Cologne in a Day

I lived in Cologne for nearly ten years. I grew up there, partied all night long, worked a lot, went on adventures, and tried almost every restaurant and café. Many of my friends still live there, and I associate my favorite memories from my twenties with the cathedral city on the Rhine.

Having lived in a city for so long, people often ask what to experience in a day in Cologne. In light of this, I've summarized my personal tips and highlights for Cologne in two routes (Route 1 & 2). Additionally, guest author Mandy has contributed Routes 3 & 4.

Enjoy discovering my old hometown.

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A day in Cologne is not much time. Whether you're just passing through or spending a whole weekend in Cologne, there's plenty to experience and great sights to discover in the cathedral city.

Generally, I recommend staying at least a weekend in the city. You might not notice the charm of Cologne at first glance. But those who pause will quickly feel how the warmth of the people from the Rhine captivates you, making the city on the Rhine one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. Cologne is and always will be a feeling.

I've created a map for walking. Simply download it to your smartphone, and your stroll through Cologne can begin.

The perfect start in Cologne begins with breakfast. If you're staying in the Belgian Quarter and not taking the hotel breakfast, I recommend Kaffeesaurus. Right at Friesenplatz, you start with the best coffee and a huge selection of delicacies.

My tip: The smashed avocado, eggs benedict, and for those with a sweet tooth, the pancakes with berries.

You want to experience Cologne's classics? Then start with Route 1 through Cologne. It's easy to see many attractions in one day while still taking your time. No problem; this route is particularly well suited for first-time visitors.

From Friesenplatz, you can easily walk to Cologne Cathedral, or alternatively, the tram will take you directly to the main station. The Cologne Cathedral is the city's landmark and an absolute must-see in Cologne. It welcomes you as soon as you arrive by train. The stairs in front of the main entrance of the station lead directly to the Cathedral Square and the Cologne Cathedral.

Entry to the Cologne Cathedral is free. Interested in a tour? There are many different guided tours available at the Cologne Cathedral. You can even climb one of the towers. An overview of all offered tours can be found on the Cologne Cathedral Tours website.

Duration of the tour: 60 min.

If you have the time and inclination, you should take a detour to the famous Hohenzollern Bridge. It is here that numerous love locks from Cologne hang. The city often discusses removing the locks from the Hohenzollern Bridge because they become too heavy.

The Museum Ludwig is located next to the Cologne Cathedral, across from the main train station. The Museum of Modern Art of the 20th and 21st centuries is now among the most significant art museums in Europe. Museum Ludwig offers not only the largest collection of Pop Art in Europe but also the third largest Picasso collection in the world, collections on German Expressionism, Russian Avant-garde, and a photography history collection with about 70,000 works.

It's quite modern, and if you're into pop art and modern art, visiting this museum is a must. The city of Cologne is rightly proud of this museum.

Information about visiting Museum Ludwig:

On foot, head to the Alter Markt in downtown Cologne.

This historic square was already mentioned by the Romans. Every Christmas, a large Christmas market takes place on the Alter Markt, and during Carnival, the square is full of partying tourists (I prefer to escape to other areas during Carnival). Otherwise, it's not a place where you need to spend an excessive amount of time. The small streets around the market are much more interesting, showcasing the city's true old town.

Want to know stories and insider tips about the old town and its buildings? At Cologne Tourism, you can book a walk through the old town with a local guide. With a lot of Cologne humor, various secrets will be revealed here.

Duration of the guided tour: 90 min.

In Cologne, stands the true dream of all chocolate lovers: a chocolate fountain. The probably most famous chocolate museum in Germany is a must-see for many when they are in Cologne. Since 1993, you can experience the history of chocolate here, including tropical houses, a permanent exhibition on chocolate production and as a highlight, the three-meter-high chocolate fountain. You can, of course, sample it too.

Duration: Plan at least 2-3 hours, especially if you want to participate in a tour.

Tip: If you are already craving coffee and cake, you can sit on the terrace of the museum. There are some chocolaty treats in the form of cakes and tortes.

Note: Local Cologne residents now mock this attraction. But as a guest, a visit is actually a must.

You can walk directly next to the Chocolate Museum to Rheinauhafen. Boats were unloaded here in the past and goods were traded. Over time, Rheinauhafen has developed into one of the city's most expensive and popular residential areas.

A popular destination for a walk along the Rhine bank, especially the crane houses are known far beyond Cologne. If you want to take photos for your Instagram account, you're at the right spot with this Cologne attraction.

At the end of Rheinauhafen, by the way, you'll find the famous sausage stand of the Cologne crime scene and a skate park that is always well visited in the summer. Perfect for a break.

Duration: You can easily take an hour here to stroll and watch the boats.

Along the Rhine, from Rheinauhafen, you come to Cologne's Südstadt. Arguably one of the most beautiful districts in Cologne.

My three tips for restaurants for a delicious dinner in Südstadt:

If you're more in the mood for shopping, relaxing with coffee, and a bit of cool hipster atmosphere, then choose Route 2 for your stroll through Cologne.

After breakfast, you start your shopping spree on Ehrenstraße. Here, you can browse in smaller shops and have plenty of options to get a new wardrobe from head to toe. Smaller streets lead off to the right and left of Ehrenstraße, revealing charming little boutiques. It's definitely a more relaxed scene compared to Schildergasse (the main shopping street in downtown Cologne).

The Belgian Quarter is probably the it spot of Cologne. Here you find the coolest boutiques in the city. You'll also find record stores, interior design shops, galleries, and many great bars and cafés. Whether it's a skate shop or a kiosk with hundreds of international beers, the Belgian Quarter has something for everyone.

You can relax in Stadtgarten or at a table at Brüsseler Platz. The carrot cake at Hallmackenreuther is highly recommended.

Be sure to stop by the small market hall and browse in my favorite shop Siebter Himmel.

Here, the motto is to take it easy. With good coffee, you can easily spend a lovely 2-3 hours here. If you want to see and be seen even more, keep walking toward Aachener Straße, where cafés line up one after the other. Especially in summer, it's wonderful to hang out here and do some people-watching.

My old neighborhood and absolute favorite spot: Ehrenfeld. Oh Ehrenfeld, as I write these lines, I already miss you so much.

Ehrenfeld used to be a classic working-class neighborhood, and due to its low rents, it quickly attracted young people, artists, students, and other interested groups. This is where experimentation took place. I remember talking with my neighbor about the times when there were certain streets you wouldn't enter because they were too dangerous. Thankfully, that is long gone, and like everywhere else, gentrification has also struck Ehrenfeld.

Now, it has the typical signs: chic cafés, coffee roasteries, small boutiques, and great restaurants for poke bowls, burgers, and vegan specialties.

Nevertheless, Ehrenfeld remains my favorite district.

For a perfect afternoon in Ehrenfeld, I recommend:

You can find a particularly high density of street art around the Ehrenfeld station, at the Helios site, and at the Bürgerzentrum Ehrenfeld.

If you don't want to venture out alone, you can book a Street Art Tour. The principle here is simple: pay what it's worth to you.

Do you want to explore Cologne without going solo? Then join a free walking tour; they are free and you'll learn a lot about the city.

The concept of free walking tours is straightforward. They're usually offered by larger tourism companies that provide a teaser of their other paid tours. You can join and leave freely without obligations if you're not enjoying it. Often, Erasmus students conduct these city tours to supplement their student incomes with tips. Ultimately, you can decide at the end of such a tour how much the tour was worth to you and reward the guide accordingly. The only exception I've encountered so far was in Poland, where guides must be trained city guides from Poland.

The Route

Start point: 4 PM at Rudolfplatz. Our guide Kerstin is already waiting for us. And yes, for a moment I am surprised: she's a local! 'Cool,' I think. With her Cologne local patriotism, it can only be a great tour with a true Cologne native guiding us. Kerstin leads us right through the Belgian Quarter, shows us her favorite cafés, and explains about the street art here. The Belgian Quarter is considered the 'most urban district' of the city.

Then we continue to Friesenviertel. As is often the case with free walking tours, it's extensively explained where to go out and party in the city. We stop in front of a few breweries and, of course, the best Irish pub in town. Since the target audience for these tours consists mainly of younger, foreign tourists, it naturally fits well. However, Kerstin, who is also studying art history, makes sure that historical facts don't fall short. There are plenty of laughs along the way. At the Old Town Hall we learn, for example, why some figures are stretching their behinds towards the Cologne Cathedral.

The tour eventually ends on the World Youth Day path, leading to the Cologne Cathedral.

Discover Cologne in the most comfortable way - with the red hop-on hop-off bus, the double-decker cabrio bus you might already know from other big cities. Between April and the end of October, it departs directly from Trankgasse.

The tour is conducted with a live guide who speaks both German and English. Audio guides are available for other languages.

Promptly at 10:30 AM, the bus begins to move. We pass by the Old Town Hall to Neumarkt. On the old Roman road, we head toward Chlodwigplatz. It's impressive to imagine that this city has existed since Roman times, nearly 2,000 years ago, and has continually grown. From Deutzer Bridge, I have a great view of Rheinauhafen. At its tip lies the Chocolate Museum. Behind it rise the well-known high-rise buildings that resemble ship cranes.

After a quick ride across the Rhine, I learn that a common Cologne expression is 'Schäl Sick.' This refers to the right bank of the Rhine in Cologne and Bonn. In Standard German, it describes it as the 'wrong Rhine side.' But why? The Romans settled only on the left side of the Rhine, marking the end of the Roman Empire there and, thus, Christianity. On the right bank, the Germans worshiped Odin for a long time. For Roman Christians, it was deemed the wrong pagan belief. However, things don't seem to be taken so seriously anymore. Cologne Deutz is the city's trade fair heart. We pass the Lanxess Arena and the Koelnmesse, which is among the largest trade fair grounds globally.

Returning over the zoo bridge, which leads directly to the city's zoo. Next to it, Flora, Cologne's botanical garden, opens its gates. Up to 10,000 plant species bloom here each year. Just the view through the gate promises a colorful stay in spring and summer.

After one last detour to Mediapark and the party square of the city, Friesenplatz, our bus slowly heads back toward the Cologne Cathedral. The ride ends where it began.

If you can, make sure to book a room on the #urbancologne floor. On my first visit to the hotel, I didn't want to leave. I've never spent so much time on a hotel hallway. My clear recommendation for Cologne regarding location, design, and value for money.

For those who want a nightcap within walking distance, here are my three tips:

Cologne, with its just over 1 million inhabitants, ranks among Germany's large cities, and yet the city center is relatively manageable. You really don't need a car to explore all the sights in Cologne. I recommend saving yourself the hassle of finding parking and using public transportation instead.

Anyone who wants to experience many of the tourist highlights should definitely get the Cologne Card.

The benefit of the card: you save on entrance fees, attractions, guided tours, restaurants, and cafés. On top, you also get free public transport. The Cologne Card is available for 24 or 48 hours, making it perfect for a weekend in Cologne.

...and many more. The Cologne Card is available by mail, or you can print it out yourself. This saves time and postage. You can find all information on the Cologne Card website.

While writing this article, I couldn't quite decide. What is particularly beautiful, what must be seen; Cologne has so many wonderful aspects, and I could go on forever. I can name fantastic places in every district and surely still have a tip or two for you.

Let me know which sights interest you most, what you absolutely want to see, and I'd be happy to create additional routes for you.

We don't just write our content based on our own experiences, but also based on your wishes.

That's why I need your input: What would you love to do in Cologne? What interests you? What should I focus on? Museums, attractions, or more insider tips in Cologne?

Drop me a comment or an email, and I'll gladly create more routes to make a day in Cologne perfect.

Of course, there are places that even locals visit repeatedly. Because the attractions are world-famous: 1. Cologne Cathedral 2. Old Town (with breweries and town hall) 3. Rheinauhafen with crane houses 4. Museums in Cologne, especially Museum Ludwig, Chocolate Museum, and Roman-Germanic Museum 5. The "wrong side" (Schäl Sick) of the Rhine: Rhine Boulevard in Cologne-Deutz between Deutzer Bridge and 6. Hohenzollern Bridge 7. Love locks on the Hohenzollern Bridge 8. Belgian Quarter with many cafés and bars 9. Ehrenfeld 10. Cologne Zoo (especially nice for children)

The best area for nightlife is the Belgian Quarter. Here you'll find numerous bars and pubs. You can search for events and happenings in Cologne here: Rausgegangen and here on the Cologne Tourism website.

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