Cologne is a very touristy, dynamic and cosmopolitan city. As well as its impressive Gothic cathedral, numerous Romanesque churches and colourful houses with pointed gables, the city boasts buildings with bold contemporary architecture, including the three crane-shaped towers in the Kraushaüser district.
From Cologne to Bonn, the route follows the meandering course of the Rhine, where the ecologically valuable flood meadows are increasingly threatened by urban sprawl.