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Once upon a time... Exciting audio tour through the history of Cologne

von histomich · Köln · 34 Stationen · 90:04 min · 7.23 km · Zu Fuß

1. Brief outline of the history of Cologne

6:24 min · We want to start our tour at one of the oldest places in Cologne. First, I would like to give you a brief outline of the history of Cologne. From...
4 m

2. Römerturm (Roman tower)

2:30 min · It all started with “CCAA”…at least in Cologne… The abbreviation stands for “Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium”, where “Colonia” means Roman colo...
827 m

3. Pfaffenpforte (Römisches Nordtor), Pfaffenpforte (Roman North Gate)

2:06 min · Originally equipped with 3 archways, the north gate, also called the “Pfaffenpforte”, was part of an 11 m long tunnel system in Roman times, throug...
33 m

4. Kölner Dom (Cologne cathedral)

2:34 min · The people of Cologne are also always magically drawn to it, the Cologne Cathedral. It rises majestically right next to the train station and invi...
125 m

5. Dreikönigsschrein (Shrine of the Epiphany)

2:11 min · The Shrine of the Three Kings in Cologne Cathedral shines magnificently, and not just at Christmas time. The supposed relics of the Three Kings we...
29 m

6. Gerokreuz

1:31 min · The 2.88 m high “Gero Cross” shines in the Cross Chapel of Cologne Cathedral. It already had its place in the “Old Cathedral” and is dedicated to i...
344 m

7. Heinzelmännchenbrunnen (Heinzelmännchen fountain)

1:29 min · Who wouldn’t want them to come, the elves, to do the housework quietly and secretly at night? The Cologne legend, which was written in 1826 by Col...
387 m

8. WDR

2:42 min · The WDR logo can be seen from afar on one of its 9 main buildings above the North-South route in Cologne. The WDR, a broadcasting company of the AR...
79 m

9. Die Maus (The Mouse)

2:45 min · Over 50 years old and wise from the start…that’s how we know her, the WDR mouse from probably the most famous show on German television. For half a...
84 m

10. 4711

3:07 min · Did “4711” really invent the real cologne, which has been said to have miraculous and healing powers for 300 years, or were product pirates at work...
400 m

11. EL-DE-Haus

2:32 min · It is difficult to imagine that people were imprisoned and tortured in this actually harmonious-looking house for almost 10 years. From December 1,...
627 m

12. Willy Millowitsch

2:23 min · Acting was almost in Willi Millowitsch’s blood. In 1922, at the age of 13, the stage was his profession. In 1940, he took over the Millowitsch Thea...
569 m

13. Hahnentor

1:54 min · It was not the roosters who went through the Cologne Hahnentor, but the kings after their coronation in Aachen, who then made a beeline for the Shr...
371 m

14. Konrad Adenauer

4:44 min · Since July 1995, the city of Cologne has honored its “great” son Konrad Adenauer with this bronze monument. Adenauer has not only rendered great s...
19 m

15. St. Aposteln

2:54 min · If you want to take a short break from the stress of shopping in Cologne, St. Aposteln offers the best opportunity. In St. Aposteln you can escape ...
235 m

16. Neumarkt

2:48 min · The Neumarkt in Cologne can tell of a very eventful history: As the name suggests, from 1076 onwards it was used to “relieve” the “Alter Markt” an...
348 m

17. Schildergasse/Antoniterkirche

3:23 min · It was not the numerous advertising signs above or in front of the shops in Schildergasse that gave the street its name. It was the sign and coat o...
479 m

18. Farina Duftmuseum (Farina Fragrance Museum)

2:43 min · Only genuine with a red tulip, for purity and quality…that’s what the Farina house guarantees for its “Eau de Cologne”. Wait a minute, isn’t there...
15 m

19. Jüdisches Viertel (Jewish Quarter)

4:13 min · The “Black Death”, as the plague was reverently called in the late Middle Ages, did not stop at Cologne either. The wealthy citizens in particular ...
205 m

20. Gürzenich

1:54 min · The Cologne Gürzenich has already seen a number of celebrities… The reception of Charles V after his coronation as emperor in 1520, the announcemen...
5 m

21. Kölner Karneval (Cologne Carnival)

2:54 min · Cologne can look back on more than 200 years of carnival history, although people had already celebrated exuberantly on the eve of Lent in the Midd...
133 m

22. Reiterdenkmal (equestrian monument)

2:12 min · Seven sculptors were involved in completing the bronze equestrian monument as it stands today on the Heumarkt. The sculpture, which stands on a pe...
55 m

23. Heumarkt

2:04 min · The Heumarkt owes its name to the earlier trade in hay, which was sold here alongside grain, fish and vegetables. It wasn’t long before rich merch...
129 m

24. Hänneschen Theater

2:13 min · The Hänneschen Theater moved 17 times within Cologne until it reached its current location on the Eisenmarkt in the old town. It was founded in 18...
97 m

25. Grinköpfe (grinning heads)

1:20 min · It’s a little scary in Cologne’s old town when you see the so-called “grinheads” on some of the house facades. According to legend, these stone fa...
372 m

26. Rathaus (City hall)

2:33 min · Every hour on the hour, the “Platzjabbek” sticks out his tongue at the Cologne town hall tower, the “floppy hat” only wants to show self-confidence...
132 m

27. Tünnes und Schäl

3:19 min · How many jokes have been told over the past 170 years about these two Cologne originals: Tünnes and Schäl. The two never actually existed in real l...
41 m

28. Groß St. Martin

2:01 min · Where Roman warehouses once stood, a Benedictine monastery was built in the Middle Ages in honor of Martin of Tours. The monastery was the predeces...
80 m

29. Alter Markt

2:04 min · The “Alter Markt” was mentioned in the Cologne chronicles around 150 years before the Neumarkt. In the old days, the area here was very swampy, an...
22 m

30. Jan von Werth

2:28 min · “Griet, if she had done it!” “Jan, if he had known!” This is the legend of Jan, the glorious cavalry general and Griet, the market woman. On the A...
365 m

31. Stapelhaus (stacking house)

1:46 min · For a whole 3 days, goods that were transported by ship had to be offered for sale to the people of Cologne, a clear advantage for the trading metr...
31 m

32. Rheinschifffahrt (Rhine shipping)

2:44 min · If Cologne and Düsseldorf appear together in the name, there must be a historical reason for it. But joking aside: The Cologne-Düsseldorfer, also a...
246 m

33. Hohenzollernbrücke (Hohenzollern Bridge)

2:35 min · The Prussians had themselves immortalized with four equestrian statues on Cologne’s Hohenzollern Bridge: Emperor Wilhelm II ceremoniously inaugurat...
339 m

34. Hauptbahnhof/Alter Wartesaal (central station/old waiting room)

3:04 min · It is hard to imagine that there used to be a botanical garden on the site of today’s Cologne Central Station. In 1857, construction work began on...

29. Alter Markt

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Alter Markt

The “Alter Markt” was mentioned in the Cologne chronicles around 150 years before the Neumarkt.

In the old days, the area here was very swampy, and in the Middle Ages the arm of the Rhine was drained to create a market place. As early as the 10th century, there were reports of a lively market on the “mercatus coloniae”. Almost everything was on offer, from spices and fruit and vegetables to animal innards and household appliances. In addition to stalls, the mint and a bread hall were later added. In the late Middle Ages, residential and commercial buildings were gradually built for the wealthy merchants and citizens of Cologne.

Because of its central location, the Alter Markt was very popular as a pillory and execution site.

The Alter Markt also served as a venue for knights’ tournaments.

In the 13th century, the southern part was separated from the market and was henceforth called the “Heumarkt”.

It was then called “Le grand marché à Cologne” during the French occupation.
From 1820 to 1885, the Cologne Christmas market was held on the Alter Markt, but was not allowed to take place again until 1977.

The Jan-von-Werth-Apotheke, originally the oldest pharmacy in Cologne, is impressive. Unfortunately, the original building (“Roden-Haus”) is no longer standing at Alter Markt 48, and almost nothing remained on this square after the bombing raids during the Second World War.

Unfortunately, the owners gave up in 2012, and today you can find a chocolate shop there.

You will soon find out more about the glorious cavalry general Jan von Werth. From here you should already be able to see the fountain that was built in his honor.

Image source 2nd image: Roden-Haus, former “Jan-von-Werth-Apotheke”, Nikolas M. Schlage, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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