Cologne City Tour Experience
4,8 (970)2hCologne, Germany
From€29
HikingHistoricalCulture
Cologne's City of the Dead Melaten Cemetery Tour in English
5(8 reviews)Cologne, Germany
2h15DurationEnglishOffered inMobile ticketTicketNot includedPickupWheelchair accessibleAccessibilityEasyLevel
About this experience
During this two-hour tour, participants explore Melaten Cemetery, which serves as a historical narrative of Cologne. The site initially functioned as a medieval leper colony before being designated as the city's cemetery by a decree from Napoleon in 1804. The tour covers notable features like the Avenue of Millions, where elaborate monuments were erected by industrialists and carnival royalty. Visitors will encounter graves of significant figures including the inventor of Eau de Cologne, as well as various locals, each contributing to the city's history. The cemetery is not only a burial ground but also a green space filled with birdsong and mature trees, frequented by locals.
Itinerary
1
Melaten-Friedhof
Among the iron crosses and German family crypts stands something unexpected: a Celtic cross. Discover the story of Colonel Commandant George Wynne, a British officer buried here during Prussia's occupation of Cologne, and learn what his distinctive grave tells us about the city's long history as a cosmopolitan crossroads. A surprisingly moving reminder that Cologne has always been a city that welcomed strangers. Our tour will explore not just the graves but the iconography that fills this ancient graveyard.
2
Melaten-Friedhof
Dr. Franz Leuffen was one of Cologne's most respected royal physicians and our first step into the famous locals that reside in our famous Friedhof. His grave, however, hides a second life. Encoded in stone are the symbols of secret societies and ancient cultures. Your guide will help you decode the hidden language of this remarkable monument and reveal further the rich symbolic world in Cologne's cemeteries.
3
Melaten-Friedhof
Over the course of our next stops, begin to explore the locals and foreigners who define Cologne. From our incredible Karneval to the city's quietly diverse soul, discover the graves that blend into the greenery. Look closer and you'll find the Faravahar, one of Zoroastrianism's most ancient symbols, tributes to the founding of Great Carnival Societies, stunning mosaics and memorials to lost loves. This is the start of Millionenallee, the Millionaires Row of Cologne's oldest cemetery. This stop opens a window onto and the universal questions that death forces us to ask.
4
Melaten-Friedhof
He banned burials inside city walls. He dissolved monasteries. He closed the university. And he conscripted hundreds of young men from Cologne who never came home. Over several stops, get to know the emperor who had arguably the largest impact on Cologne's history, Napoleon. From the French regime and Cologne's conflicted opinions on their rule to the Prussians that followed. Standing nearly seven metres tall, see the striking monument commemorates the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, the conflict that set Germany on its path toward unification. Our war memorial to Napoleon's campaigns is one of the most quietly powerful monuments in the cemetery and one of the most unusual, bearing the names of survivors rather than the fallen. Your guide will unpack the politics, the symbolism, and the long shadow this era cast over Cologne's history.
What's included / not included
Tips and recommendations on the city of Cologne from a decade of guiding experienceA knowledgable, expert guide in art and history
Gratuties for your guide if you enjoyed your tour
Additional information
Accessibility and comfort
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Traveller reviews
58 reviews
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