Cologne

Join the Hipporoller Challenge

Help the Travel Guide reach 20,000,000 characters and we'll donate 63 hipporollers worth over $6000. Read more.

Quick Facts

[edit]

Coordinates

• Latitude: 50.940664
• Longitude: 6.959912

On Travellerspoint

• 2 Cologne Apartments
• 3 Cologne Guesthouses
• 10 Cologne Hostels
• 14 Cologne Hotels

Contributors

• Sam I Am (24%)
  from Sam's Blog
• Herr Bert (20%)
  from A Dutchman in Madrid
• Utrecht (20%)
  from http://utrecht.travellerspoint.com

as well as arif_kool (14%), CiaranP (11%), Lavafalls (6%), bex76 (6%)

Help contribute to this article to share the ad revenue.

Introduction

Cologne

© All Rights Reserved porz

Neighbourhoods

Cologne is split in half by the Rhein river. The left or west side is known to locals as Links-Rhein (left Rhein) and was where the city was originally founded by the Romans. It's also today's centre and densely populated. It's built up in rings surrounding the Old City (Altstadt).

The right side (Rechts-Rhein) does not have a centre and Cologners often refer to it as the "wrong side" (Schäl Sick).

Sights and Activities

Cathedral

Cologne Cathedral

© All Rights Reserved GregW

The Cologne Cathedral (in German der Kölner Dom) is a gothic building of which the build was started in 1248, and finished in the 1880, when the build of the towers was completed. The two towers of the Cathedral have a height of 157 meter. (the North tower is 7 centimeters higher than the South tower). Until 1883, so only very briefly, it was the highest manmade building on the planet. In the second World War the cathedral was hit and damaged by bombs, but most of the church survived, mainly because the towers were an orientation point by the pilots flying over this part of Germany.

The main part of the building is 144 meter, and 43,5 meter high. The plan of the cathedral is shaped like a cross, which is common in gothic churches. Inside the Cathedral there many chapels, graves, relics, treasures and works of art to be found. Also pay attention to the decorated colorful windows.

Entrance to the cathedral is free, but if you want to climb the 509 stairs to the top of the Northtower you have to pay a small fee. Climbing the tower takes a while, but the great view of the city is worth the effort. The cathedral can be found across the square from the trainstation, so even if you pass Cologne it is worth to get out in Cologne, visit the cathedral and continue your journey.

Rhine by boat

Rhine Cruise from Koblenz to Rudesihem, Germany

© All Rights Reserved arif_kool

Take a boat trip down the Rhine. You can go as far as Strasbourg, France, but the most scenic part of this route is between St. Goar and Rudesheim. Many companies operate on this route, most famous being the KD Rhine. Eurail pass holders, who have Germany as one of the countries covered under the pass, get free sailing on the ferry operated by KD Rhine between Cologne and Mainz.

Roman-Germanic Museum

This museum, located in the heart of the city, displays many artifacts from the early Roman settlements disovered in the city, dating back to the 2nd century AD.

Philharmonic Concert Hall

Located next to the Cathedral, this important concert hall hosts festivals, jazz sessions, music performances and various other international events.

The Chocolate Museum

The Chocolate Museum is well worth a visit. You can read about the history of cocoa, how chocolate is produced, and watch it being made. You can even sample some newly made chocolate as it is still made on the premises. It's by the river; allow a couple of hours to look around.

Events and Festivals

• Cologne (Winter) Carnival is a huge street party each February in the inner city.
• Christopher Street Day is an international festival for lesbians, gays and transvestites.
• Cologne Lights is a spectacular display of fireworks all along the Rhine river usually held during the month of July each year.
• Christmas Market.

Weather

Similar to most of western Europe, the hottest time to visit Cologne is in it's summer, July usually being the hottest month. There is rarely snow in Cologne, but February is generally the coldest month of the year. On average June has the highest rainfall.

Getting There

By Plane

Cologne/Bonn International Airport (CGN) is located around 15kms from both Cologne and Bonn. Homebase of budget airline Germanwings, other major users of the airport are Air Berlin, Lufthansa, Condor and TUIfly. Especially Germanwings and AirBerlin have dozens of cities served throughout Europe and just beyond.
The airport can be easily reached from the city centre by public transportation. S-Bahn trains are available from the airport station to the Cologne main train station. There is a regular bus service also from the airport to the main train station.
Not that far from Cologne is the much bigger airport of Düsseldorf (DUS), with good train connections to Cologne.

By Train

Cologne is very well connected by rail. International trains to the Netherlands, Belgium and France are available at the huge station. For more information on how to get to Cologne and to calculate your initerary, check the website of Deutsche Bahn.

By Car

By Bus

Eurolines connects to several German cities, including Cologne. The stop is at the central train station in the center of town. You can't buy tickets in Cologne itself, you will need to make your reservations by internet.

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Eat

Drink

With 21 breweries Cologne officially has more than any other city in the world. Not only do they all brew the same style of beer, but it is one which is unique to Cologne, Kölsch. Kölsch has it's own drinking culture, being generally drunk on draught (vom fass) and served in tiny Stange containing only 0.2L. These are often reffered to derisively by other germans as test tubes and the beer can sometimes have a rather effete image. On the other hand Kölsch culture is one of social inclusion since the beer is drunk by both men and women and was traditionally drunk across all social classes. Karl Marx joked that his revolution would not work in Cologne, since bosses frequented the same pubs as their workers.

Almost all Cologne bars will serve a couple of Kölsch varieties on draught but you can also head to one of the restaurants operated by a specific brewery. Aproned waiters known as Köbes will serve your beer, refilling empty glasses as a matter of course until you tell them to stop, leave a glass half drunk or place a beer mat on top of an empty glass.

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

• University of Cologne

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post