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Best Things to Do
Top 20 Best Things to Do in Cologne [2025]
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Cologne Cathedral
4.8
/5
824 reviews
8.4
Based on 22,495 reviews
Cologne City Center | 440m from downtown
Phone +4922192584730
Address: Domkloster 4, 50667 Köln, Germany
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
No. 1 of Night Attractions in Cologne
Highlights:
Panoramic view from the tower
Cologne's 360° view from tower
Saved by 318 users326 positive reviews
Verified user reviews
It is a famous attraction that is worth visiting. It is a pleasure to visit Cologne Cathedral. Through the introduction, we learned that Cologne Cathedral was built in 1248 by the then Archbishop of Cologne, Conrad. Von Hochstaden presided over the laying of the foundation stone. The construction process took hundreds of years and was interrupted many times due to wars, lack of funds and other reasons. The church was not completed until 1880, after a total construction period of 632 years. The cathedral is an outstanding example of Gothic architecture. Its architectural style is characterized by towering spires, pointed arches, flying buttresses and exquisite stained glass windows. As an important Catholic church, Cologne Cathedral is a place for believers to carry out religious activities, attracting a large number of believers to make pilgrimages every year. The church houses the remains of the "Three Holy Kings of the East", which gives it a very high religious status.
huge and impressive, the view from the cathedral is also great, can’t remember the number of the stairs and it will take some time to go upstairs but totally worth it
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Cologne Chocolate Museum
4.5
/5
181 reviews
7.1
Based on 5,919 reviews
Altstadt-Süd | 690m from downtown
Phone +492219318880
Address: Am Schokoladenmuseum 1A, 50678 Köln, Germany
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
No. 1 of Family-friendly Attractions in Cologne
Highlights:
Cologne's iconic chocolate fountain
Fresh chocolate flows beneath tree
Saved by 143 users29% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
Fascinating even for chocolate professionals! Loved watching real production & tasting Lindt treats. Well-maintained, not crowded on Thursday. A sweet, educational stop—worth visiting!
Very impressive museum that show you how chocolate is made from the plant. Buy ticket on Trip.com to avoid waiting in the queue.
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Rheinauhafen District
4.5
/5
45 reviews
7.0
Altstadt-Süd | 619m from downtown
Phone +492213489901
Address: 50679 Cologne
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
Highlights:
Cologne Cathedral views by Rhine
Next to Cologne Cathedral
40% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
Cologne in Germany is a popular place for tourists to visit. It has the most famous Cologne Cathedral⛪️ and the Cologne Promenade. Cologne is the fourth largest city in Germany and is located on the banks of the Rhine in western Germany.
Rheinauhafen is the former dock area and harbour area that is always a joy to visit on any holiday I take to Cologne, as I always tend to visit Cologne over the Christmas period I always look forward to visiting the wonderful Harbour Christmas Market which is superb,the wonderful Chocolate Museum is also here as are some interesting museums ,the most defining structures along Rgeinauhafen are the Kranhauser buildings, look amazing, walking along the Rheinauhaden are some great reminders of the docks that once operated here ,theres some great vintage cranes that look cool ,add to this the cafe's,bars and restaurants along this walkway and you have a really pleasant place to visit.Easy to locate along Am Zollhafen,most definitely well worth checking out if your in the area.
No.
4
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Duftmuseum im Farina-Haus
4.3
/5
96 reviews
6.9
From PHP 887.02
Based on 904 reviews
Cologne City Center | 155m from downtown
Phone +492213998994
Address: Obenmarspforten 21, 50667 Köln, Germany
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
Highlights:
300-year cologne history & factory
300-year Farina perfume history
25% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
This was a unique experience! Farina is the original Eau de Colonge, and the tour is in the origianl house. (The factory moved out of the city center.) Our tour guide was Weibke, who did a wonderful pesentation in English. She is very knowledgable, and explained a lot of historical facts. The museum is small, but packed with a lot of antiques and information. I was glad that I didn't buy the other brand of colonge at the Cathedral, since 4711 it is not the original
The Cologne Perfume Museum has a very strong smell. Many of the perfumes here are brewed from local plants. The original production process of perfume also comes from here. Every time you smell the perfume, you feel very comfortable. The Perfume Museum also collects quite a lot of items.
[Fun] It is quite interesting
[Cost-effective] It is also very cheap to buy
No.
5
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Museum Ludwig
4.2
/5
66 reviews
5.9
Based on 1,823 reviews
Cologne City Center | 370m from downtown
Phone +4922122126165
Address: Heinrich-Böll-Platz, 50667 Köln, Germany
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
Highlights:
Picasso prints & paintings exhibition
Art museum by chocolate moguls
25% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
The galleries are enormous and many areas flooded with light. It is a pleasure to walk round. Interpretive material in English and German, the emphasis being to put the artworks in historical context, grouped by 'movement'. The collection is based on two private donations. Admission expensive with no reduction for pensioners, but worth the charge for the Picasso, the Russian avant-garde and Max Beckmann. There is a really excellent bookshop with many books in English.
The Ludwig Museum in Germany is a holy place for contemporary art museums. This museum houses some precious works from the 20th century onwards. If you come here, you must visit it. There are also many precious works of celebrities here.
No.
6
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Great St. Martin Church
4.3
/5
101 reviews
5.7
Based on 616 reviews
Cologne City Center | 140m from downtown
Phone +4922127794747
Address: An Groß St. Martin, 50667 Köln, Germany
Recommended sightseeing time: 1 hour
Highlights:
Clover-shaped floor & ancient origin
Clover-shaped ground & tower top
Verified user reviews
The landscape is what you see, and it will make you feel "wow". The most interesting thing about the tour is its history and its story. It took 600 years to build, and every sculpture and every brick is a picture.
This church is located by the waterfront and was rebuilt post WWII. Not as impressive as the Cologne Cathedral and hence visit if time permits.
No.
7
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Cologne City Hall
4.4
/5
70 reviews
5.1
Cologne City Center | 126m from downtown
Phone +492212210
Address: Rathauspl. 2, 50667 Köln, Germany
Recommended sightseeing time: 0.5-1 hour
Highlights:
Quirky clock's tongue show
Gothic & Renaissance architecture fusion
28% positive reviews
Verified user reviews
After the Cathedral, this beautiful medieval building is the major attraction of Cologne.It's a working town hall, in fact when I went there was a wedding party outside, and an extension with modern architecture is juxtaposed to the medieval part.
Cologne City Hall in Germany was destroyed during World War II, but it is still worth visiting. It is a famous masterpiece of Gothic architecture. If you come, be sure to search for some guides and information on the Internet.
No.
8
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Hohenzollern Bridge
4.5
/5
220 reviews
4.9
Based on 3,647 reviews
581m from downtown
Phone +492212210
Address: 50679 Cologne, Germany
Recommended sightseeing time: 0.5-1 hour
No. 2 of Night Attractions in Cologne
Highlights:
Lock your love & promise
Love locks adorn the bridge
Saved by 100 users
Verified user reviews
The classic photo that is often seen is the photo of the Hohenzollern Bridge and the Cologne Cathedral. Walking eastward along the Cologne Cathedral, you will come to the bridge. There are sidewalks and bicycle lanes on both sides of the bridge, and a railway track in the middle. Walking on the bridge, trains will pass by on the middle track from time to time. Standing in the middle of the bridge or on the west bank of the bridge is a better viewing position.
On the side of the sidewalk close to the track, there are colorful and dense love locks. It is said that if you hang a lock on the Hohenzollern Bridge and throw the key into the Rhine River, love will last forever, so many locals and tourists who come here to admire it have their own and their loved ones’ names engraved on the locks and left on this bridge. Over time, there are more and more locks, and colorful copper locks of various types form a unique landscape.
Reasons to go: Germany's most romantic bridge
If you are visiting Koln then chances are you will walk over it or arrive by train. If you walk over it is a great place for pictures and enjoy people watching on the banks of the Rhine. If you want to show your love buy a pad lock and lock it to one of the fences on the bridge
No.
9
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Old Street along Rhine
4.6
/5
70 reviews
4.8
198m from downtown
Address: Near the Rhine, 60 km east of Humboldt
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
Highlights:
Rebuilt 60 years ago, traditional
Cathedral to Chocolate Museum walk
Verified user reviews
This is an excellent place to take a stroll along the rhine River. This place us popular with locals as well and they are colourful buildings along the bank.
The Old Street on the Rhine is a street in the city. It is located on the Rhine Lake in the city. The scenery of the old street is still good. You can feel many exquisite things. The natural characteristics of the old street are also very unique.
[Scenery] There are many shops on both sides of the street
[Cost-effectiveness] High cost-effectiveness
No.
10
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Dom Treasury
4.5
/5
63 reviews
4.3
Based on 20 reviews
Cologne City Center | 474m from downtown
Phone +4922117940530
Address: Domkloster 4, 50667 Köln, Germany
Recommended sightseeing time: 1 hour
Highlights:
Over 200 medieval artifacts displayed
Cathedral & treasure museum nearby
Verified user reviews
Compared to the Treasury in Aachen, this takes second place. That said, the Cologne treasury has a remarkable array of historic treasures from the cathedral’s past, even if thieves were able to make off with many of the most valuable items in 1975. All exhibits are well-explained in English. Definitely worth a visit.
Cologne Cathedral is a must-visit place for tourists in Cologne. The interior of the church itself is a treasure house. The construction of the church took more than 600 years, spanning more than six centuries. During this period, the style and sophistication of religious works have changed greatly. So when you walk in the church, you can see many works of different styles, including murals, reliefs, icon screens, etc. You can see them slowly and feel a very heavy sense of history.
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