Museums · Cologne · Germany
7 best museums in Cologne
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Museum Ludwig, Wallraf-Richartz Museum and Chocolate Museum. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 10–14 hours across 4 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 10–14 hours
- Areas
- Cathedral, Old Town and Rheinauhafen
Museums in Cologne
Gallery · Cathedral
1.Museum Ludwig
Next to the cathedral, Museum Ludwig is one of Europe's leading modern-art museums, with a large Picasso collection, Russian avant-garde works, German Expressionists and one of the most important Pop Art collections outside the United States, including Warhol and Lichtenstein.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Gallery · Old Town
2.Wallraf-Richartz Museum
The city's oldest museum covers European painting from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century, with the gold-ground altarpieces of the medieval Cologne School, Rubens and Rembrandt, and a strong collection of Impressionists and Post-Impressionists.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · Rheinauhafen
3.Chocolate Museum
On a peninsula in the Rheinauhafen, this museum covers the history of cocoa and chocolate, from Mesoamerica to modern production, with a working mini factory, a tropical glasshouse and a chocolate fountain where staff hand out samples.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Food
Museum · Cathedral
4.Kolumba
The archdiocese's art museum is a building by Peter Zumthor that rises over the ruins of the Gothic church of St.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Innenstadt
5.EL-DE Haus (NS Documentation Centre)
The former Gestapo headquarters for Cologne now houses a documentation centre on the city under National Socialism.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Old Town
6.Farina Fragrance Museum and 4711 House
Eau de Cologne was created here: the Farina house opposite the City Hall has made it since 1709 and offers guided tours of its fragrance museum.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Museum · Innenstadt
7.Schnütgen Museum
Medieval sculptures, ivories, stained glass and goldsmiths' work fill the Romanesque church of St.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Cathedral | Museum Ludwig and Kolumba | 2–3 hours + 1–1.5 hours |
| Old Town | Wallraf-Richartz Museum and Farina Fragrance Museum and 4711 House | 2 hours + 1–1.5 hours |
| Rheinauhafen | Chocolate Museum | 1.5–2 hours |
| Innenstadt | EL-DE Haus (NS Documentation Centre) and Schnütgen Museum | 1.5–2 hours + 1–1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 3 low cost, 4 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Museum Ludwig; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 4 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Cathedral): Museum Ludwig → Kolumba, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Old Town): Wallraf-Richartz Museum → Farina Fragrance Museum and 4711 House, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Rheinauhafen and Innenstadt): Chocolate Museum → EL-DE Haus (NS Documentation Centre), at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Innenstadt): Schnütgen Museum, at least 1 hour.
The quietest months for queues
- January: highs of 5°C (41°F), about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold and grey but quiet; carnival societies hold sessions and balls ahead of the street carnival.
- April: highs of 15°C (59°F), about 9 rainy days, moderate crowds. Mild days and blossom along the Rhine; a good time for city walks and day trips.
- September: highs of 20°C (68°F), about 9 rainy days, moderate crowds. Pleasant and settled, good for walking and Rhine trips; trade fairs can push up prices.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Cathedral and Hauptbahnhof — The Dom, the main station and the start of the Hohe Straße shopping street
- Rheinauhafen — Converted harbour with crane-shaped towers and riverside promenades
More of Cologne
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Cologne?
Museum Ludwig. Next to the cathedral, Museum Ludwig is one of Europe's leading modern-art museums, with a large Picasso collection, Russian avant-garde works, German Expressionists and one of the most important Pop Art collections outside the United States, including Warhol and Lichtenstein.