Roman legions used to march here, where today shopping tourists from all over the world walk the pavement. The pedestrian areas Schildergasse and Hohe Straße, the most favoured shopping streets in Cologne city centre, were already central points of the former ‘Colonia’ at the time of the Romans. In fact, Schildergasse is the third-oldest street in Cologne and was once the end of a trading street, leading to the centre of Gaul. It is 534 metres long and, together with Hohe Straße, forms the central pedestrian zone of the largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia.
In January 2023, around 1.4 million passers-by were counted in Cologne's Schildergasse. This makes Cologne's Schildergasse one of the most popular shopping streets in Germany.
There, where Schildergasse flows into Hohe Straße, stands the largest department store in the cathedral city, the showpiece of the company Galeria Kaufhof GmbH is the third largest department store in Germany. Moreover, a notable building on Schildergasse because of its unusual construction is the Weltstadthaus by Italian architect Renzo Piano, which is operated by a fashion chain.
On nearby Ehrenstraße, which is popular especially with the younger crowd, there may not have been legionaries, but until the 1960s there were ladies of easy virtue. Then came artists, and finally trendy fashion. Today, trendy boutiques, street cafés and fashion branches can be found here. Those who like luxury can also take a diversion to nearby Mittelstraße.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
