Belvedere station build in 1839 is the oldest railway building in Germany which is preserved in its original state. It is a rare example of an early type of suburban station for leisure travellers to the countryside and an outstanding architectural monument of the neoclassical period, both the building and its surrounding park. The station was situated on the first cross border railway line worldwide, connecting Cologne and Aix-la-Chapelle in Germany with the Belgian cities of Liège and Antwerp. The railway line linked the Rhineland with a seaport – a way to avoid the expensive Dutch customs tariffs on the River Rhine.
The station was shut down towards the end of the 19th century, taken over by the city of Cologne in 1892 and used as a residential building until 2010. Since then, a supporting initiative has been taking care of the monument in need of rehabilitation, offers guided tours and is going to reuse it after restoration.
Belvedere Historical Station Building
Belvederestr. 147
50933 Cologne
Germany
+49 (0) 2234 - 948598
Homepage