World-class Germany hosts the World Cup

• COLOGNE: The awe-inspiring Cologne Cathedral, its twin gothic spires soaring 518 feet (155 meters) tall, stands next to the train station. Leave at least an hour to roam the inside, home to a gilded sarcophagus holding what tradition says are remains of the Magi - the wise men who paid tribute to the newborn Jesus. The Roman-German Museum a few yards away from the cathedral has spectacular floor mosaics and other archaeological finds from the city's days as a Roman outpost.

The taverns clustering the cathedral area offer Cologne's trademark Koelsch, the frothy, faintly bitter beer served in what look like large shot glasses.

Portugal plays its former colony, Angola, in Cologne on June 11.

• HAMBURG: Walk two hours around the Aussen Alster lake, for pedestrian-only views of the city and its parks. A boat tour of the harbor (about US $13; euro 10) connects you with the great northern port's maritime role and history.

You can go to the famed Reeperbahn red-light street in the St. Pauli district if you must, but it's jammed with tourists and has lost much of whatever charm it once had.

Labskaus - a stew of potatoes, corned beef and beets with a fried egg on top - is said to have been served aboard ship because the ingredients would keep.

The Czech Republic and Italy, two of the strongest soccer teams, face off in Hamburg on June 22.

• FRANKFURT: The Roemerberg, the medieval town square rebuilt after its destruction in World War II, makes a lovely break from the city's skyscrapers, and is ringed by restaurants with local fare such as Frankfurt's green sauce, a creamy herb sauce served with potatoes or hard-boiled eggs. But if you order a frankfurter, you'll get two long, thin sausages with mustard and a hard roll instead of an American-style hot dog.

Bernd Kammerer / AP A tourist looks for postcards in front of the Frankfurt city hall, known as Roemer, in Frankfurt, Germany, March 10, 2005. Frankfurt is one of the host cities of the soccer World Cup 2006.

The traditional brew here is Apfelwein, a tangy apple wine that goes straight to your head.

Walk it off by hiking across one of the two pedestrian bridges spanning the Main River, to a row of museums on the south riverbank, just a few blocks from the main train station.

Frankfurt will host a quarterfinal match July 1.

• KAISERSLAUTERN: Not a major tourist stop, K-town, as the thousands of American soldiers stationed nearby call it, will host the U.S. team's game against Italy on June 17. The city center and Renaissance castle make a pleasant stroll, but the best move might be to drive to Trier, home to the Porta Nigra, or Black Gate, built by the Romans - some of the best Roman ruins north of the Alps.

If You Go:

WORLD CUP SOCCER TOURNAMENT: June 9-July 9, in 12 German cities including Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Nuremberg, Hamburg and Frankfurt. U.S. team opens June 12 against the Czech Republic, Gelsenkirchen; plays Italy, June 17, Kaiserslautern; and Ghana, June 22, Nuremberg.

TICKETS: Tickets allotted to the U.S. Soccer Federation for sale to American fans are sold out, but some tickets may be available through ticket brokers and tour operators. Games will be shown live on big screens in parks and other public places at fan festivals.

TOURISM INFORMATION: http://www.germany-tourism.de or http://www.fifaworldcup.com

Associated Press writers Matt Moore in Frankfurt and Kaiserslautern, Dave Rising in Nuremberg and Claus-Peter Tiemann in Hamburg contributed to this report.

MORE FROM EUROPE TRAVEL

Europe Travel Section Front

Rome taxis seek to wipe out tourist scams Rick Steves: Take the long way home The nature of Norway Charlie Chaplin’s Swiss retreat to become museum Explore Tuscan treats, Pisa and Lucca Land of bridges, bandits and bullfights Tips for healthy, happy travels ‘The Third Man’ lives on in Vienna tours Steves: Frankfurt bucks its stodgy image Soviet past lives in tiny Trans-Dniester Europe Travel Section Front   Add Europe Travel headlines to your news reader: