Things to do · Cologne · Germany
17 best things to do in Cologne
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Raimond Spekking, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Cologne are Cologne Cathedral, Hohenzollern Bridge and Museum Ludwig. Of the 17 picks below, 7 are free, 8 work on a rainy day and 2 suit children. Allow about 2 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Cologne Cathedral
- Free sights
- 7
- Good on a rainy day
- Cologne Cathedral
- Time to see the highlights
- 2 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cologne Cathedral | Cathedral | 1 hour | Free |
| Hohenzollern Bridge | Cathedral | 30–45 minutes | Free |
| Museum Ludwig | Cathedral | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Cathedral south tower climb | Cathedral | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Wallraf-Richartz Museum | Old Town | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Old Town and Alter Markt | Old Town | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Great St. Martin Church | Old Town | 30 minutes | Free |
| Chocolate Museum | Rheinauhafen | 1.5–2 hours | Mid-priced |
| KölnTriangle viewing platform | Deutz | 30–45 minutes | Low cost |
| Romanesque churches walk | Citywide | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Kolumba | Cathedral | 1–1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| EL-DE Haus (NS Documentation Centre) | Innenstadt | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Farina Fragrance Museum and 4711 House | Old Town | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Cologne Zoo and Flora | Riehl | Half a day | Mid-priced |
| Rhine promenade and river cruise | Old Town | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Belgian Quarter | Belgian Quarter | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Schnütgen Museum | Innenstadt | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
The 17 best things to do
Religious site · Cathedral
1.Cologne Cathedral
Begun in 1248 and finished only in 1880, the Gothic cathedral has twin spires of about 157 metres and one of the largest church façades in the world. Inside are the gilded Shrine of the Three Kings, the 10th-century Gero Cross and a stained-glass window by Gerhard Richter made of thousands of coloured squares. Entry to the nave is free.
Visit early in the morning or in the evening to avoid the busiest hours, and dress respectfully as services take place daily.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Landmark · Cathedral
2.Hohenzollern Bridge
Trains rumble across this steel-arched railway bridge between the cathedral and Deutz, while the footpaths on either side are covered in tens of thousands of love padlocks. Walking across takes about 10 minutes and leads to the best views of the cathedral and old town.
Cross at dusk and sit on the Rheinboulevard steps in Deutz to watch the cathedral light up.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Couples
- Views
- After dark
Gallery · Cathedral
3.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.
Start with the Pop Art galleries, then look for the Picasso rooms.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Viewpoint · Cathedral
4.Cathedral south tower climb
A narrow spiral staircase of 533 steps climbs the south tower to a viewing platform about 100 metres up, passing the belfry with the huge St. Peter's bell on the way. The views stretch over the Rhine, the Hohenzollern Bridge and the old town.
Climb in the morning before it gets crowded, and skip it if you are uncomfortable in tight, steep stairwells.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Active
- Photo spot
Gallery · Old Town
5.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.
Do not skip the medieval Cologne School rooms, which are unique to the city.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
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Neighbourhood · Old Town
6.Old Town and Alter Markt
The Alter Markt and Heumarkt squares, the historic City Hall with its Renaissance loggia and the lanes running down to the river form Cologne's old town. Brewhouses fill the ground floors, and the coloured houses of the Fischmarkt line up beneath Great St. Martin Church.
Look for the Tünnes and Schäl statue near Great St. Martin; rubbing Tünnes's nose is said to bring luck.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Food
- Photo spot
Religious site · Old Town
7.Great St. Martin Church
With its massive square crossing tower and four slender turrets, this Romanesque church is the second landmark of the Rhine skyline. It is one of twelve major Romanesque churches in Cologne, and excavations beneath it reveal Roman warehouse foundations.
Use it as a starting point for a walk to other Romanesque churches, such as St. Maria im Kapitol nearby.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
Museum · Rheinauhafen
8.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.
Go on a weekday morning; weekends and rainy afternoons bring long queues.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Food
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Viewpoint · Deutz
1.KölnTriangle viewing platform
An office tower in Deutz with an open-air platform on its roof, about 100 metres above the river. It faces the cathedral and old town directly across the Rhine, giving the classic skyline view with the Hohenzollern Bridge.
Time your visit for sunset, when the cathedral is lit from the west.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Religious site · Citywide
2.Romanesque churches walk
Twelve large Romanesque churches ring the old Roman and medieval city. Highlights include St. Gereon with its decagonal dome, St. Maria im Kapitol with its carved wooden doors, and St. Ursula, whose Golden Chamber is lined with bones arranged in patterns.
Pick three or four churches close together, such as St. Maria im Kapitol, St. Pantaleon and St. Gereon, rather than trying to see all twelve.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Cathedral
3.Kolumba
The archdiocese's art museum is a building by Peter Zumthor that rises over the ruins of the Gothic church of St. Kolumba, bombed in 1943. It displays religious art from late antiquity next to contemporary works, without labels, in quiet grey spaces.
Pick up the room guide at the entrance; the absence of labels is deliberate.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Innenstadt
4.EL-DE Haus (NS Documentation Centre)
The former Gestapo headquarters for Cologne now houses a documentation centre on the city under National Socialism. In the basement, the original prison cells still carry inscriptions scratched into the walls by prisoners.
Allow time for the basement cells, which are the most powerful part of the visit.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Old Town
5.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. A short walk away on Glockengasse, the 4711 house plays a carillon on its façade on the hour.
Book a guided tour at Farina, then time your walk to the 4711 house to hear the carillon.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Shopping
- Rainy day
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Zoo · Riehl
6.Cologne Zoo and Flora
Founded in 1860, Cologne Zoo is known for its elephant park and its hippo house, which recreates an African river landscape. Next door, the Flora botanical garden has a 19th-century glass palace, themed gardens and free entry.
Visit the free Flora garden after the zoo; the two share a boundary.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
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Waterfront · Old Town
7.Rhine promenade and river cruise
The riverside promenade runs from the cathedral past the old town to the Rheinauhafen's crane houses. Sightseeing boats leave from piers along it for one-hour panoramic cruises, and longer trips run upstream towards Bonn and the Siebengebirge hills.
Walk south along the river to the Rheinauhafen and return through the old town for a two-hour loop.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Views
Neighbourhood · Belgian Quarter
8.Belgian Quarter
A grid of handsome 19th-century streets named after Belgian cities, full of independent boutiques, record shops, cafés and bars. Brüsseler Platz, with St. Michael's church, is the local gathering place on summer evenings.
Come in the late afternoon to shop, then stay for drinks around Brüsseler Platz.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- After dark
Museum · Innenstadt
9.Schnütgen Museum
Medieval sculptures, ivories, stained glass and goldsmiths' work fill the Romanesque church of St. Cecilia, one of the most atmospheric settings for medieval art in Germany.
Combine it with the neighbouring Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum of world cultures in the same complex.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Museum Ludwig, Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Chocolate Museum and Kolumba |
| History | Cologne Cathedral, Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Old Town and Alter Markt and Great St. Martin Church |
| Views | Cathedral south tower climb, Hohenzollern Bridge, KölnTriangle viewing platform and Rhine promenade and river cruise |
| Outdoors and nature | Cologne Zoo and Flora and Rhine promenade and river cruise |
| Food and markets | Old Town and Alter Markt, Chocolate Museum and Belgian Quarter |
| After dark | Hohenzollern Bridge and Belgian Quarter |
| With children | Chocolate Museum and Cologne Zoo and Flora |
| On a rainy day | Cologne Cathedral, Museum Ludwig, Wallraf-Richartz Museum and Chocolate Museum |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Cologne?
Cologne Cathedral. Begun in 1248 and finished only in 1880, the Gothic cathedral has twin spires of about 157 metres and one of the largest church façades in the world.
+What can you do for free in Cologne?
Cologne Cathedral, Hohenzollern Bridge, Old Town and Alter Markt, Great St. Martin Church and Romanesque churches walk. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Cologne when it rains?
Head indoors to Cologne Cathedral, Museum Ludwig, Wallraf-Richartz Museum and Chocolate Museum.
+What is there to do in Cologne at night?
Hohenzollern Bridge and Belgian Quarter are best after dark.