The summer concerts
An open stage with the Rhine behind.
KölnKongress GmbH — Public domain · Matthias Zepper — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Raimond Spekking — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Raimond Spekking — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Tanzbrunnen is an open-air stage on the eastern bank of the Rhine, built in 1957 for the federal garden show within the Rheinpark — the large park facing the old town. The name means dancing fountain, a literal description of its origin: a round dance floor set inside a water basin. Its distinguishing feature is the canopy: a roof shaped like a sail or a pointed tent covering the stage, designed by the architect Fritz Schaller in an optimistic 1950s manner that became a design icon for the city. The shape is imprinted in Cologne's memory as much as it is a functional building. Today it is the site of Cologne's major summer concerts: a venue holding thousands seated and standing with the Rhine behind it and the old town skyline and cathedral on the opposite bank. Outside concert season the park is free and open, and walking it is among the finest things in Cologne — with the river cable car crossing overhead.
An open stage with the Rhine behind.
A large free park on the eastern bank.
Rheinpark, 50679 Cologne
Rheinpark & the Cable CarThe Rheinpark is Cologne's other bank: broad lawns and riverside paths directly 5 minutes walk4.5
St Kunibert's BasilicaThe youngest of Cologne's twelve Romanesque churches, and that is precisely what8 minutes walk4.6
KölnTriangleThe KölnTriangle is a glass office tower about one hundred and three metres high8 minutes walk4.7
Hohenzollern BridgeThe Hohenzollern Bridge is a railway bridge over the Rhine directly behind Colog9 minutes walk4.7
The Musical DomeThe Musical Dome is a performance venue on the Rhine bank directly north of the 10 minutes walk4.7The river cable car is the most enjoyable by a distance: it crosses directly over the Rhine, giving a view of the cathedral and bridges you get nowhere else, and lands at the Rheinpark. The alternative is walking over the Hohenzollern bridge in about twenty minutes. The cable car is seasonal, running spring to autumn.