I have totally changed my about Cologne. When I first visited in 2007 I thought it was the most boring of German cities. There aren’t many tourist attractions and there are better places in Germany to go shopping so I wrote it off. I did go back though, either passing through to go elsewhere or as a quick getaway from Paris, and little by little it grew on me. Here are my top 5 tips to make a trip to Cologne worthwhile.
Have a Beer by the Rhine
For me, Cologne is all about chilling out and sitting in one of the beer gardens by the Rhine is a great place to do that. There are plenty to choose from and they are always packed with tourists and locals alike. Ständige Vertretung has one of the best locations and if you’re lucky you’ll get some free entertainment from one of the local buskers.
Get the Best View of Cologne
Looking back towards Cologne from the right bank (the Deutz area) you’ll get one of the best views of the city including that of the Dom which dominates the skyline.
If you cross the River Rhine on the Deutz Bridge you’ll get a close up view of Cologne’s pretty altstadt (old town).
Add a Lovelock to the Hohenzollern Bridge
On your way back from the right bank, cross over the Hohenzollern Bridge and check out the 1000s of lovelocks which have accumulated in recent years. I’m not a huge fan of the lovelocks on the Pont des Arts in Paris but they seem to fit Cologne for some reason. Add your own if you like.
Visit Cologne’s Festivals
Cologne’s annual Christmas market and Carnival festival are known around the world and are great events to visit in the city. There are smaller events too like the Cologne Lights show and Cologne Pride, both held in July.
Eat!
There are plenty of opportunities to try German specialities in Cologne and the best place for that would be one of the pubs around Heumarkt or try Cafe Wahlen for traditional coffee and cake. There’s a great choice of international cuisine too including Cuban and Mexican or if you prefer more contemporary meals head to the area around Ehrenstraße. If the weather is not too good you could always take refuge in the chocolate museum.
Those are some of my favourite things to do in Cologne. What would you recommend?
About Andrea
After spending a large part of an afternoon on the Hohenzollern bridge, I wrote about the love locks fastened to the entire southern side; I admit I have a special place tucked away for all the locks I saw and photographed.
I like going to RheinZeit next to the Rhein for a bite and a drink. The Schokoladenmuseum (Chocolate Museum) is worth a visit, if only by the end of the tour, you end up at the “bow of the ship” and get to have free choco samples. The Zülpicher Viertel (Zülpicher Quarter) is my favorite area to go with friends for a drink or two … or more; Oruc Kebap in the area is my fave for döner or falafel, whether it’s day or night.
I’m not as informed about shopping (at all!), but Köln is a great city in which to relax, and the people there can also party : Karneval is a testament to that party spirit.
Thanks for your post, Andrea!
Thanks so much for the foodie tips! I’ve been to Cologne 4 or 5 times but I’m still a bit lost as to the best places to eat. I will definitely try Oruc Kebap next time I’m in Cologne as well as the Zülpicher Quarter.
Cologne is one of my favourite German cities now and I’d actually consider moving there I love it so much.
Here’s Henry’s post on the Hohenzollern bridge for those interested in Cologne’s love locks. http://fotoeins.com/2012/02/14/love-stories-in-cologne/
Andrea, thanks for highlighting my post about the love locks!
All I need is one of these reasons…your photos are brilliant my friend! Cologne is now very high on my bucket list!
Cologne is a very mellow city so it that’s your thing I’m sure you’ll love it.
We need to add this to our list too!!!!
Chocolate museum!? Do you need any other reason to visit if there is a chocolate museum? But seriously, this town sounds like a nice little getaway. Cologne having no real tourist attractions sounds like a positive rather than a negative. The less tourist attractions the less tourists, right? Nothing attracts me more to a city than locals and travelers rather than tourists.
It’s definitely a nice getaway and the chocolate museum is fun albeit a little pricey.