City Review: Cologne, Germany

Checking in from our third country on our two-and-a-half-week Euro train trip! We just arrived in Luxembourg this afternoon after leaving Cologne, Germany, this morning.

Despite eight (!) previous visits to Germany, this was my first time ever visiting Cologne. Funnily enough, I remember passing through the Cologne train station more than 10 years ago as I traveled from Berlin to Frankfurt, and I thought I remembered seeing the famous Cologne Cathedral. Which was basically the only thing I knew about Cologne.

But on this trip, I finally got to visit the city and see what it was like. So, here’s what you need to know if you’re considering a visit to Cologne, Germany!

About Cologne, Germany

First of all, Cologne’s name in Germany isn’t really Cologne — it’s Köln. Cologne is the French name that got adopted by English speakers at some point along the line, and I guess it stuck. But just know if you see the word Köln, it’s the same thing!

With a population of just under 1.1 million, Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany. Three other top-10 German cities — Düsseldorf, Dortmund, and Essen — are within an hour’s train ride away from Cologne, which makes it pretty easy to see why the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous (and most densely-populated) state in the country.

Speaking of “Rhine”… Cologne sits on the west bank of the famous Rhine River. Back when the city was founded and during the Roman empire, Cologne was a major trading city due to its advantageous location on the river. Centuries after the Romans, Cologne became one of Europe’s largest and most important cities during medieval times and the Renaissance.

These days, Cologne might be most famous for its contributions to the beer scene: Ever heard of a Kölsch beer? In German, Kölsch means “relating to Köln.” So a Kölsch is a beer from Köln. And this is taken very seriously! Similarly to how you’re not supposed to call a sparkling wine “champagne” unless it’s from the Champagne region of France, you legally can’t call a beer a Kölsch in the European Union unless it’s from Cologne. The more you know!

How Many Days Do You Need in Cologne?

Cologne might be the country’s fourth largest city by population, but it shouldn’t take more than two days to explore. It has a few heavy hitters as far as things you must see, but if you stay in the Altstadt (Old Town) you’ll be able to walk most places easily.

Add in another day if you want to do some shopping. Seriously, Cologne has some of the best shopping I’ve seen in a long time, especially for a city that doesn’t feel super huge! Alternatively, you could take a day trip to Düsseldorf or another nearby city.

Things To Do in Cologne, Germany

If you were to do only one thing in Cologne, it has to be the Cologne Cathedral, or the Kölner Dom. This was the primary reason I even wanted to visit Cologne on this train trip, and probably the only reason I actually even knew anything about Cologne. The Kölner Dom is absolutely massive, and it’s so Gothic-looking and spooky and ancient and imposing and cool all at the same time!?

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, the Kölner Dom is the tallest cathedral in the entire world. Now, I know that what an average person considers a cathedral might be different from the official definition. I know that a basilica means that the Pope blessed it at some point, but I don’t know about cathedrals. So let me just look up the definition briefly and share it with you:

Cathedral (noun): a church that is the official seat of a diocesan bishop.

I would say it sounds slightly less impressive now that we know what a cathedral actually is. But here are some other facts that we can all understand: It is the tallest twin-spired church in the world, the third-tallest church in Europe, and the fourth-tallest church in the world. Those sound more impressive!

It’s also the most visited landmark in all of Germany, with more than 6 million visitors per year. And the great news is that it’s completely free to enter, so you have no excuse not to go check it out! For an additional €8, you can also climb to the top of one of the towers.

cologne germany - twelve romanesque churches

Just one of the Twelve Romanesque Churches — Greater St. Martin Church

If you’re interested in visiting other churches while in Cologne, I’ve got great news for you. The Twelve Romanesque Churches of Cologne are 12 Catholic churches scattered throughout the Altstadt. But why are there so many? It turns out that, during the Middle Ages, Cologne was considered a holy city — a religious pilgrimage site, like Rome and Santiago de Compostela. Allegedly, relics of the Three Kings/Three Wise Men are housed in a shrine inside the Köln Dom(!), which is a pretty good indication of Cologne’s importance from a religious perspective.

Besides its status as a holy city, Cologne is famous for another reason: it was the birthplace of the first perfume — or cologne — in the world! The Farina perfume company began in Cologne back in 1709, and for decades, it was the only available perfume on the market. Our friends Rod & Rebecca visited Cologne a few months ago, and one of their biggest recommendations for us was a tour of the Farina perfume store/museum. So we took their advice… and it was one of our favorite things we did in Cologne! Our tour guide, Federico, was a great storyteller and we learned so much — and I think we were both surprised how much we enjoyed it. Tickets can sell out so be sure to book in advance!

Now, I know you’ve seen the picture at the top of this article and you probably want to know… where can you get the best views in Cologne?

Two places. First, you’ll need to cross the Hohenzollern Bridge over the Rhine, and this bridge is famous in its own right — it’s one of the dozens of love-lock bridges throughout Europe. The Hohenzollern Bridge, which is more than 400 meters long, is said to hold half a million locks (or more)! Another impressive stat: about 1,500 trains pass over the bridge each day. No cars are allowed — only pedestrians, bikes, and trains.

Once you make it to the east bank of the Rhine, look back at the bridge and you’ll be treated to a great view of the Köln Dom with the bridge in the foreground. For being such a great view, I was surprised how few tourists were there taking photos. Apparently this viewpoint has a name: Aussichtspunkt Hohenzollernbrücke. Hohenzollern Bridge Viewpoint.

If you turn your back on the river, you’ll see a single light blue skyscraper nearby. This is the Köln Triangle, and you can pay €5 to take the elevator to the top floor for a panoramic view of Cologne and the surrounding landscape.

From there, you’ll probably want to walk back across the bridge — you can take a stroll along the Rhine on the Rhine Garden promenade. Honestly, strolling is one of Cologne’s primary activities, and I highly recommend it. I haven’t mentioned it yet, but there are SO MANY pedestrian-only streets throughout the city! We loved it so much – during our few days there, we never had to spend too much time waiting at crosswalks because we were almost always in pedestrian areas.

One of the most famous pedestrian streets in Cologne is the Schildergasse, which is more than 500 meters long and is considered the busiest shopping street in Europe. It actually reminded me of Myeongdong in Seoul, South Korea, with colorful layers of vertical signage surrounding you on both sides of the street.

The shopping in Cologne is incredible, too. I know it’s Germany’s fourth-largest city, but it doesn’t really feel that way. So, to see stores I like that are normally only in major metropolitan cities like London or Barcelona — UNIQLO, Arket, & Other Stories, and COS — they felt so much more accessible.

And when you’re tired from all the strolling and shopping, don’t forget to have a nice Kölsch beer at one of the bier bars — you’re certain to never be too far away from one.

How Expensive is Cologne?

I’m spoiled now because I live in a non-major city in Spain, and things in most of Europe cost more than they do in non-major cities in Spain.

As far as the attractions and things to do, I felt that Cologne was reasonably priced. Remember how the Köln Dom was free to enter? Amazing. The Farina perfume museum was €12 per person, and after visiting, I felt like it would have been justified if it were more expensive even. (We enjoyed it that much!)

For meals, I’d say we spent about €14-18 per person on a lunch or dinner, not including drinks. A Kölsch, which is traditionally served in a skinny 0.2 liter glass, was usually about €2.50 — and it was funny because a glass of Coke was usually about €4, and even water would be about €3! So the beer was literally cheaper than water.

Cologne isn’t as inexpensive as some places in Europe, but it’s likely not going to break the bank.

Where To Eat in Cologne

I feel like my ability to recommend restaurants can be pretty hit-and-miss now that I’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease. But the place we ate on our first day (which just so happened to have a gluten-free option for me) was sooo good that I have to mention it.

Restaurant Feinkostladen Cafe Der Tiroler: Technically an Austrian restaurant — not German — but I feel like they share a lot of cuisine so it felt pretty authentic to Germany! It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but inside is small with just a few tables, and super charming. We were attended by Valerie, and I’m not sure if she’s the owner, but she was a one-woman show — she waited all the tables, took all the orders, and prepared all the food herself. Matt had Schnitzel and Kartoffelsalat (potato salad!) and I had gluten-free Kasspätzle, which was like a big bowl of cheesy noodles. The portion sizes were huge and everything was so delicious!

Where To Stay in Cologne

Most of the time when we travel, we stay in hotels that we book using a combination of points and money, thanks to our Chase Sapphire Preferred and CapitalOne VentureX credit cards.

In Cologne, we stayed at Hotel Glockengasse, and it was in such a great area! Basically, if you stay anywhere in the Altstadt-Nord (Old Town North) region, you’ll likely be within a 15-minute walk to most things you want to do. Plus, this is the area that is mostly pedestrianized, so it was awesome just going from one cobblestone pedestrian street to another, pretty much all the way to the Köln Dom and the Köln Hbf (Cologne train station).

Is Cologne Worth Visiting?

I wanted to visit Cologne because of the cathedral, but I didn’t know what else to expect. I also don’t usually do too much research before I go somewhere because I like figuring it out when I get there.

My verdict is that Cologne is a good place to visit — super walkable, interesting sites and history, and great vibes! Our first couple of days there were rainy, and it made all the old architecture look so moody and Gothic. But our last full day in Cologne, the sun finally came out and the temperature jumped up from about 59°F to 79° (15°C to 26°). Suddenly, everyone was outside, taking a stroll along the pedestrian streets or having a Kölsch with friends.

Cologne may not be the flashiest German city, and it’s probably not a destination at the top of most tourists’ lists – especially if they don’t travel often. But this means that it felt a little bit more “undiscovered” than many other places we’ve been. And that’s always a positive in my book!