After many years of planning and fund raising, Cologne Zoo opened the massive Elephant House in 2004. The enclosure is the largest of its kind in northern Europe and is designed to allow herds of elephants to live almost as they would in the wild. Elephants have been shipped in from around Europe to create a unique and educational environment. Other attractions include the monkey house with its families of chimps, orangutans and gorillas, the tropical rainforest, and a 2000-square-meter house with flying birds, reptiles and a variety of exotic plants. After walking around all day, you can take a seat at the zoo's outdoor restaurant and enjoy a Kölsch beer.
Tel: 0221-778 50
www.zoo-koeln.de

World champion Formula 1 racecar driver Michael Schumacher started his career at his parents' go-kart center in Kerpen, just outside of Cologne. He was six years old when he won his first go-kart title. Today the same go-kart center has been renamed to accommodate the glory and success that it fostered. The Michael Schumacher Kart and Event Center features an indoor and an outdoor racetrack, an event center, an Italian pizzeria and an American sports bar. Before making the trip to Kerpen, check out their website, which explains in greater detail the procedures for reserving track times. The center caters to birthday parties and large groups, but prior registration is required. Children need to be taller than 140 centimeters before they can drive the go-karts. Safety is of major importance at the facility: the outdoor race track is closed during inclement weather and go-karts are replaced every six months.
Tel: 02273-601 90
www.ms-kartcenter.de

You and your family can spend the day with your favorite cartoon characters at Warner Bros. Studios in Bottrop-Kirchhellen. The theme park, which is very similar, if not identical, to what one would find in North America, is a big hit with kids. You'll find a wide range of entertainment choices, from the Hollywood Street Set featuring stunt shows and 4-D cinemas to a long list of rides and roller-coasters. Food choices are also in wide abundance. Admission is about 20 euro, with children under the age of three years admitted free. To get there, take the A31 towards Emden, exit at Kirchhellen-Nord, and then follow the signs. Parking is five euros.
Tel: 02045-89 90
www.movieparkgermany.com

Aqualand is an indoor aquatic paradise in Cologne for both young and old. Kids will enjoy the water park, replete with slides, wading pools and raft rides. Adults will take pleasure in the myriad saunas, a Turkish bath, whirlpools, massage centers and beer gardens. Guests should keep in mind that most, if not all, bathing facilities in Germany require that guests bathe with and without certain items. It is not appropriate, for example, to wear a swim suit in the sauna, but you should have a large sauna towel upon which to sit (the latter can cleverly be used to discreetly cover yourself, should you find it necessary). Many saunas are mixed gender, but Aqualand recently opened an 80-degree sauna for women only. Tickets can be purchased for lengths of two hours, four hours or all day and range in price from about 10 to 20 euros.
Tel: 0221-70280
www.aqualand.de

(Foto: aqualand.de)

A stroll through the 11.5-hectare Botanical Gardens and Flora in north Cologne will expose you to more than 10,000 species of plants, which are grouped regionally and according to their functionality. Some sections showcase plants as they have been used for food or clothing, nourishment or medicine, and some even for architecture. The garden formerly consisted of two separate facilities; today they are linked and visited by more than one million people each year. Entrance to the botanical garden is free. It is open to the public from October through March, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and from April through September, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Take the bridge across the river to experience the Rheinpark, an outdoor venue which hosts concerts and events in the summer months.
Tel: 0221-56 08 90
www.stadt-koeln.de/natur/parks/flora

Treat the family to a fun-filled day at the Altenahr luge track (Rodelbahn), a 500-meter-long course that begins at a height of 200 meters and winds through seven curves. You can make a day of it, because nearby there is also a playground for smaller children, as well as a petting zoo and pony rides. To get there, take the A1 in the direction of Euskirchen, then take the A61 direction in the direction of Koblenz, exit Meckenheimer Kreuz and follow the signs to Altenahr on the B257 to the Sommerrodelbahn. In the winter months the track is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. But starting on the first of April, the track is open until 6:00 p.m. As the summer progresses, the track stays open longer.
Tel: 02643-2321
www.sommerrodelbahn-altenahr.de

Those who enjoy large amusement parks with thrilling rides won't want to miss Phantasialand. The park attracts up to two million visitors annually with roller-coasters and other adventure rides, such as the Black Mamba, Atlantis, Talocan, Colorado Adventure, and Wildwash Creek. The park also has a plethora of hotels, restaurants and entertainment shows, so you can easily make a weekend out of it. You can reach Phantasialand with the A555 in the direction of Bonn, and then follow the signs. Children less than one meter in height can enter for free. Day tickets for adults average about 30 euros.
Tel: 02232-366 40
www.phantasialand.de

This small and quaint theater is a hit for the young ones, with the shows revolving around the traditional German fairy-tale themes. The dialogue is in German, but the spectacle will certainly engage the interest of young children who speak any language. Some of the shows even cater to toddlers. Tickets are six euros for children and seven euros for adults.
Tel: 0211-37 24 01
www.puppentheater.de