Cologne is a 2,000-year-old city as undersung as it is spectacular. Its twin-spired cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Europe’s most visited landmarks, still dominates the skyline, yet the city’s future story is increasingly told in glass towers, R&D labs and buzzing riverfront districts. Cologne demonstrated its inclusivity in July 2025 with a record 1.4 million attendees for ColognePride, one of Europe’s largest Pride celebrations. The coming year will see the reopening of the 130-room Althoff Dom Hotel just steps from the cathedral, signaling investor confidence in the city’s economic vitality and tourism appeal. Cologne’s matchless mobility – #35-ranked Walkability, #20-ranked Biking and #22-ranked Airports – will keep crowds moving.
The KölnMesse convention complex (currently #10 for Convention Centers) is in the midst of an $810-million renovation, securing its top-tier ranking. The Ford Cologne Electric Vehicle Center has begun rolling out the new all-electric Explorer SUV, one of Europe’s largest EV investments and a milestone in Cologne’s industrial reinvention. Cologne is also leaning into its role as a logistics and aerospace hub, with the European Astronaut Centre and autonomous shipping pilots keeping the city firmly on the frontier. Good times? Cologne also hosts the world’s largest video game trade fair.