This route is definitely something for culture enthusiasts: it takes you to the six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in North Rhine-Westphalia - Cologne Cathedral, Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen, Aachen Cathedral, Corvey Castle in Höxter and Augustusburg and Falkenlust Castles in Brühl as well as the Lower Germanic Limes in the Rhineland.
Discover five Unesco World Heritage Sites as 360° panoramas .
The tour starts at Aachen Cathedral. It is one of the best-preserved architectural monuments of the Carolingian period in terms of art history and architecture.
Good to know: In 1978, Aachen Cathedral was the first German monument to be included in the Unesco World Heritage List.
The Augustusburg and Falkenlust palaces in Brühl are two of the most important examples of Baroque and Rococo architecture in Germany. They were also models for numerous other castles in Germany
Good to know: The palace park, which connects the two palaces, is a monument to garden art of international standing and combines French and English garden art.
It's only a 30-minute drive from Brühl to Cologne - so you shouldn't miss the most visited sight in North Rhine-Westphalia: Cologne Cathedral. The church is one of the European masterpieces of Gothic architecture. Art lovers, tourists and pilgrims meet here - the cathedral is the most important pilgrimage church in Europe.
Beneath the cathedral, you can discover its Roman foundations, which point to another UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Rhineland. Cologne, originally Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, was one of the urban centres of the Lower Germanic Limes, the wet border between the Roman province of Lower Germania and free Germania. Travellers can still spot symbols of Roman power, building remains and archaeological monuments throughout the city.
Good to know: Over six million people visit Cologne Cathedral every year, making it the most visited attraction in Germany.
The Lower Germanic Limes separated the Roman province of Lower Germania from free Germania for over 450 years. The river border along the Rhine connects city and countryside, such as the Rhine metropolis of Cologne and Xanten on the Lower Rhine: There, Roman life comes alive in the LVR Roman Museum. Visitors can find out about trade routes, military bases and everyday life in the Roman Empire. The museum is embedded in the Xanten Archaeological Park, Germany's largest open-air archaeological museum, which is located on the site of the former Roman city of Colonia Ulpia Traiana.
Zeche Zollverein in Essen was added to the Unesco World Heritage List in 2001 and is one of the most impressive industrial monuments in the world. Since the last shift in 1986, Zollverein has been transformed into a centre for art, culture and creative industries.
Good to know: The UNESCO World Heritage Site attracts more than a million visitors every year and symbolises the structural change in the Ruhr metropolis like no other building.
The former Benedictine abbey in the small historic village of Corvey is unique: the westwork from the time of Charlemagne is particularly impressive. Here you will find magnificent murals with scenes from the Odyssey, fragments of which are still preserved on the upper floor of the westwork.
Good to know: Corvey Castle was the first building in Westphalia to be awarded the Unesco World Heritage title in 2014.
