Cologne

Standing on Deutzer Brucke with the Rhine beneath, travellers on short breaks to Cologne will conclude that the famous river ensures there are two distinct sides to the city.

On the west bank, gabled roofs stand in line like a picket fence, each sheltering a brightly coloured façade and watched over by the two towering spires of Cologne's medieval Cathedral.

The opposite bank is given over to commerce and a skyline of exhibition halls topped with neon signs. So, city breaks to Cologne really do offer the chance to mix business with pleasure.

Despite suffering damage during the Second World War that threatened to remove Cologne from Germany's tourist maps, the city picked itself up and began to meticulously restore the Old Town.

Of course, there's one enduring monument anyone on a short break to Cologne can't fail to notice. Untouched at the centre stands the magnificent Cathedral, home to the largest gold sarcophagus this side of Istanbul and, if you can manage the 509 steps that wind their way up the south tower, breath-taking views of the city.

Other examples of medieval Cologne are dotted about the city (notably the three remaining City Gates and the Overstolzenhaus). For something a little older, head to the Römisch-Germanisches Museum (Roman-Germanic Museum).

City breaks to Cologne are creative trips to savour and ever since the sixties it has been Germany's artistic focal point. Today it has more than 100 galleries with a broad canvas covering everything from the Masters in the Wallraf-Richartz Museum to contemporary works in the Ludwig Museum.

Far from being one long lesson in Kultur, short breaks to Cologne offer the chance for more than a little indulgence. With 3,000 bars and restaurants, Cologne boasts the proud statistic of having more watering holes per capita than any other city in Germany.