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Cologne

Cologne (German: Köln, Ripuarian: Kölle) is a city on the Rhine river in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the fourth largest city in Germany with around 1.1 million residents (2020). It is one of the nation's media, tourism and business hotspots, and is considered one of the most liberal cities in Germany.

Cologne has a rich history, reaching back to the time of the ancient Roman Empire, when it was founded. It has remained a constantly inhabited important regional centre since. Compared to other German and European cities, the ancient and medieval Cologne was relatively large, covering most of the modern-day city centre. A wealth of architectural heritage can therefore be found across the city ranging from pre-Christian times to strikingly modern buildings, with a high concentration of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, culminating in the magnificent cathedral (Dom).

Cologne is, however, not only a tourist destination, but on an equal note a major economic centre, a globally important trade fair location, a culture and media hotspot and a major transportation hub. This equal mix of roles and functions is permeable throughout the city and provides it with a constant inflow of various visitors, as well as a very diverse population mix. This all culminates during the traditional Karneval, and makes Cologne one of the most-visited destinations in Germany.

Orientation
Cologne lies on both sides of the river Rhine, which flows through it in a northerly direction. The left hand, or western side, is Cologne proper with the Old Town (Altstadt), the famous cathedral and most landmarks and museums. The right side, or eastern side, used to be a separate town called Deutz - now Deutz is a neighbourhood of Cologne.

Cologne is divided into 9 districts (Stadtbezirke), numbered from 1 to 9. Stadtbezirk 1, called Innenstadt ("inner city"), is probably the one most tourists will spend all of their time in, as it contains most of the city's points of interest. It is also the only district that lies on both sides of the Rhine, as it includes Deutz. Districts 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are on the western bank of the Rhine, and districts 7, 8 and 9 on the eastern bank, surrounding the Innenstadt. Every Stadtbezirk is further divided into Stadtteile (literally "city parts", or "neighbourhoods"). The Innenstadt includes Altstadt-Nord and Alstadt-Süd, two parts of the historic Old Town of Cologne facing the Rhine, divided by the L111 thoroughfare running from east to west (with the street names Cäcilienstraße – Neumarkt – Hahnenstraße), starting at the Deutzer Brücke (bridge over the Rhine). The Altstadt is surrounded by a ring of wide avenues running over the former city walls of Cologne. They all have street names ending with the word Ring.

The part of Innenstadt lying on the outer side of the ring is the Neustadt, or "new town". Neustadt is further divided into Neustadt-Nord and Neustadt-Sued, also separated by L111 (Aachener Straße). Both parts of the Neustadt form a crescent embracing the Altstadt and reaching the Rhine on either side thereof. Finally, facing the Altstadt and Neustadt on the other (eastern) side of the Rhine is the Stadtteil of Deutz, which completes the Innenstadt.

History
Cologne is one of the oldest cities in Germany, having been founded and established in the 1st century AD, as the Roman Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. "Cologne" is the French version of the city's name, which has become standard in English as well. It has a traditional, strong rivalry with the neighbouring city of Düsseldorf, the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, although this is mostly manifested by a number of jocular references made to one another in both cities and constant bickering as to whose local beer is best (in Cologne, it is obviously Kölsch). It was Germany's largest city at several points in history and for most of the Middle Ages it was the only place that would even register as a major city population-wise by modern standards. Today it is the fourth biggest city in Germany (after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich) and the biggest that is neither city state nor state capital.

Climate
The climate of North Western Germany is changeable, with seasonal changes and day-to-day weather often comparable to that of England or Northern France. Travellers to Cologne can expect the hottest time of the year to be late July/early August, the coldest is January (temperature hovering around the freezing mark) and the month with the most rainfall is June.

Tourist office

 * Köln Tourism website

Talk
The distinctive flavour to the city of Cologne is often linked to the city's inhabitants, or Kölsche, who take an enormous amount of pride in their city. Cologne is a traditionally Ripuarian-speaking city, though this has mostly been replaced by standard German, which is now the main language of the city. English-speaking guides and information are available for many of the landmarks of the city. For tourists who speak German and wish to practice it, the citizens usually have a lot of patience with those trying to come to grips with the language. Cologne's citizens are very friendly and jovial people, welcoming tourists of all types and with all interests.

German is of course the language of this city but it is very easy to find information in French and English, also sometimes in Spanish and Japanese. Due to a large number of immigrants, Persian, Turkish, Polish and Russian are also widely spoken. Announcements in the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) are in German, French and English. Like many German cities and areas, Cologne also has a local dialect, called Kölsch, however all speakers will also be familiar with German.

Away from the landmarks, workers of the Deutsche Bahn (German railways) often speak English reasonably well, and ticket machines have a language selection feature. In general, older people in Cologne tend to have little or no knowledge of English, while younger Germans and those working in the business world tend to be more proficient. Language is rarely a strong barrier, so this should not be much of a worry for the average tourist. Just approach a friendly native with a smile on your face.

By plane

 * Getting there:
 * Getting there:

 * 1) The airport is approximately 15 minutes to the centre of Cologne by commuter train S19 (towards Düren), RB 27 (Mönchengladbach) or RE 6 (RRX; Minden). The fare (ticket zone 1b) is €3 one-way (May 2022).
 * 2) To the district Porz get bus line 161 which departs every 30 – 60 min from 04:59 to 23:30. Travel time is 15 min and costs €3 (May 2022).
 * Düsseldorf Airport, The Düsseldorf airport offers many intercontinental connections. A train ride from the airport train station to Cologne central station takes about 40 minutes. IC and ICE trains on this route cost €16-€23, but offer no real time savings over the humble Regional Express (RE) trains, which require only a regional transit ticket (Price zone / Preisstufe 5; €11.90 as of May 2022). The Deutsche Bahn journey planner will show you your options.

 * Frankfurt Airport, is the largest airport in Germany, served by all major international airlines. ICE (InterCityExpress) high speed trains connect Frankfurt Airport and Cologne central station in less than one hour. Standard one-way fare is €67 by ICE. However there are many reduced fares available if you order in advance with prices starting as low as €19. If you pay full price you do not have to take a specific train, but discounted tickets are restricted to the train on your reservation. Trains via Koblenz, which use the slower, yet extremely scenic route along the Rhine Valley, are also 30% cheaper. The ICE train takes about one hour, the slower more scenic route takes about two hours. There are also intercity buses, for example Flixbus, which go from the Frankfurt airport to Cologne airport.

By train
Cologne is served by two major train stations:
 * and

Cologne is linked with Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris by Thalys and ICE high speed trains. Flixtrain serves the city.

Nightjet, the Austrian Railways' sleeper train, runs twice a week from Brussels via Aachen and Cologne to Vienna, Munich and Innsbruck. It calls at Bonn, Koblenz, Frankfurt airport, Würzburg and Nuremberg where it divides: One portion runs via Linz to Vienna, the other via Munich to Innsbruck.

The Frankfurt airport has direct service to Cologne and is within one hour by ICE trains.

By bus
Long-distance buses cannot stop in the centre of Cologne. The main long-distance bus stations serving Cologne are at the train station Leverkusen Mitte (20 minutes by S-Bahn from/to Cologne Hauptbahnhof, check if you need to pay a fare on top of your long-distance bus ticket) and at Köln Bonn Airport. You can compare travel time and costs for various modes of transport on various websites.

By car
Cologne requires all cars to have a "Low Emissions" sticker in order to drive around in the city centre Low Emission Zone ("Umweltzone"). Information on obtaining a sticker (which must be done at least several weeks in advance) is available here. There are very few exceptions and even electric cars or foreign cars have to get the sticker.

Autobahns A1, A4, A3, A57, and A555 lead to Cologne. During rush hour the streets are heavily congested, also due to massive construction of a new subway tunnel Nord-Süd Stadtbahn, crossing half the city centre.

For cheap parking, with quick connections to central Cologne, use park and ride ("park und ride"). At some stations, parking is free when you present a validated transit ticket on exit.

By public transport
Cologne has an excellent public transport network consisting of trams, local trains and buses. Bicycles are also available for hire on the northern side of the Hauptbahnhof. Local transport systems rarely provide announcements in English, but network maps are commonly available to assist with your journey. Those wishing to explore areas away from the central city should plan their journey and potential connections before leaving. The KVB (Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe) website is a good source of public transport information.

Tickets are valid for subway, tram and regional train within the VRS-network. Trips within the city limits require zone 1b tickets (2019: single €3, 4-trip-ticket €12, day ticket €8.80, day ticket for up to 5 people €13.40), week ticket €26.30. For short trips of up to 4 stops on subway, tram or bus there is also the slightly cheaper "Kurzstrecke" (short trip ticket, 2019: €2.00). They offer mobile app (iOS, Android), which allows buying tickets with 10% discount. A map of the network can be found at most stops, inside all vehicles (check ceilings, back entrances) and online.

Cologne's subway and tram-system, or U-Bahn, is a mixture of systems: a subway line can go on street-level and end up as a tram or vice versa. There are vending machines or ticket-offices at larger stations The trains and buses also have vending-machines. See the public bus, tram and subway-company KVB for printable maps of the bus/tram/subway system and here for their official street map (also found here) of Cologne.

Regional trains are known as "S-Bahn", "Regional-Bahn" and "Regional Express". Most of them don't have ticket vending-machines so remember to buy a ticket at the station.

Student travel: Student travel (age 20 or less) can be very cheap to and from Cologne, as well as around the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia. The German rail company (DB: Deutsche Bahn) offer a 'SchöneFerienTicket NRW' during student holiday times and allows free travel throughout North Rhine-Westphalia on local buses, trams, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and regional trains. Prices range from around €54 for summer holidays to €25.50 for Easter holidays, but prices and times change from year to year.

These tickets are available to anyone with valid student identification (student union card, enrolment card, etc.) and personal identification (passport, driving licence, etc.) The ticket is only valid for the student holiday dates of North Rhine-Westphalia and the ticket is not valid for high speed express trains. Visit/contact Deutsche Bahn for more information before travelling to Germany.

By bicycle
Cologne has, like e.g. Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt, app-based bike rental systems such as Call A Bike and KVB-Rad (run by Nextbike). After you register for an account on-line, you will be charged time-based fees. The Radstation at the central train station offers rentals from 3 hours on, with discounts for longer rentals (a cash deposit of €50 is required). Going by bike is maybe the best way to go around in the city.

On foot
But, on the whole, the centre of Cologne is not that big for a city of one million. It is entirely feasible to walk from one end of the centre, say, the Rudolfplatz, to the other end, say, the Cathedral, in half an hour.

By e-hailing
Uber, Bolt and Free Now cover the city.

Historical attractions

 * 12 Romanesque Churches - Between 1150 and 1250, numerous churches were built in the Romanesque style.

Remains of city walls and fortifications

 * Ruins of Middle Ages city walls and towers
 * Ruins of Middle Ages city walls and towers
 * Ruins of Middle Ages city walls and towers

Veedel - City Quarters
Cologne is well known for its "Veedel" or traditional neighbourhoods.

 * Agnesviertel – Here, most notably in the bohemian Agnesviertel, you can find independent designers, bookshops, bars, and art galleries. There are also historical monuments, such as the North City Gate or Eigelsteintorburg in the Agnesviertel, very near to Fort X, built to protect the city from French attacks, and Agneskirche, a late neo-gothic church on the boulevardesque Neusserstraße. Neusserstraße also has a yoga school, an Aikido school, a Japanese restaurant, a well-stocked bookshop, and a range of pubs. Nearby you will find the Alte Feuerwache, where there are regular exhibitions on political topics and a surreal flea market every four weeks in summer. Opposite Alte Feuerwache is the Artclub, with regular exhibitions of contemporary art, and on Ebertplatz there is a cinema (Metropolis) which shows films in the original (mostly English, but sometimes also French or Spanish). On nearby Lübecker Straße, you will find the uncompromisingly Arty Filmpalette cinema. To round off a trip to the Agnesviertel, you might like a kölsch in the Lapidarium (right beside the North City Gate) or a coffee in Cafe Schmitz, Cologne's grooviest poser hangout (they also do a great breakfast.) All of these great places are within a short walk of Ebertplatz U-Bahn.
 * Eigelstein – around the Eigelsteintorburg, U-Bahn "Ebertplatz"
 * Martinsviertel / Altstadt – Old town between Rhine, Heumarkt, Alter Markt and Dom, (Cologne Cathedral), U-Bahn "Rathaus" or "Heumarkt"
 * Severinsviertel and Südstadt – around the Severinstorburg, U-Bahn "Clodwigplatz"
 * Kwartier Latäng – This student neighbourhood takes it name from the Parisian Quartier Latin. It is centred on the Zülpicher Straße and provides ample nightlife opportunities, ranging from a night shop with dancefloor and toilets (Späti), to grimy indie bars. Middle Eastern food is also easy to be found here, including the famous and very popular Habibi. The neighbourhood can be accessed by going to the station "Zülpicher Platz".
 * Belgisches Viertel – Stadtbahn "Moltkestraße"
 * Ehrenfeld – U-Bahn "Körnerstraße"

Other attractions

 * Parks: Cologne has two park areas (Grüngürtel) encircling the city (immediately outside the medieval city limits) and nearly the entire town, respectively, which were set aside as public recreation areas after World War I. The inner Grüngürtel is probably more easy to reach for tourists who only stay a few days. Most notably are Volksgarten, Rheinpark, Hiroshima-Nagasaki- (colloquially known as Aachener-Weiher-) and Stadtgarten parks where thousands of people come together to enjoy the sun, play and barbecue when the weather is fine. All these parks have an associated beer garden. Dispose any packaging, charcoal, etc., into the waste bins (which are few and far between), as the city has begun to employ anti-littering patrols that will levy a stiff fine on anyone seen littering. Metro: Eifelplatz for Volksgarten, Universitätsstraße for Hiroshima-Nagasaki-Park, Hans-Böckler-Platz/Bahnhof West for Stadtgarten, Bahnhof Deutz for Rheinpark.

Museums and galleries
Cologne has one of the world's best collections of museums and galleries for a city of its size. As well as world class museums of art and archaeology, Cologne boasts two museums of ecclesiastical art, both housed in architecturally stunning buildings. There is also an ethnographic museum, a chocolate museum, the German Sport Museum and an abundance of Roman remains.

One can purchase a MuseumsCard from one of the municipal museums (such as the first five listed below). The single card costs €18, the family card, which costs €30, entitles 2 adults and 2 children (under 18) free admission to each of the municipal museums during two consecutive opening days. On its first day of validity, it can also be used as a ticket on all buses and trams on the Cologne transportation system VRS. The card is valid in the following museums: Museum Ludwig, Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud, Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, Museum Schnütgen, Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum - Kulturen der Welt, Kölnisches Stadtmuseum, NS-Dokumentationszentrum.

Deutz
Dominated by two very utilitarian land uses, the fairgrounds in the north and the actually functional freight harbour of Cologne in the south, Deutz is not without long history and much heritage and charm in its built environment as well. While the left Rhine bank is clearly the dominant one in Cologne, Deutz is where you can get the best views of it across the Rhine, and this is a reason alone to cross the river and get there, but by far not the only one.

Itineraries

 * Cologne/Rheinauhafen

Do
Cologne's strong side is its cultural life. For latest information on what is happening around in town, get the StadtRevue for €2, Kölner for €2 or Live for free.

 * Kölner Philharmonie Central concert hall. Opened in 1986. Main season September to June. Special summer shows.
 * Oper Köln Operas are performed in the Staatenhaus while the opera building is being renovated. Season starts in Mid-September.
 * Aqualand
 * Fishing in the Rhine - a fishing licence is required.
 * Football:
 * Aqualand
 * Fishing in the Rhine - a fishing licence is required.
 * Football:
 * Fishing in the Rhine - a fishing licence is required.
 * Football:

Spa and massage
Beauty and spa treatments are popular in Cologne.

In typical German style, all sauna areas (referred to as Saunalandschaften, i.e. Sauna landscapes) are mixed (apart from the odd Damentag) and that bathing costumes are banned from them for hygienic reasons. Yup. Starkers, everybody.

Do take a bathrobe (to keep you from the cold outside the saunas) and a large towel (to put under you in the saunas, no sweating on the wood, please) with you, though.

Do not draw hasty conclusions either: mixed nudity does not make those places dens of sin, quite the contrary. Nudity is considered as the only appropriate outfit in saunas, and it all happens in a disciplined, wholesome, safe and respectful atmosphere. Possibly one of the highest forms of German civilisation one can experience.

Gawkers and bathing costume-wearers will be expelled by the staff without qualms, so don't even think you can get away with playing the tourist who didn't know, it won't make a difference.

That very matter-of factly, unerotic approach to mixed nudity may well turn out to be a revelation to many visitors open-minded enough to give it a try and go with the flow.

Sauna:

Massage:

Buy
The main shopping street of Cologne is the Schildergasse, extending from the Neumarkt. The Schildergasse, Neumarkt, and pedestrianized side streets extending from them (in particular the Hohe Straße leading towards the Dom) host department stores, boutiques and other high-profile (and, often, high-price) retail establishments. For young fashion, also try Ehrenstraße.

High-end fashion
Although it is Duesseldorf that brands itself as the German capital of fashion, Cologne's Altstadt also features a wide range of high-end fashion stores with a selection of top German and global brands.

Records
There is an abundance of record stores in Cologne, but most are hidden in non-tourist quarters.
 * For a mainstream record store, go to Saturn, which opened in 1961 and certainly has the largest CD (and DVD) collection in the region. To pre-listen a record, hold it under one of the scanners spread throughout the shop. Always worth a visit. Subway and Regional Train from central station: Hansaring. The (office) building is from 1925 and was briefly the highest house in Europe (65 metres). A smaller Saturn shop is on the top floor of Galeria Kaufhof (listed above).
 * Independent record stores are spread around Saturn: Cross the street for 2nd hand and punk, follow the "Ring" (boulevard) north, and you will find Jazz, Electro and HipHop at Schallschock record store. Famous alternative music-store Normal is south of Saturn, as well as Underdog Record Store (specialized in Alternative Rock, Emo, Garage and related matters) Subway and Regional Train from central station: Hansaring
 * For electronic music, get off at Friesenplatz, and go to groove attack in Maastrichter street. Also famous is Kompakt record store. Both are connected to a label sharing the name, and putting out fine German electronic music. Subway: Friesenplatz
 * A widely renowned collection of experimental music and niche music is to be found at A-Musik in Kleiner Griechenmarkt, close to Neumarkt.

Books

 * On "Ehrenstraße", you will find cheap and arty books, take a look at "Buchhandlung König" at the eastern end, buy art books at well known "Taschen" at the corner of Ehrenstraße and the Ring. Taschen was founded in Cologne in 1980 and is headquartered here.
 * Travel books are bought best at "Gleumes", between Zülpicher Platz and Rudolfplatz. They have only maps and travel books, but these from around the world.
 * Books in English - "English Books and Tea", Auf dem Rothenberg 9a, in the old town, stocks a wide range of new and secondhand books in English. It also offers a choice of teas and conversation and invaluable tourist orientation - all in English.
 * Honorable mention: "Cafe Goldmund" in Ehrenfeld. A very cozy corner-café with all walls lined with bookshelves. You can buy every (second hand) book after you finished flipping through it while you enjoyed your drinks for a small tip. Also hosts small music and poetry events. Glasstraße 2, right next to the S-Bahn station "Ehrenfeld".
 * Honorable mention: "Cafe Goldmund" in Ehrenfeld. A very cozy corner-café with all walls lined with bookshelves. You can buy every (second hand) book after you finished flipping through it while you enjoyed your drinks for a small tip. Also hosts small music and poetry events. Glasstraße 2, right next to the S-Bahn station "Ehrenfeld".

Eat
Cologne has a wide variety of restaurants, German and otherwise, as a glance in the colored pages of the local telephone book will illustrate.

Traditional scene
One can eat pretty well in most traditional-style Kölsch restaurants, and in fact as a visitor, you should try some of the local food, which is quite rustic, but tasty, hearty fare.

The brewery taps (Früh, Sion, Pfaffen, Malzmühle, etc., in the old town south of the Dom) are worth taking note of to that respect, although they tend to be expensive for what you get.

Places out of the way such as Schreckenskammer and Max Stark (north of the train station, the former being within crawling distance of the Station Backpackers Hostel), Päffgen (Friesenstraße) and both of the Cologne independent brewpubs (Hellers Brauhaus on Roonstraße and Braustelle in Ehrenfeld) offer cheaper, better food than the old town tourist traps. Besides, most of these places have tons of atmosphere, which doesn't hurt!

You may also experience the deadly dry wit of the Köbes (traditional name of the blue-clad waiters) in most of those places. If it happens to you, don't get upset, just enter the game, send the Köbes packing with a dig and a smile and you'll be all right.

You'll mostly find typical Rheinland dishes in those traditional Kneipen. Classics include:
 * Halve Hahn: nice big slab of Dutch gouda with a rye roll (Röggelchen)
 * Himmel un Äd mit Flönz: fried black pudding with mashed potatoes ("earth"), apple sauce ("heaven") and fried onions.
 * Soorbrode/Sauerbraten: joint marinated in vinegar with raisins, usually served with red cabbage and a kloss (potato dumpling). The joint may be beef or horsemeat, so you may want to ask first.
 * Dicke Bunne met Speck: boiled white beans with hefty boiled bacon slices on top.
 * Schweinshaxe (grilled); Hämchen (cooked): pig's leg, usually a bit of a monster (ranges from 600 to 1400 g, including the bone)
 * Rievkooche/Reibekuchen: flat fried potato cakes usually on offer once a week, and served with a variety of sweet or savoury toppings, which may include apple sauce, Rübenkraut (the beet-sourced equivalent to black treacle) or smoked salmon with horseradish cream.

Ethnic scene
If you are looking for a snack, you can either head for one of the Middle-Eastern or Asian places, or you can make use of the traditional fast food places like McDonald's and Burger King. Italian restaurants in Cologne seem to attempt to aim for a higher quality than in the UK, though it is debatable whether they achieve it, and whether their prices (often 150-200% of UK prices) are justified. There are several Indian restaurants across the city, which serve a fair fare, though the visiting Brit may be slightly disappointed to find that German 'curry culture' is rather akin to that of the UK in the 1960s: menus are neither large and varied, nor regionalised and specialist, and although ingredients are fresh, the food without exception appears to be tamed-down for the conservative German palate and the cooks are rather hesitant to spice it up even if you ask for it. "Clay Oven" (Luxemburger Straße near Südbahnhof) and "Bombay" (near Eifelstraße tram station) do make a vindaloo that will satisfy the most hardy customer, though. Japanese and Thai restaurants are common; both are quite expensive.

There is an abundance of Döner Kebab and similar takeaways around the town. Generally a lot of Turkish snack bar-style places can be found just north of the main station at Eigelstein, around Zülpicher Platz and in the Belgisches Viertel, with some excellent Lebanese and Persian takeaways further down Zülpicher Straße towards Südbahnhof. Probably best now (though expensive) is Oruc Döner on Kyffhäuserstraße (near Barbarossaplatz); while the kebab is quite good though not outstanding, their freshly baked pide bread is famous all over town. There are lots of Turkish restaurants and takeaways within Kalk, Mülheim and (mainly restaurants) in the Belgisches Viertel.

In and around the central train station
The ground floor of the central train station has a good number of cheap eateries, which include KFC to kiosks selling sausages.

Around Zülpicher Platz
Between Zülpicher Platz and the south train station (Bahnhof Süd) you find a lot of budget-friendly restaurants.

Drink
Typical Cologne beer is called "Kölsch" and served in bars around town in small glasses, called "Stangen", of 0.2 L. That way the beer is always fresh and cold. Don't worry, waiters will be fast to bring you a new one once your old one is (almost) finished. In more traditional bars and especially the breweries, the waiter (called "Köbes" in local language) will even hand you a fresh Kölsch without being asked, so it is easy to lose track of how much you drank. He will put a pencil line on your coaster for each beer that you drank, this will be the basis for your bill, so do not lose it! To stop the beer from coming, leave your glass almost half full until you have asked for the bill or put your coaster on top of your empty glass.

If you buy bottled Kölsch, take either Reissdorf, Früh, Gaffel or Mühlen, which are rated highest by Cologne citizens. Those looking for a beer with a little more bitterness might like to try Küppers (there are about 30 more brands).

There are so many bars and pubs to choose from that you could spend most of the night going from one bar to the next.

 * For traditional breweries, head to the Altstadt around the Dom, where the Früh Kölsch brewery is the most famous with visitors and locals. You will find a younger crowd at Hellers Brauhaus on Roonstraße, near metro station Zülpicher Platz or Brauhaus Pütz on Engelbertstraße close to Rudolfplatz. Furthermore the Päffgen, on the all-bar street Friesenstraße close to the Friesenplatz, and the Mühlen near Heumarkt are traditional brewery pubs but less touristy than the "Früh". Also recommended is Sion, which is a lesser known brand, but hailed to be very good, although some beer enthusiasts have found it lacking character since 2007. Most Altstadt pubs are somewhat scorned as "tourist traps" by locals, however: prices here are usually higher than e.g. on Zülpicher Straße.
 * There are a lot of modern bars and lounges all around town. More mainstream ones are on Zülpicher Straße. For something more independent and funky on this street, try Umbruch (funky) or Stiefel (punky). The Low Budget on Aachener Straße next to Moltkestraße metro is a nice, unassuming, punky bar which features a fine selection of drinks and often hosts concerts, poetry or cabaret sessions.
 * A lot of stylish places are in the so-called Belgian quarter between Aachener Straße and the Ring, e.g. famous M20 or the Hallmackenreuther.
 * A secret Tip are the Bars of the alternative Szene in Cologne. Those you may find the most in Ehrenfeld, like the "Sonic Ballroom", and in the Südstadt, for instance the "Tsunami Club" and the little pub "Lotta", but also in the famous Kwartier Lateng, which is near the University of Cologne, around the Barbarossaplatz, at the Zülpicher Straße and the Kyffhäuser Straße. If you are searching for something more rough, you may find some nice places to rock and roll, on the Schäl Sick in the cityparts Kalk, east from the Kölnarena, like the little Trash Chic bar in the Wiersbergstreet, and in Mülheim, north from the Kölner Messe the little St. Pauli fanszene pub called "Limes", at the Mülheimer Freiheit street, near the Wiener Platz. But, this places are better to be known visited by the younger and not so rich people. So take care of your pockets.

Kölsch

Club

 * Bar Orange - on Sudermannplatz, near Ebertplatz. Great atmosphere and great cocktails, or just a beer and a lively chat with Milan, the resident philosopher, or Rainer and Arash, experts on local goings on.
 * Basswerk Session, bi-monthly, the second Saturday at Gebäude 9, Deutz-Mülheimer Straße 127-129 (tram 3 or 4, stop at KölnMesse/Osthallen), 23:00–05:00. Long-running and popular drum 'n' bass party in a defunct funky factory hall. Resident DJs often invite renowned guest DJs from the international d'n'b fringe. Alternates bi-monthly with the similar "Phonogenic" party in the same venue.
 * Sixpack In the vibrant Belgisches Viertel (Aachener Straße 33 - next to Rudolfplatz) you should be aware to wait long or even get rejected especially at a late hour. Mixed music from Electro to Indie with a huge variety of bottled beer.
 * Bar Orange - on Sudermannplatz, near Ebertplatz. Great atmosphere and great cocktails, or just a beer and a lively chat with Milan, the resident philosopher, or Rainer and Arash, experts on local goings on.
 * Basswerk Session, bi-monthly, the second Saturday at Gebäude 9, Deutz-Mülheimer Straße 127-129 (tram 3 or 4, stop at KölnMesse/Osthallen), 23:00–05:00. Long-running and popular drum 'n' bass party in a defunct funky factory hall. Resident DJs often invite renowned guest DJs from the international d'n'b fringe. Alternates bi-monthly with the similar "Phonogenic" party in the same venue.
 * Sixpack In the vibrant Belgisches Viertel (Aachener Straße 33 - next to Rudolfplatz) you should be aware to wait long or even get rejected especially at a late hour. Mixed music from Electro to Indie with a huge variety of bottled beer.
 * Bar Orange - on Sudermannplatz, near Ebertplatz. Great atmosphere and great cocktails, or just a beer and a lively chat with Milan, the resident philosopher, or Rainer and Arash, experts on local goings on.
 * Basswerk Session, bi-monthly, the second Saturday at Gebäude 9, Deutz-Mülheimer Straße 127-129 (tram 3 or 4, stop at KölnMesse/Osthallen), 23:00–05:00. Long-running and popular drum 'n' bass party in a defunct funky factory hall. Resident DJs often invite renowned guest DJs from the international d'n'b fringe. Alternates bi-monthly with the similar "Phonogenic" party in the same venue.
 * Sixpack In the vibrant Belgisches Viertel (Aachener Straße 33 - next to Rudolfplatz) you should be aware to wait long or even get rejected especially at a late hour. Mixed music from Electro to Indie with a huge variety of bottled beer.
 * Basswerk Session, bi-monthly, the second Saturday at Gebäude 9, Deutz-Mülheimer Straße 127-129 (tram 3 or 4, stop at KölnMesse/Osthallen), 23:00–05:00. Long-running and popular drum 'n' bass party in a defunct funky factory hall. Resident DJs often invite renowned guest DJs from the international d'n'b fringe. Alternates bi-monthly with the similar "Phonogenic" party in the same venue.
 * Sixpack In the vibrant Belgisches Viertel (Aachener Straße 33 - next to Rudolfplatz) you should be aware to wait long or even get rejected especially at a late hour. Mixed music from Electro to Indie with a huge variety of bottled beer.
 * Basswerk Session, bi-monthly, the second Saturday at Gebäude 9, Deutz-Mülheimer Straße 127-129 (tram 3 or 4, stop at KölnMesse/Osthallen), 23:00–05:00. Long-running and popular drum 'n' bass party in a defunct funky factory hall. Resident DJs often invite renowned guest DJs from the international d'n'b fringe. Alternates bi-monthly with the similar "Phonogenic" party in the same venue.
 * Sixpack In the vibrant Belgisches Viertel (Aachener Straße 33 - next to Rudolfplatz) you should be aware to wait long or even get rejected especially at a late hour. Mixed music from Electro to Indie with a huge variety of bottled beer.
 * Basswerk Session, bi-monthly, the second Saturday at Gebäude 9, Deutz-Mülheimer Straße 127-129 (tram 3 or 4, stop at KölnMesse/Osthallen), 23:00–05:00. Long-running and popular drum 'n' bass party in a defunct funky factory hall. Resident DJs often invite renowned guest DJs from the international d'n'b fringe. Alternates bi-monthly with the similar "Phonogenic" party in the same venue.
 * Sixpack In the vibrant Belgisches Viertel (Aachener Straße 33 - next to Rudolfplatz) you should be aware to wait long or even get rejected especially at a late hour. Mixed music from Electro to Indie with a huge variety of bottled beer.
 * Sixpack In the vibrant Belgisches Viertel (Aachener Straße 33 - next to Rudolfplatz) you should be aware to wait long or even get rejected especially at a late hour. Mixed music from Electro to Indie with a huge variety of bottled beer.
 * Sixpack In the vibrant Belgisches Viertel (Aachener Straße 33 - next to Rudolfplatz) you should be aware to wait long or even get rejected especially at a late hour. Mixed music from Electro to Indie with a huge variety of bottled beer.
 * Sixpack In the vibrant Belgisches Viertel (Aachener Straße 33 - next to Rudolfplatz) you should be aware to wait long or even get rejected especially at a late hour. Mixed music from Electro to Indie with a huge variety of bottled beer.

Sleep
Cologne is an internationally important trade fair city, with expansive fairgrounds in Deutz. The hotel rates rise multi-fold during important fairs. If you do not have to, try not to stay in Cologne during those. Alternatively, you can try finding accommodation in Düsseldorf or Bonn, which are a short train ride away and are usually not affected by the rate hikes (but Düsseldorf has its own trade fair calendar, so mind it as well).

For accommodation services the city of Cologne charges an extra 5%-levy Kulturförderabgabe, which is included in your bills. Non-tourists, i.e. those who did not voluntarily choose to head for Cologne, can get the taxes reimbursed.

Stay safe
Criminal activity in Cologne is similar to other big cities. Tourists should take normal safety precautions, particularly in the city centre, where pickpockets are known to be active. Also, be careful on the Ring, which is full of clubs and night-time crowds in the streets. Day and night be careful in outlying neighbourhoods like Chorweiler, Porz, Seeberg, Ostheim, Bocklemünd, Ossendorf, and Vingst. In general, stay away from drunk people. At street crossings, watch the trams.

Wi-Fi access

 * Free Wi-Fi is also available in many bars, restaurants and cafes.
 * The free Wi-Fi on ICE trains and at the station identifies itself as "Telekom".
 * The free Wi-Fi on ICE trains and at the station identifies itself as "Telekom".

Religious services
Holy mass in Catholic churches near to the central station:
 * Dom, Domkloster 3 (next to the central station). Su 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 12:00, 17:00, 18:30; M-Sa 06:30, 07:15, 08:00, 09:00, 18:30
 * St. Andreas, Komödienstr. 8. Su 09:00, 11:00, 18:00; M-F 12:05; Sa 09:00, 17:00
 * St. Mariä Himmelfahrt, Marzellenstr. 26. Su 11:00; W Th 10:30; Sa 17:00, 18:30
 * Minoritenkirche, Kolpingplatz 5. Su 09:00, 11:00, 16:00; Tu-F 99:00

Go next

 * Bonn — the former capital of West Germany is due south and easy to reach by train or Stadtbahn (Regional Express 5; MittelRheinBahn MRB 48; U-Bahn line 16 and 18; also ICEs, ICs, and EC's ).
 * Brühl — almost a suburb of Cologne, contains the Augustusburg Palace which has been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The palace is one of the key works of Balthasar Neuman, and contains one of the finest Rococo interiors in the world, the highlight being the main staircase. Also in the grounds is the magnificent hunting Lodge of Falkenslust. Brühl can be easily reached by train in around 20 minutes from Cologne. The theme park of Phantasialand is also in Brühl.
 * Düsseldorf
 * Königswinter — A small town reachable by train.
 * Ruhr (Ruhrgebiet) — If you are interested in heavy industry this might be a worthwhile trip. It is about 100 km north of Cologne. The region, which was the centre of mountain (coal and steel) industry in Germany, is going through a structural transformation and proudly presents its industrial past on the Industrial Heritage Trail.
 * Zülpich — a small town southwest of Cologne dating from Roman times. It has a newly opened museum centred on Roman baths and bathing culture. It is also a gateway to the forested hills of the Eifel region.

International
Due to Cologne's proximity to the German-Belgian-Dutch border, weekend trips to foreign destinations are easy to arrange. Thalys operates high speed trains to Paris and Brussels, and Deutsche Bahn to Amsterdam, making each city only a few hours away. You can also travel to Maastricht (a city in the Netherlands with a beautiful city centre where the Maastricht Treaty of the European Union was signed in 1992) for a low cost by taking a train to Aachen then by bus to Maastricht – See: Aachen for details. (Direct buses are available to the same destinations but will take longer.)

title: Cologne


text:
Cologne Lowland

Cologne Lowland (German: Kölner Bucht) is a region in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, centered around the cities of Cologne and Bonn on the river Rhine. With around 3 million inhabitants, it is one of Germany's most populated areas, and it houses many institutions of national and global stature, including world-renowned universities, federal institutions and business headquarters. Thanks to that and its excellent connectiveness, it sees one of Germany's highest numbers of visitors, both arriving in specific interests and casual tourists.

Cities

 * - the erstwhile federal capital with a number of museums, cultural institutions and corporate headquarters, and a charming old town where Beethoven was born
 * - a leisurely town between Cologne and Bonn, home to UNESCO-listed palaces and a major amusement park
 * (Köln) - the largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia
 * – the end of the Middle Rhine Valley
 * - a hilly summer resort on the Rhine, with a hotel made famous as a residence for the federal government's guests
 * - a new town that boomed in the 19th century around chemical works, now also famous for its football team
 * - a town between Siegburg and Bonn, with an unusual castle
 * - the seat of the county covering most of the lowland, famous for its ceramic beer pitchers, with a handy high-speed railway station serving Bonn

Understand
While named and centered around Cologne, the region is far more than just the city and its suburbs, with many interesting destinations outside of it, particularly Bonn. Densely populated and urbanized, it is however much less industrialized than Lower Rhine and Ruhr, as well as very green. It provides a nice, relaxed counterbalance to those, and serves as the state's hub for cultural events.

Continually inhabited since ancient Roman times, the region has a rich history, a wealth of monuments of which can be found all over. Furthermore, an exceptional number of museums present the region's history as well, and far beyond that, a startling variety of subjects with world-class exhibits.

Talk
Traditionally, Cologne has had a peculiar dialect, that might be hard to understand to even fluent foreign speakers of German. In practice, however, the language used in everyday matters by most is simply regular Hochdeutsch (standard German), with perhaps a few regionalisms in terms of vocabulary. The presence of a large migrant population from both other regions of Germany and other countries has helped to standardize German.

As Cologne is a university town and an international business and cultural hub, and Bonn the former capital, you will find most people conversant in at least English, and many other languages spoken as well.

By plane
The main airport in the region is Cologne-Bonn Konrad Adenauer Airport in Cologne, connected to the region's light rail system, as well as Germany's high-speed train system - however only some high-speed trains passing through Cologne stop there. It is also well-connected to other European airports thanks to being the main hub for Eurowings, the low-fare short-haul subsidiary of Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa.

Other airports close by with more traffic, including many intercontinental flights, are Düsseldorf Airport and Frankfurt Airport. As Frankfurt is Germany's main air transportation hub (and a base of flag carrier Lufthansa), you will find direct connections there from all over the world. Thanks to an excellent high speed rail connection directly from the airport to both Cologne and Siegburg/Bonn, it is a very convenient entry point to the region despite being some 200 km away. You can actually travel on the train from FRA using your flight ticket, for more on integrated rail and air tickets see rail air alliances.

By train
Almost all domestic tickets and even some international tickets can be bought via the website of Deutsche Bahn, however they don't sell tickets for Thalys either online or at ticket counters.
 * Köln Hbf – Thalys from Paris, ICE from Brussels and Amsterdam, IC/EC from Basel
 * Brühl – RE, RB and Mittelrheinbahn, tram line 18 from Cologne and Bonn
 * Bonn Hbf – IC/EC, RE, RB and Mittelrheinbahn
 * Siegburg – ICE and S-Bahn

Get around
In terms of public transportation, the region is covered by Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Sieg, which provides a unified tariff system across all publicly-owned operators in the region. Those include the Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe, whose Stadtbahn light rail network reaches far beyond the city of Cologne into neighbouring municipalities such as Brühl, Bergisch-Gladbach, Hürth and Leverkusen, and even reaching as far as Bonn. Bonn itself has its own Stadtbahn (with some shared lines with Cologne's), also serving Siegburg and Bad Godesberg. Long distance ICE and IC trains are however not included in the Verkehrsverbünde and thus of little use for local and regional travel but a good way to enter or leave the area.

See
The region's concentration of population and afflucene have been features for centuries, which left much heritage throughout and now continues to express itself in the number and quality of cultural institutions, as well as nightlife and culinary scene. Museums are actually quite evenly spread between Cologne and Bonn, due to the latter's federal role. The free-entry Haus der Geschichte in the latter city is worthy of special recommendation, while the former has a museum dedicated to the ancient Roman heritage of the city and area.

In terms of architecture, Cologne has the world-famous cathedral, but other historic buildings have been decimated by wartime destruction. Large royal palaces of Brühl and Bonn can rival the ones in France easily, while smaller towns such as Siegburg and Königswinter bring about a sweetened, affluent version of the photo-album-ready Germany, with the river Rhine, picturesque forested hills and cozy old towns.

The 321 metre high Drachenfels near Königswinter is probably the world's most frequently summited mountain and has been a subject of many romantic poems (including one by Lord Byron) and pieces of art. It is topped by a ruined castle, a newer castle dating to the 19th century and the Nibelungen hall, reminding of the Siegfried legend. It can be reached by a century-old cog railway.

Itineraries
When in Cologne, take a walk down the Rheinauhafen, the city's redeveloped former harbour area to enjoy views over the Rhine and some spectacular modern architecture.

Do
There is plenty to do in the region, from taking the cruise on the river Rhine to enjoying many cultural activities throughout the year. The highlight is of course the colourful Cologne carnival, which gathers crowds from all over the world every November through February/March.

Drink
The Cologne region is known for its local beer style called Kölsch, a top-fermented, fair-coloured brew containing just under 5 % alcohol. It is very light and smooth, making Germans from other regions who are used to the sharper Pils joke that it's "not even beer". It is usually served in slim 0.2 l glasses (so-called Stange, literally "stick") and should always be drunk freshly tapped as it gets stale very quickly. Waiters typically carry the small Kölsch glasses in a "wreath" (Kranz). In some Kölsch pubs or beer cellars, patrons are served a glass of Kölsch by default if not explicitly ordering a different drink, and are supplied with the next glass as soon as the former is empty, unless they explicitly refuse by putting a beermat on their glass.

Just like the traditional rivalry between Cologne and Düsseldorf, there is a long-cherished aversion of Kölsch drinkers against the Lower Rhine region's Alt beer (top-fermented as well, but darker and more malty flavoured), and vice versa. Ordering an Alt in a pub south of the Kölsch-Alt frontier (that runs through Grevenbroich, Dormagen and Monheim) is considered a gaffe and will be answered with ignorance or a sarcastic comment at best. Reportedly, some Kölsch enthusiasts even replace the Alt key on their computer keyboard by a Kölsch key.

Go next

 * Middle Rhine Valley
 * Eifel
 * Düsseldorf

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Cologne Lowland