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I would recommend the Altstadt which is in the centre of Cologne and right by the Rhine. It's full of history, so a tour is a good idea, and there are lots of Brauhauses selling traditional German food.  Pop into the little Brauhauses, they are full of character and often busy in the evenings with a lovely atmosphere.  Try the local bier - Kölsch, and eat Schnitzel with Bratkartoffeln (pork with fried potatoes).  Peters Brauhaus is very traditional, but most of them are, so pop in and take a look.
Ehrenfeld is the Turkish area of Cologne, full of little restaurants and shops - nice to browse around, and excellent prices in restaurants - try the Baklava with some Turkish tea.
You will find ice cream cafes in just about every area, so do take the time to sit down, relax and enjoy one of the delicious ice creams on the menu.
The Eifel is an area about an hour away, a lovely place to visit for the day, very pretty, and you can ski there (on a very small scale) during the winter months.
Rheinland Pfalz is a great place to visit (about 1 1/2 hours away), you can try the local made wines, which are really good, and admire the beautiful landscape.
Most of all,- coffee and cake is a must on most Germans' menus, so indulge and enjoy. 

Hi K&I,

Thank you for the sharing of information

Maximilien
Expat-blog Team

This is a good webpage to take a look at for ideas on where to visit in Cologne. It's still quite new, so there aren't many posts yet, but what is on it is interesting.

facebook.com/#!/pages/Places-to-See-in-Cologne-Before-You-Die/554892351239954?hc_location=stream

Kerrie