How long do I need in Cologne?

One or two days covers Cologne. A day handles the cathedral, the Old Town, and the riverfront, with a brewhouse stop for Kölsch. A second day adds the museums, among them the Roman-Germanic Museum and Museum Ludwig, and a slower pace. Cologne sits close to Düsseldorf and the rest of the Rhine-Ruhr, so it pairs easily on a wider trip.

Can you climb Cologne Cathedral?

Yes. The cathedral itself is free to enter, and the climb up the south tower is a separate paid ticket. It is a steep spiral of more than 500 steps to a viewing platform, passing the bell chamber on the way, and the reward is a wide view over the city and the Rhine. The cathedral is a working church, so visiting is limited during services.

Kölsch is Cologne's own beer, a pale, clear, top-fermented style with a protected designation that ties it to the city. It is served cold in small straight 0.2-liter glasses called Stangen, and in the traditional brewhouses the waiters, the Köbes, keep swapping in fresh glasses and marking your coaster until you set the coaster on top of the glass to stop. Drinking Kölsch in a brauhaus is a core part of a Cologne visit.

Cologne is a giant cathedral with a city attached

My Cologne travel guide. The cathedral, the Old Town and the Rhine, Kölsch and the brewhouses, where to stay, and where to eat.

See the Cologne city page See the Germany country page

Cologne is a giant Gothic cathedral with a city attached, one of Germany's oldest, sat on the Rhine and running on its own pale beer. A day or two covers it. Here's how I'd use the time, brewhouses included.

How long do I need?

One or two days covers Cologne. A day handles the cathedral, the Old Town, and the riverfront, with a brewhouse stop for Kölsch. A second day adds the museums and a slower pace.

Cologne sits close to Düsseldorf and the rest of the Rhine-Ruhr region, so it pairs easily on a wider western Germany trip.

How do I get to Cologne?

Cologne Bonn Airport sits southeast of the city, connected to the center by S-Bahn in about 15 minutes. Cologne is also a major ICE high-speed rail hub, with fast trains across Germany and to Brussels, Paris, and Amsterdam.

Cologne Hauptbahnhof is right beside the cathedral, in the heart of the city. Once there, the center is walkable and an extensive U-Bahn covers the rest.

Where should I stay?

Stay near the Old Town and the cathedral. A base there puts the sights, the river, the brewhouses, and the main station all within a short walk.

For a hotel by the river, Hyatt Regency Cologne sits on the far bank of the Rhine with a direct view of the cathedral. Spacious rooms, fair price, ten minutes across the river to Hauptbahnhof, and a short S-Bahn from Köln Messe if you're in town for a trade fair. Beyond it the atlas does not yet carry a wide hotel pin set for Cologne, so book on the usual sites and read recent reviews for the property.

The cathedral and the Old Town

Cologne Cathedral, the Kölner Dom, is the city, a vast twin-spired Gothic cathedral that took more than 600 years to finish and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is free to enter, and the climb up the south tower, more than 500 steps, is the city's classic view. It stands directly beside the main station, so it is the first thing most visitors see.

The Old Town spreads between the cathedral and the river, a partly reconstructed quarter of lanes, squares, and brewhouses. Along the Rhine, the Hohenzollern Bridge carries the railway and is famous for the weight of love-locks on its fences. The riverbank holds the Schokoladenmuseum, the chocolate museum, along with the Mustard Museum and shop, and the city's serious museums, the Roman-Germanic Museum and Museum Ludwig, sit by the cathedral.

For a trip out of the city, Wuppertal, about 40 minutes away, is worth it for the Schwebebahn, the century-old suspended monorail that runs above the river through the town.

Where to eat and drink

Cologne eats on Rhineland cooking and brewhouse plates, the Halve Hahn and Himmel un Ääd of the local kitchen, all best washed down with Kölsch. The brewhouses are as much the experience as the food.

Spot	What it is	Notes
Schokoladenmuseum Köln	The riverside chocolate museum	An extended Lindt advertisement that gives you free chocolate. Worth the visit anyway. Exhibits cover the history of cocoa, sustainability, and a working production line through glass
Peters Brauhaus	A traditional Kölsch brewhouse	Very German in every register. The no-frills authentic experience, the Kölsch arrives until you put your coaster on top of the glass
Min Cuisine asiatique & Bar	Asian cooking and a bar	Food is decent, low-key local vibe, not many tourists
Kaiser Konstantin	A Kölsch brewhouse	Pinned

Planning Cologne

Cologne is a city of about 1.1 million on the Rhine in western Germany, one of the country's oldest, founded by the Romans. It is dominated by its cathedral, a twin-spired Gothic giant beside the main station, and runs on its own beer, Kölsch, and a deep brewhouse culture. A day or two covers it.

A day or two

The cathedral, the Old Town, and the riverfront fill a day. A second day adds the museums and a slower pace, or a trip out along the Rhine.

The cathedral is unmissable

Cologne Cathedral stands right beside the main station, so it is the first thing you see. The climb up the south tower is the city's classic view.

Drink Kölsch in a brauhaus

Kölsch is Cologne's own pale beer, served in small glasses and topped up until you cover the glass. The old brewhouses are the place for it.

Stay near the Old Town

A base around the Altstadt and the cathedral puts the sights, the river, and the brewhouses on foot, with the station right there.

Quick answers

How long do I need in Cologne?: One or two days covers Cologne. A day handles the cathedral, the Old Town, and the riverfront, with a brewhouse stop for Kölsch. A second day adds the museums, among them the Roman-Germanic Museum and Museum Ludwig, and a slower pace. Cologne sits close to Düsseldorf and the rest of the Rhine-Ruhr, so it pairs easily on a wider trip.
How do I get to Cologne?: Cologne Bonn Airport sits southeast of the city, connected to the center by S-Bahn in about 15 minutes. Cologne is also a major ICE high-speed rail hub, with fast trains across Germany and to Brussels, Paris, and Amsterdam. Cologne Hauptbahnhof is right beside the cathedral, in the heart of the city.
Can you climb Cologne Cathedral?: Yes. The cathedral itself is free to enter, and the climb up the south tower is a separate paid ticket. It is a steep spiral of more than 500 steps to a viewing platform, passing the bell chamber on the way, and the reward is a wide view over the city and the Rhine. The cathedral is a working church, so visiting is limited during services.
What is Kölsch?: Kölsch is Cologne's own beer, a pale, clear, top-fermented style with a protected designation that ties it to the city. It is served cold in small straight 0.2-liter glasses called Stangen, and in the traditional brewhouses the waiters, the Köbes, keep swapping in fresh glasses and marking your coaster until you set the coaster on top of the glass to stop. Drinking Kölsch in a brauhaus is a core part of a Cologne visit.

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