Germany’s largest city on the Rhine, Cologne is a cultural and educational capital with more than 2,000 years of history. Medieval Roman architecture dots the landscape of this modern city as Cologne was once the capitol Roman city of its Germanic province. With museums, cathedrals, river cruises and more pubs per person than anywhere else in Germany, there’s plenty of things to do in this great German city.
The Köln Card
You can now explore the city with this useful and good value KölnCard. This brilliant card will give you various discounts and free access to public transport for 24 or 48 hours. And the best thing is you don’t even need to print it. Just show it on your mobile and you’re all set.
Where to Stay in Cologne
Hotel Sion
We stayed at the Hotel Sion in Cologne. The rooms are small, but cozy and the location is unbeatable. You are within walking distance of everything and right around the corner from Brauerei zur Malzmühle, one of the best breweries/beerhalls in town.
Things to Do in Cologne
The Dom
Cologne Cathedral, or simply The Dom, as it’s known locally, is one of the largest churches on earth. Built in 1248 over a smaller church that has held the Reliquary of the Three Kings since 1164, the Dom has a dizzying amount of priceless artifacts inside. The stained glass windows from the 16th century, a 10th century Gero-Kreuz crucifix and a black marble altar from the 1300s carved with niches featuring images of the Coronation of the Virgin are all worth taking the time to visit, but the Reliquary of the Three Kings, a triple sarcophagus decorated with 12th-century reliefs of episodes from the life of Christ, is the real show stopper.
You can also climb the over 500 steps to the top of this cathedral to view the city from above.
Old Town of Cologne
72% of Cologne was destroyed by bombs during World War II, so most of the city is modern construction. But, there’s still a small historic section that has survived. The most authentic surviving area of this old town is situated just 2 blocks off the river along streets and plazas like Alter Markt, Heumarkt and Am Hof.
The Belgian Quarter
Perhaps Cologne’s trendiest quarter, situated between Aachener Straße in the south and Friesenplatz in the northeast, The Belgian Quarter is known for is art galleries, hip cafés and bars, theaters, live music venues and boutique shops. All of the streets are named after cities in Belgium like Liege, Ghent, Brussels, and Antwerp. Foodwise, check out Herr Pimock bar. Lunch here is huge and tasty. Another fabulous place to eat delicious homemade quiches is Salon Schmitz, a little further along the street.
The Imhoff-Schokoladenmuseum
This “museum” is dedicated entirely to chocolate. Operated in collaboration with the Lindt & Sprüngli chocolate brand is one of the best chocolate museums in the world. The museum also has a “tropicarium” growing cacao trees in a glass cube, silver Mesoamerican vessels for chocolate, as well as pared-down versions of chocolate-making machines, demonstrating how everyone’s favourite treat is produced. But the best part is the chocolate café where you can try all their delicious chocolates. And, if you can’t wait till you get to the café be aware that the staff all have bags of chocolate on them and often hand out bars to people that ask them questions.
Boat Trip on the Rhine
On the west bank of the Rhine River, right at the Hohenzollern Bridge there are two jetties where you can board a boat for a cruise along the Rhine. There are three companies that offer tours of the city from the river (KölnTourist, Kölndüsseldorfer and Colonia). You can book with them individually or book with the tourist board at one of Cologne’s tourist centers. If you book at the tourist center you pay a flat rate and then can choose whatever tourist company you’d like once you get to the dock. The tours usually last about 1 hour.
Order a Kölsch and a Halve Hahn
In Cologne’s traditional Kneipen (pubs), they drink Kölsch, a light pilsner style beer out of small 6.5oz (20cl) glasses with a plate of Halve Hahn (rye bread and gouda cheese). Beware that waiters will refill your empty glass as long as you leave it uncovered on your table. If you want the beer to stop flowing simply put a coaster over your glass. Below are the best spots in town to get a Kölsch and a Halve Hahn:
The Cologne Zoo
Established in 1860, the Cologne Zoo is one of the oldest continuously running zoos in the world. But, don’t let its age fool you, it’s also one of the most up to date and animal friendly exhibits on earth. With more than 700 species and a staggering schedule of public feedings for penguins, meerkats, otters, sea lions, hippos and piranhas, you and your kids will have plenty of things to see while visiting.
FC Köln
Seeing a soccer match in Germany is about as exhilarating sport experience as you’re going to find anywhere else. Watching the insane crowd is just as fun as watching the game itself. FC Köln recently renovated its stadium in 2006 after Germany won the World Cup making it one of the top stadiums in Europe. If you’re lucky enough to be in town for one of the teams 17 home games you should absolutely consider buying tickets to see the match.
Hohenzollern Bridge
Built across the Rhine River this stunning architectural marvel is weighed down by over 2 tons of love locks. Make sure to take some time while walking around to walk across the bridge and check out the gorgeous view of Cologne from the banks beneath for a stunning photo.
Cologne’s Best Museums
Ludwig Museum: One of the largest collection of modern 20th-century artwork on earth.
Romanische Germanische Museum: A large museum dedicated to the Ancient Roman occupation of the region, built entirely around an excavated Roman Villa.
The Wallraf-Richartz Museum: A museum built around one of the world’s greatest collection of gothic works by painter Stefan Lochner as well as the art of Albrecht Dürer, Hieronymous Bosch, Rubens, van Dyck, Rembrandt, Degas, Monet and many more.
Museum für Angewandte Künste Köln: An outstanding museum featuring over 100,000 pieces of decorative art from weapons, furniture, jewelry, porcelain, tapestries to industrial/modern design pieces.
Cologne’s Best Restaurants
Früh am Dom
Home to Cologne’s famous Kölsch, this over 100 year old brauhaus serves some of the best classic Koelsche cuisine in Cologne. An unpretentious restaurant with atmospheric brewery rooms, massive wooden tables, medieval chandeliers and cathedral-like stained glass windows. Be sure to try their speciality – potato mash with applesauce. It’s topped with fried shallots and is absolutely mouthwatering.
Peter’s Brauhaus
The king of Cologne’s breweries, Peter’s Brauhaus has been serving some of Cologne’s best microbrews and German foods since 1994. The brewery over which it is built is first mentioned in the tax books of the region in 1544 and the earliest photo of the very building that Peter’s occupies today is from the late 1800s. It is believed that the building has been there since the early 1700s. Make sure to try Peter’s own Kölsch style beer, brewed on the premises, to wash down their pork chops with dumplings or their sauerkraut with beer sausages.
Bei Oma Kleinmann
Named after the cook and landlady, Grandma Paula Kleinmann, Bei Oma Kleinmann is one of Cologne’s oldest eateries. This place is as old fashioned and genuinely authentic as it gets. You’ll feel like you stepped back in time to visit an old relative that’s serving homemade Viennese schnitzel.
Da Damiano
Beautifully plated pieces of artwork are served up in this modern Italian restaurant. Everything on the menu is just as mouthwatering as it is stunningly beautiful.
Die Fette Kuh
Germany is not known for their hamburgers, but Fette Kuh, which means ‘fat cow’ in German, serves up some of the best hamburgers you’ll find anywhere in the world. Their burgers are piled high with bacon, peppers, pickles and caramelized onions. They even have a vegan burger option made from chickpeas for the vegetarians out there.
Ox und Klee
Ever changing tasting menu executed to perfection.
Le Moissonier
High end French cuisine in a relatively casual atmosphere, served with understated and unpretentious charm. This culinary institution in Cologne has been awarded two Michelin stars.
Burg Restaurant Nideggen
Visit Nideggen Castle, where you can enjoy their castle biergarten and then head inside the castle walls where two top chefs will regale you with a 3-6 course tasting menu of expertly prepared dishes.
Amabile
A romantic, candle-lit restaurant that’s perfect for a special date. With exposed brickwork, cozy lighting and a terrace straight out of a movie set you certainly won’t be disappointed with the ambiance. The food, also, lives up to the appearance. It’s two menus, Liebelein (Sweetheart) and Amabile (Lovable) are built on inspirations from French and Mediterranean cuisines with a hint of Asian flavor. This is a very creative menu with unique takes on classic local specialties as well as seasonally devised dishes that you won’t find anywhere else.
Plomari
A simple unassuming restaurant serving up the best Greek food anywhere outside Greece.
Neobiota
Known for their exceptional breakfast menu, this new comer to the Cologne dining scene also has an incredible dinner menu which earned them a Michelin star within the first year of their opening. If you’re looking for a great place to have breakfast (served until 13:00), be sure to check out Neobiota.
Cologne’s Best Cafés
Café Fassbender
The perfect spot to indulge in the German afternoon tradition of Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cake). They also have one of the best Christmas cookies in town.
Salon Schmitz
A 1950s style lounge café with the unmistakable ambience of the Belgian quarter. In addition to standard café fare, you can also order various dishes from the attached butcher shop that they’ll serve you in the café. Hidden in the basement is Coco Schmitz, a 24 hour event hall that hosts dancing, live music, art exhibits and more depending on the evening. However, they are most famous for having some of the best ice cream in town and the largest selection of lactose-free sorbets in Cologne.
Cafe Storch
A jazz and coffee shop with weekly poetry slams.
1980 Cafe and Bánh Mì
The perfect spot to get a Vietnamese coffee and a Bánh Mì.
Bastian’s
One of the finest cafés and bakeries in Cologne. The bakers make the bread fresh right in front of you while you’re ordering. The breads here are phenomenal.
Cologne’s Best Wine & Cocktail Bars
Die Henne Weinbar
The perfect spot to enjoy a glass of wine with friends while sharing from their extensive tapas-style menu.
Seiberts Classic Bar & Liquid Kitchen
A perfect place to enjoy a fancy cocktail before dinner.
1460
An art gallery with a secret cocktail bar sitting above it in the 500-year-old arches of the Klein St. Martin Chapel.
Die Wohngemeinschaft
A really interesting and unusual concept bar. The name means ‘shared apartment’ in German, and the bar is divided into four unique rooms to fit that theme. You can check out the teenagers rock ’n roll room, the ornate girly room, the Chinese exchange students room complete with a ping pong table and even rent out a VW beach bum Bus that sits in one room as a private lounge for (100 euros).
Ona Mor
Upscale in every sense of the word, enjoy classic cocktails, unique concoctions and the best gin and vodka collection in the city in this dimly lit, chic and sophisticated cocktail bar.
Christmas Markets
Cologne has one of the best and most extensive Christmas Markets in all of Europe. They go all out. The entire town is covered head to toe in Christmas paraphernalia. Every open space is decorated and filled with markets. There’s a giant stage with live music performances all day long in front at The Dom.
Check out our photos below from our visit to the 2019 Cologne Christmas Market
