The city of Cologne (Köln) on the banks of the River Rhine in western Germany has 2000 years of history and is the cultural center of the region, with 3.6 million people.

The city's majestic medieval cathedral is a globally recognized landmark and one of the most visited tourist and religious pilgrimage sites in Europe.
Its construction began in 1248 and took 600 years to complete, measuring 144 m long, 86 m wide and with two towers 157 m high, and is dedicated to Saint Peter and Our Lady.

Another imposing and historic structure in the city is the Hohenzollern railway bridge, with a pedestrian crossing that decorates it with padlocks with vows of eternal love, like so many others.
The bridge was originally built in 1911 and was named after the Hohenzollern family who ruled Germany until the 1918 Revolution when they were forced to abdicate.

The 2nd. The World War was cruel to these two monuments: the cathedral was bombed and attacked 14 times but survived; The bridge, although not attacked by enemies, was destroyed by the Germans themselves in 1945, in an attempt to prevent the invasion of the city by allied troops.

For a panoramic view of the city's skyline, you need to go to the south railway bridge (Südbrücke) and a focal length of 90 mm, obtaining, in the foreground, the Rheinauhafen district, an example of urban recovery of an old commercial port from the 1880s.

In addition to the three buildings that stand out, the Kranhaüser (plural of kranhaus, the crane house, named for their shape), there are several other buildings, all occupied by companies, cultural institutions, hotels and residences, as well as a marina, making up a pleasant urban area with 15.4 hectares.