Cologne

An early Romanesque basilica in the southern part of the Old Town, once serving as the church for a Benedictine abbey. It is dedicated to St. Pantaleon, St. Cosmas, and St. Damian. Sightseeing is restricted to times outside of religious services; information regarding public tours and group registrations can be found on the official website.

The oldest and largest of Cologne's Romanesque churches, built upon the foundations of a Roman temple. Its unique floor plan is modeled after the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem and houses treasures such as an 11th-century carved wooden door and a 14th-century crucifix. Sightseeing is limited to times outside of religious services.

A landmark Romanesque basilica in the Old Town, characterized by its distinctive trefoil choir and soaring crossing tower. It was founded around 960 AD as a Benedictine monastery. The current structure dates to the 12th and 13th centuries. Sightseeing is limited to times outside of religious services; information regarding public guided tours and group visits can be found on the official website.

Founded in 1059, this basilica is noted for its Roman-era columns and vaulted architecture that earned it the nickname "Ravenna on the Rhine." It stands on the site of a former Roman guard post. Sightseeing is restricted to times outside of religious services; for information on public tours and group registrations, please visit the official website.

A Staufen-period pillar basilica and one of Cologne's twelve great Romanesque churches. It features notable historical elements such as a 12th-century tympanum and remnants of Ottonian architecture. Since 1956, the church building has housed the Museum Schnütgen, which showcases an extensive collection of medieval religious art.

The Cologne Synagogue is architecturally striking for its dark, monumental style. Its Torah scroll has a significant history, having been rescued by a Catholic priest from another synagogue during the Nazi era. In 2005, Pope Benedict XVI visited the site, marking only the second time in history that a pope had visited a synagogue. Guided tours are available; please consult the official website for schedules and booking information.

The Cologne City Hall is Germany’s oldest functioning municipal building, with origins dating back to the 12th century. The complex is defined by the 15th-century Gothic tower, which served as a symbol of the city's guilds, and the 16th-century Renaissance "Laube," a loggia representing the civic pride of Cologne's citizens. Notable features include the "Platz-Jabbeck," a carved wooden figure on the tower that sticks out its tongue when the clock strikes, and the restored Hansa Hall, once the meeting place of the Hanseatic League. The central Piazzetta connects the historic wings with modern architectural elements, reflecting both the city’s medieval heritage and its post-war reconstruction.

The Praetorium served as the administrative headquarters of the Roman governor in Cologne, then the capital of the province of Germania Inferior. As one of the most significant Roman palaces along the Rhine, it functioned as the political and administrative center of the region for centuries. Today, visitors can explore the excavated foundations of this multi-phase structure, with the 4th-century monumental palace remains being the most prominent. The site reveals a sophisticated layout, including a central octagonal room, flanking halls, and a riverside porticus, alongside impressive archaeological finds such as remnants of marble wall cladding, mosaics, and large-scale sculptures.

The Gürzenich is a municipal concert and event hall, best known for its late Gothic façade completed in 1447. It was built as a venue for public festivities. It retains its historic architectural character while functioning as a modern facility for congresses, concerts, and social events. It serves as a representative example of 15th-century civic architecture in Cologne

Ruins of Roman city wall gate

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.

Old town between Rhine, Heumarkt, Alter Markt and Dom, (Cologne Cathedral).

This student neighbourhood takes its name from the Parisian Quartier Latin. It is centred on the Zülpicher Straße and provides ample nightlife opportunities, ranging from a night shop (Späti) with dancefloor and toilets, 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".

Also called the Locking Bridge. If you walk to the back of the Kölner Dom along a straight path, there is a bridge on the Rhine to your right that is covered in padlocks. The locks are placed there by couples to show their loyalty to each other. Couples often have their names and a significant date inscribed on the locks. There are other places around the world that have "love padlocks".

This completely rebuilt area combines modern extravagant architecture with historical harbour buildings. The old Rheinauhafen opened in 1898 and became necessary due to increasing amount of freight traffic. The new Rheinauhafen is a mix of office buildings and apartment buildings and gastronomy. On a peninsula of the Rhine (1 km south of Heumarkt) it is an invitation for a beautiful walk along the river or for having lunch or dinner. Also see the separate itinerary article for a walking tour.

Cologne Botanical garden. The tropical house and the cactus houses are being rebuilt as of Oct 2024.

A museum of modern art, near the central railway station and the Cathedral hosts a worthy regular exhibition and temporary exhibitions.

The Museum of Applied Art has a collection of popular design items, as well as temporary exhibitions. The historical collections have been closed for several years due to refurbishment and new exhibition concept.

The Wallraf-Richartz Museum is an art gallery with a collection of fine art from the medieval period through to the early 20th century.

Römisch-Germanisches Museum explores the history of Roman history in Cologne and the surrounding area. The permanent exhibition is now located in the Belgian House (Cäcilienstraße 46, near Neumarkt). The exhibits of the Dionysos mosaic and Poblicius tomb are closed as of May 2022.

North Rhine-Westphalia's only ethnological museum, it has a fine collection of Amerindian and Austro-Polynesian artefacts.

Art, music, books, films and culture from Asia.

A Christian art museum. An architectural wonder designed by Peter Zumthor and a feast for the senses; this museum, built in concordance with the ancient foundations of the shrine of Mary in the rubble contains a selection of historical and contemporary religious art. Worth visiting just to explore the spiritually inspiring spaces and the beautiful walkway through the ruins of the past.

Chocolate museum in Cologne. It's a short visit but very interesting exhibits. Admission €13.50, concessions €8.50, family pass €34.50 (surcharge on weekends).

"NS" is short for National Socialist. Former headquarters of the Cologne Gestapo, with prison cells. Now the largest regional memorial site in Germany for the victims of the Nazis. Library, media and exhibitions. Near subway stop "Appellhofplatz".

Dedicated to the artist Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945), the first woman elected to the Prussian Academy of Arts.

Shows exhibits and works of art on the history of the city of Cologne from the Middle Ages to the present day.

One of the oldest houses in Cologne, built between 1220 and 1225, with an impressive Romanesque façade. Built as a residence for a local patrician, today it houses the Academy of Media Arts.

The famous German art merchants and auctioneers, founded in 1845 (although the building is from 1952, reconstructed after the Second World War).

The former post office built from red brick in 1906 is now used as a theatre.

The former water tower built in 1868-1872 is now used as a luxury boutique hotel. The 11th floor (at 35 metres) houses a terrace and glass covered dining/meeting room, which can be rented out for private functions.

The baroque estate was built in 1734 for a Benedictine convent, but is used today by the 190-man choir Kölner Männer-Gesang-Verein Cäcilia Wolkenburg. It is also an event centre.

Completed in 1959, the cable-stayed bridge provided a relief for the Deutzer Brücke. Although not outstanding visually as such, it provides a nice view of both banks of the Rhine if you care to walk it.

The church belonged to the local charterhouse (a monastery of the Carthusian order) until 1794, when the monastery was closed and the church was used variously as a warehouse or a military hospital until the 1920s, when it was restored to its religious function by a local Protestant community, whom it serves as a church until today. After reconstruction, it features an impressive pipe organ array with glockenspiel.

One of the best-hidden gems of Cologne, the small yet ornate gothic gate once led to an "immunity" belonging to the convent based at the St. Maria im Kapitol.

Neobaroque church from the early 19th century.

This Catholic church is one of the oldest in Cologne, predating even the famous romanesque churches, as it was founded in 948. It has seen many additions and reconstructions throughout the centuries, and was almost totally destroyed during the Second World War. Its current form is an eclectic reconstruction finished in the early 1960s.

Nestled inconspicuously between contemporary residential buildings is this impressive complex with gothic-inspired decorations

The lesser-known next-door neighbour of St. Cäcilien

Baroque convent complex from the 17th century.

This 19th-century evangelical church provides both regular religious services and serves as a venue for various cultural, especially musical, events.

The Köln-Triangle is a high rise building in Deutz, immediately by the waterfront. It is a part of a building complex fronted by the Rhine-facing Hyatt hotel and is hard to miss due to its prominence and quite easily accessible from both Deutz and the left bank of the Rhine (simply cross the Hochenzollern bridge from the Altstadt). On its 29th floor, it has a viewing terrace called Panorama, which is publicly accessible via a lift for a relatively reasonable fee. The terrace has glass all around it for both safety purposes and for exhibiting the names of various landmarks you can see from it. If you want to take really good photos, you may want to have a piece of cloth with you to clean the glass of fingerprints and such. The viewing terrace is closed during bad weather (like storm or hail).

Venue for trade shows and events.

The historic building of the station now known as Köln Messe/Deutz is an interesting piece of architectural heritage many visitors to Cologne miss as they exit the station on the fairgrounds side.

You may wonder what's so special about a gas station, but you will understand once you see its 1950s architecture with the unique structured roof and learn that it is the oldest gas station in Cologne in continuous operation.

The main shopping street of Deutz, with not only retail opportunities but also many historic buildings along the way.

Central concert hall, opened in 1986. Main season September to June. Special summer shows.

Operas are performed in the Staatenhaus while the opera building at Offenbachplatz is being renovated. Season starts in Mid-September.

Concert centre for jazz and contemporary music, with a cafe and restaurant inside and a large beer garden outside which dates back to at least the 1950s. (Also the site of a great Christmas market.)

If you want to go to the movies while visiting Cologne and you don't know German, this small cinema is for you. It shows movies in their native language, but mostly English. (However, most other cinemas will also show English versions several times a week, so check the listings.)

Take a ride with the Aerial tramway across Rhine river.

Established in 1860, the zoo of Cologne is home to more than 850 animal species from all over the world. Highlights include the Great Ape Jungle House, the Rainforest Hall, the Aquarium, and the houses for elephants, hippos and crocodiles.

Water park with water slides, pools, saunas and a wellness area.

Die Geißböcke ("The Billy Goats") were promoted in 2025 and now play soccer in Bundesliga, the top tier. The stadium has a capacity of 46,000 and in 2024 hosted matches in the UEFA Finals. The women's team play in their top tier at Franz-Kremer-Stadion, capacity 15,000.

Departure times: Daily: 10:30, 12:00, 14:00, 18:00; Köln-Düsseldorf offers cruises of the Rhine river around the Cologne area with an explanation of landmarks.

This non-profit organization offers excellent tours of Cologne, led by volunteers. The prices are moderate and there is a huge list of tours, including (besides the more regular tours) Koelsch tours (for testing the breweries) or language lessons in the local dialect (again, in a brewery). Ask for English tours, some guides are willing to conduct a normally German tour in English.

Rickshaws are exotic and environmentally friendly tricycles, that bring their passengers slowly and safely to their destination. By Rickshaw you will discover Cologne’s points of interest in a comfortable way.

Large spa with pool and lots of different saunas (indoors and outdoors) next to the Rhine, north of Deutz.

Decent Saunalanschaft in a hotel south of Neumarkt.

11 saunas and a huge pool.

Large spa in the west of Cologne.

Spa in the east of Cologne.

In the popular area of Ehrenfeld in an old renovated bath, to which an attractive "sauna landscape" in Japanese style on two levels has been added. Also a comprehensive fitness centre.

Some of the public swimming pools managed by the Cologne city council, notably Agrippabad, do have small Saunalandschaften too, all featuring a Damentag (ladies only day).

Tantra massage, coaching and workshops, an open minded and liberal attitude essential because the massages include sexually sensitive body parts, however, no sexual services are given by the team of 30 female and male employees.

Traditional Thai massage institute, in the city centre. Thai native massage therapists practise in the 160-m² Thai-styled studio: original royal massage, aroma oil massage and foot massage. This place does not offer any erotic massages.