About Cologne (locally known in German as Köln or Koeln)

Cologne (German: Köln, pronounced [kœln] (listen) is Germany's fourth-largest city (after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich), and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants. It is one of the oldest cities in Germany, having been founded by the Romans in the year 38 BC.

Cologne lies on the River Rhine (city gets flooded regularly by the Rhine River). The city's famous Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. The University of Cologne (Universität zu Köln) is one of Europe's oldest universities. Cologne is the center of the Cologne/Bonn/Düsseldorf Region with around 3 million inhabitants (including the neighbouring cities of Bonn, Hürth, Leverkusen, and Bergisch-Gladbach). Cologne city was totally destroyed by bombing during WWII -Operation Milliennium dropped over 1000 bombs in 75 min period and destroyed over 600 acres of built-in areas). The city since then has been entirely rebuilt. University of Cologne with over 45000 students is one of the biggest Universities of Germany.


Conference Venue:

Tamil internet 2009 Conference will be held in the main conference building ("Hörsaalgebäude") of the University of Koeln
Street address:
Universitätsstrasse 35
Albertus-Magnus-Platz 1, 50931 Köln, Germany
URL: U Cologne campus map, location 1
About University of Cologne :
University Cologne Webpage in English
Detailed Directions to reach UKoeln Campus is given in the webpage cited below:
Directions to the Campus.


Local Accommodation

To promote better interactions, we have made a block booking of rooms at IBIS Hotel located in the center of Koeln, within walking distance to the university.
The Hotel address is :

IBIS HOTEL
Neue Weyerstrasse 4, D-50676 KOELN, GERMANY
Tel : (+49)221/20960 Fax : (+49)221/2096199
Hotel code: 1449
IBIS Hotel located very near to Barbarossa Platz, Cologne City
Web URL (opens in a new page): http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-1449-ibis-koeln-centrum/index.shtml
Located in the South-west side of Cologne, Barbarossa Platz is a main city hub with many hotels and restaurants in the area. Ideal underground rail links (6 lines) will take you quickly and effortlessly to all parts of the city. The pedestrianised area and the cathedral are just a 10-minute walk from the hotel. The university is just 5 minutes away. IBIS Hotel at BP has 208 airconditioned rooms with WiFi Internet access.
You can use Online reservation of IBIS to book your hotel room. Cost is 49 Euro per room per night (1-2 persons) if the room is booked 30 days in advance. Regular rate:64 Euro per room per night.


For Participants coming from India

INFITT has named Chennai-based office of the international Travel agents Cox & Kings as the official travel agents for TI2009. Cox and Kings is offering a special package for the TI2009 conference participants. The package includes in addition to air travel, local transportation, breakfast & dinner and 1 day local sightseeing. They can also help getting the Schengen Visa. For more details contact Chennai office of Cox & Kings Mr. Anand of Cox and Kings ( Mobile No – 9962509232/ PH: 044-28209666) can answer your queries.



Schengen Visa Requirements to visit Germany

Citizens and permanent-residents of countries of the Schengen Zone (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) and citizens of select countries (USA, Singapore,Malaysia...) do not need any Visa to visit Germany as a Tourist upto 90 days. Citizens of India and Sri Lanka do need Schengen Visa. For registered participants of TI2009, Organizers would be happy to provide support letters to get the Schengen Visa.. Please check with your nearest German Embassy or Consulate for your specific case.
(i) German Consulate Office in Chennai:
9 Boat Club Road, P.O.Box 3110, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600028, India
Telephone: +91 44 24301600; Website: Chennai Consulate website
ii) German Embassy in Singapore :
website: Singapore Embassy Website
(iii) German Embassy in Malaysia
Website: Kuala Lumpur Embassy website
iv) German Embassy in Sri Lanka (Colombo):
Website: Colombo Embassy website


Reaching Cologne City by public transport (for those flying into Germany )

Travel by Air:
Travelers to and from Cologne by air have a choice of three airports within easy reach of the city. Cologne/Bonn Airport (CGN) is the closest and particularly popular with low-cost airlines. Düsseldorf Airport (DUS) can be reached by train in 40 minutes while Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) with its almost limitless flight options is only an hour away by Inter-City Express (ICE) train.
Train services between Cologne City and Cologne/Bonn Airport (CGN)
Traveling between Cologne and Köln/Bonn (CGN) is simple and straightforward. S-Bahn train S13 makes the 15-minute journey between Köln/Bonn Flughafen (airport) and Köln Hauptbahnhof (Main Station) up to three times per hour. A few times per day, ICE trains also run on this route but at much higher costs and only 3 minutes faster. * Cologne’s Hauptbahnhof is a major railway hub with fast connections available to all parts of Germany as well as Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, and even London.

Airport Express Bus 670 between Bonn and Cologne/Bonn Airport (CGN)
The easiest way from downtown Bonn to Köln/Bonn is by bus. The Airport Express Bus 670 runs up to 3 times per hour between Cologne/Bonn Airport and Bonn Hauptbahnhof. Services are less frequent on weekend but at least once per hour. The journey takes half an hour.

Train services between Cologne City and Düsseldorf Airport (DUS)
Traveling from Köln Hauptbahnhof to Düsseldorf Airport (DUS) is uncomplicated too. Regional Express (RE) trains make the journey generally twice per hour in just less than 40 minutes. Alternative options, mostly by S-Bahn train from the airport to Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof and then on to Cologne, are available but slower and hardly worth the hassle given the convenience of the direct RE trains.

Train services between Cologne and Frankfurt International Airport (FRA)
The railway tracks between Cologne and Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) are the most modern in Germany and allow the Inter-City Express (ICE) to reach its highest speeds. The journey takes as little as an hour and up to three ICE trains are available per hour directly from Köln Hauptbahnhof to Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) and continuing to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof in 10 more minutes.

Round trip fare for Frankfurt Airport to Koeln City by Intercity Trains cost between 42 and 75 Euro depending on how early you buy the ticket and the added restrictions on cancellation charges. You can buy the ticket online at
http://www.deutschebahn.com/ .
Cheapest ticket -Sparpreis 50) cost 42 Euro for taking select trains with restrictions on refunds.
If you plan to do lot of travelling in Germany, you can buy Bahncard 25 (costs 57 Euro) with which you can buy train tickets at reduced prices. You need to buy tickets for 200 Euro or more to recover the cost of Bahncard.



Public Transportation at Koeln

It is operated by the Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe (KVB) (Cologne Transit Company)
CityTicket Level 1a or 1b
Level 1b: city trips within Cologne OR Bonn single trip 2.40 €, strip of 4 tickets 8.30€
Level 1b: for trips to other cities and communities
CityPlus Ticket Level 2 for trips to a neighboring city or community Regio Ticket: Level 3 or 4; Weekly Ticket zone 1b 19.50 € KurzstreckenTicket (Short Trip Ticket) – up to 4 stops
Cologne metro map online at
      http://www.urbanrail.net/eu/col/koeln-map.htm

Cologne is a modern city and has a good transport infrastructure. With a network of buses, trams, overground (S-Bahn) and underground (U-Bahn) trains, you will be well served from every area and throughout the night. A ferry service operates on the Rhine. Day tickets and group tickets are available.
The S - Bahn offers fabulous transportation links into the city of Cologne, The S - Bahn leaves from the airport itself, there is a station on the ground level, the tickets are 2 euro one way per person and you have 90 minutes to use the ticket from purchase. The S-Bahn 13 travels the short 20 minute journey time from Cologne-Bonn airport into Cologne Hauptbahnhof - the main train station....also stopping at a few other small stations and the other main station - Deutz.

Most buses and trains have frequent service and run every 10 minutes. One-day and three-day passes are available, which are valid for all modes of public transportation.



Attractions to see in Cologne City

1. Cologne Cathedral (DOM)
2. Kölner Philharmonie: Architectural building; All terrain vehicle trail; Concert
3. Gestapo Prison: This old Nazi prison, preserved in its original state, is a terrifying reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust.
4. Ludwig Museum: This art museum houses a diverse collection that includes everything from Dali to Warhol to one of the world's largest Picasso collections.
5. Wallrof- Richartz Museum This impressive museum houses artwork covering every genre from the 13th century through the 19th century
. 6. Roman-German Museum (Romisch-Germanisches Museum: This museum houses an impressive collection of classical art, including the famous Dionysus mosaic and the tomb of Publicus.



Indian Restaurants in the Koeln City Area

Restaurant Name , address	Website	Telephone Nr.
Tandoor Palace	www.tandoorpalace.de	+49 221 236855
Taj Mahal	www.tajmahal-textilen.de	+49 221 2580336
Bombay -Lieferservice	www.deliver24.de	+49 151 26819517
Kamasutra, Weyerstr 114, 50676 Köln	www.kamasutra-koeln.de	+49 221 348 92828
Kaschmir, Lindenstrasse 67, 50674 Koeln	www.restaurantkaschmir.de	+49 221 2402544
Govindam (Vegetarian)	www.govindam.net	+49 221 4928916
Royal Punjab, Venloer Str. 4, 50672 Köln		:+49 221 9908531
Ganesha, Händelstr. 26, 50674 Köln	www.ganesah-restaurant.de	+49 221 213165
Jaipur , Marzellenstrasse 50-56, 50668 Koeln		+49 221 135965
Mogul		+49 228 695569
Thali, Engelbertstrasse 9, 50674 Koeln
Mumbai Palace, Sülzburgstrasse 93, 509387 Koeln
Yaalini Cash and Carry		+49 214 3283559
Buy Buy, Aachener Straße 16, 50674 Köln		+49 221 9496725

This page was last updated on 30 August 2009.