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€7.50/7/21; 10am-6pm Tue-Fri, 11am-7pm Sat & Sun), a high-tech temple to the art of chocolate-making. Exhibits on the origin of the ‘elixir of the gods’, as the Aztecs called it, and the cocoa-growing process are followed by a live-production factory tour and a stop at a chocolate fountain for a sample. Upstairs are departments on the cultural history of chocolate, advertising, and porcelain and other accessories. Stock up on your favourite flavours at the downstairs shop.

DEUTSCHES SPORT & OLYMPIA MUSEUM

In a 19th-century customs building near the Schokoladen Museum, the Deutsches Sport & Olympia Museum (German Sport & Olympic Games Museum; Map; 336 090; Im Zollhafen 1; adult/concession/family €5/2.50/12.50; 10am-6pm Tue-Fri, 11am-7pm Sat & Sun) is an imaginative, if Germany-focused, tribute to the sporting life from antiquity to today. There are exhibits on the 1936 Berlin and 1972 Munich Olympic Games and on such modern-day heroes as Steffi Graf and Michael Schumacher. Interactive displays allow you to experience a bobsled run or a bike race, and on the miniature football field on the rooftop you can kick with a view of the cathedral.

NS DOKUMENTATIONSZENTRUM

Cologne’s Third Reich history is poignantly documented in the Documentation Centre (Map; 2212 6332; Appellhofplatz 23-25; adult/concession €3.60/1.50; 10am-4pm Tue, Wed & Fri, 10am-6pm Thu, 11am-4pm Sat & Sun). In the basement of the building was the local Gestapo prison where scores of people were interrogated, tortured and killed. Inscriptions on the basement cell walls offer a gut-wrenching record of the emotional and physical pain endured by inmates.

OTHER MUSEUMS

Inside a bank branch is the Käthe-Kollwitz-Museum (Map; 227 2899; Neumarkt 18-24; adult/concession €3/1.50; 10am-6pm Tue-Fri, 11am-6pm Sat & Sun), with graphics and sculptures by the acclaimed socialist artist. A highlight is the haunting cycle called Ein Weberaufstand (A Weavers’ Revolt, 1897). Enter through the arcade, then take the glass-bubble lift to the 4th floor.

The Kölnisches Stadtmuseum (Cologne City Museum; Map; 2212 5789; Zeughausstrasse 1-3; adult/concession €4.20/2.60, incl audioguide; 10am-8pm Tue, 10am-5pm Wed-Sun), in the former medieval armoury, explores all facets of Cologne history. There are exhibits on Carnival, Kölsch (the local beer), eau de cologne and other things that make the city unique.

The Museum für Angewandte Kunst (Museum of Applied Arts; Map; 2212 6735; An der Rechtschule; adult/concession €4.20/2.60; 11am-5pm Tue-Sun) consists of a series of period rooms tracing European design from the Middle Ages to today. Keep an eye out for a 15th-century Venetian wedding goblet, a silver service by Henry van de Velde and life-sized animals made of Meissen porcelain.

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Tours

From May to October, the tourist office runs 90-minute city walking tours in English every Saturday at 1pm (adult/concession €9/7). DIY types might prefer picking up an audiovisual iGuide, also available at the tourist office, for self-guided touring (per 4/8 hours €8/12).

Rent-A-Bike (Map; 0171-629 8796; Marksmann-gasse) runs German/English three-hour bicycle tours (€15) daily at 1.30pm from April to October. Tours start in the Altstadt right below the Deutzer Brücke.

In the warmer months, several boat companies offer one-hour spins taking in the splendid Altstadt panorama (adult/child €7.80/3.90). Other options include sunset cruises and all-day trips to Königswinter. See the map for embarkation points.

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Sleeping

Cologne is not a cheap city, especially during major trade shows (mostly in spring and autumn) when prices can be triple the standard rate.

BUDGET

Station – Hostel for Backpackers (Map; 912 5301; www.hostel-cologne.de; Marzellenstrasse 44-56; dm €17-20, s/d/tr €39/55/75; ) Near the Hauptbahnhof, this is a hostel as hostels should be: central, convivial and economical. A lounge gives way to clean, colourful rooms sleeping one to six people. The helpful staff speak fluent English, and there’s lots of free stuff,