Cologne - the centre of Germany’s largest economic region

Cologne is the largest city in Nordrhein-Westfalen, the state with the highest population in Germany. Over 20 million people live within one hour of the city. The dynamic Rhein-Ruhr-region is a central place in Europe for industry, trade, economics, science, research and culture.

Together with neighbouring countries of The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg it gains more than 40 per cent of the entire gross domestic product of the European Union. In the past few decades, the business structure of the region has changed dramatically. Previously coal and steel created the basis of the state’s wealth, today the growth industries are multimedia, communications and publications.

For more than 2,000 years, Cologne has been one of the most important European hubs:

• 10 European motorways cross Cologne
• The Cologne Main Station is considered the most important railway hub in Europe with over 1,200 trains each day
• Two international airports are located nearby: Cologne/Bonn (20 minutes) and Duesseldorf (35 minutes).

Cologne features a wide variety of cultural entertainment. The Cologne Philharmonic Concert Hall is considered as one of the most important concert halls in Europe and more than 100 art galleries are located within the city limits of Cologne. A wide range of evening and night entertainment completes the picture.

For further information, please visit the internet-site:
www.koeln.de
www.koelntourismus.de