You only see what you know (Goethe)
In Köln (Cologne) there are still remains of a strong Roman fort to see. Actually the name of the district Köln-Deutz is deriving from the name of this fort called Divitia. During Roman times this fort guarded the big Rhine bridge connecting the Germanic side of the river with the Roman town Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium.
Below the ‘Spanische Bau’ in Cologne there are the remains of the former Roman Praetorium. Right next to this there is also the entrance to a Roman sewer which is still accessible.
Near the Roman Museum in Cologne one can see this reconstruction of an ancient street. In Cologne it is generally known as ‘Hafenstrasse’ though it isn’t really leading to a port. It isn’t an exact reconstruction of the former street either but the basalt stones are from Roman times at least.
Near the historic Zeughaus in Cologne, I discovered this map on the pavement. It helped me to understand the course of the former Roman town wall.
View of the main entrance of Moyland Palace (Schloss Moyland), where I visited an exhibition about the German artist Joseph Beuys.
The Basilica of St. Vitus (Münster St. Vitus) is located on the Abteiberg in Mönchengladbach. Together with the town hall and the Church of the Assumption (Kirche St. Mariä Himmelfahrt), it forms the historical centre of the city. Worth seeing is the Bible window from the 13th century in the choir of the church. [German]
The former moated castle is considered one of the best-preserved castles in the Rhineland. Its origins date back to the 12th century. Today, the walls of Satzey Castle (Burg Satzvey) serve as a venue for knight games and medieval festivals. [German]
Haus Kemnade, first mentioned in 1410, now houses a restaurant and several museums. In addition to the musical instrument collection Grumpt and the East Asian Art Collection Ehrich, a nearby farmhouse and a bee museum complement the cultural offer. [German]
Jagdschloss Falkenlust is a hunting lodge in Brühl. Together with Augustusburg Palace (Schloss Augustusburg) and the park grounds, Falkenlust hunting lodge forms an ensemble. In 1984 this ensemble has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. [German]
Augustusburg Palace (Schloss Augustusburg) was built in Brühl in the 18th century. Jagdschloss Falkenlust and Schloss Augustusburg form an ensemble and, together with the castle grounds, have been listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage since 1984. [German]
The landmark of Dortmund is the big U on top of a former brewery building. Today the building houses besides others the Museum Ostwall and some exhibition rooms. The elements looking like mosaics are actually movies shown high over the city.
A detail I was especially impressed in. At the coking plant Hansa I saw a pithead bath. In this hall the workers put their clothes in special frameworks. Each framework is movable up and down by a chain.