TheSchildergasse (German:[ˈʃɪldɐˌɡasə];Kölsch:Schelderjaß[ˌʃel²dɐˈjasˑ])[what does "²" mean?] is ashopping street in centralCologne,Germany. With 13,000 people passing through it every hour, it is the busiest shopping street in Europe, according to a 2008 survey byGfK.[1][2] The Schildergasse is a designated pedestrian zone and stretches for about 500 meters from theHohe Straße at its eastern end to the Neumarkt at the western end.
The street dates back to Roman times, when it was the city'sDecumanus Maximus. During the Middle Ages it was home to many artists who painted heraldic coats of arms, whence the street's name (Schilder means signs orescutcheons). Among today's landmarks on Schildergasse are the Atoniterkirche, the oldest Protestant church in Cologne, andPeek & Cloppenburg'sWeltstadthaus, designed byRenzo Piano.
50°56′11″N6°57′9″E / 50.93639°N 6.95250°E /50.93639; 6.95250
