have to have a sweet tooth to enjoy the Schokoladen Museum (Chocolate Museum; Map; 931 8880; Am Schokoladenmuseum 1a; adult/concession/family