Things to do in Cologne
Cycle along the Rhine
Hire your own bike and explore the city's narrow cobbled streets. If you're feeling more adventurous, venture further afield along the Rhine and into Stadtwald forest and beyond. Speak to Radstation (www.radstationkoeln.de) about getting yourself set up with some wheels.
Discover the joys of the Olympics
Cologne's Sport and Olympic Museum (tel: +49 (0) 221 33 6090, www.sportmuseum.de) contains artefacts from ancient events through to modern day, and is an absolute must-visit for all Olympic history buffs. If all that makes you hungry, nip next door to the Chocolate Museum (tel: +49 (0) 221 931 8880; www.schokoladenmuseum.de).
Jump out of a plane. No really.
Why walk, run or cycle when you can hurl yourself out of a perfectly functioning aeroplane? You can skydive over Cologne with Sky-Fun (tel: +49 221 500 678 80; www.sky-fun.de/) – either on your own if you have the experience or strapped to someone else in a tandem jump if you don't.
Open your heart on the Love Locks Bridge
Some people say 'I love you' with flowers, some do it by composing irregularly rhyming poetry. Cologne's residents express everlasting commitment to their beloveds by snapping a natty padlock to the Hohenzollernbrücke, a bridge which overspans the river Rhine. So many padlocks have been snagged there, that they add an extra 22 tonnes of weight to the bridge.
See the Pop Art at Museum Ludwig
If you know your Warhol from your Lichenstein, Museum Ludwig (tel: +49 (0) 221 221 26165; www.museum-ludwig.de) will get your art heart filled to burst. It's home to one of Europe's largest collections of modern art, as well as around 900 works from Picasso, making it the world's third-largest after Paris and Barcelona.
