The Cologne City Hall complex is one of the finest groups of historic civic buildings in Germany. The oldest part — the tower — dates from the 14th century; the magnificent Renaissance loggia facing the Rathausplatz was added in 1569 and is considered one of the best examples of the style in northern Europe. The Gothic tower rises 61 metres and is still the ceremonial heart of the city's civic life.
The building is interesting from the outside rather than the inside (it functions as a working city hall), and the best approach is from the Rathausplatz on its western side. Look for the 124 sculptures of historical figures in the niches of the loggia — Charlemagne, Albertus Magnus, and dozens of others — and for the Jewish mikveh (ritual bath) excavation visible through a glass panel in the square, evidence of the medieval Jewish community that lived nearby before the 1349 massacre.