Cologne

Do

Cologne's strong side is its cultural life. For latest information on what is happening around in town, get the ' for €2, Kölner for €2 or Live for free.

Buy

The main shopping street of Cologne is the Schildergasse, extending from the Neumarkt. The Schildergasse, Neumarkt, and pedestrianized side streets extending from them (in particular the Hohe Straße leading towards the Dom) host department stores, boutiques and other high-profile (and, often, high-price) retail establishments. For young fashion, also try Ehrenstraße.

Eat

Cologne has a wide variety of restaurants, German and otherwise, as a glance in the colored pages of the local telephone book will illustrate. thumb|Restaurant at Fischmarkt/Frankenwerft: Ständige Vertretung.

Drink

thumb|The flying buttresses and pinnacles of the Medieval east end of Cologne Cathedral Typical Cologne beer is called "Kölsch" and served in bars around town in small glasses, called "Stangen", of 0.2 L. That way the beer is always fresh and cold. Don't worry, waiters will be fast to bring you a new one once your old one is (almost) finished. In more traditional bars and especially the breweries, the waiter (called "Köbes" in local language) will even hand you a fresh Kölsch without being asked, so it is easy to lose track of how much you drank. He will put a pencil line on your coaster for each beer that you drank, this will be the basis for your bill, so do not lose it! To stop the beer from coming, leave your glass almost half full until you have asked for the bill or put your coaster on top of your empty glass.

If you buy bottled Kölsch, take either Reissdorf, Früh, Gaffel or Mühlen, which are rated highest by Cologne citizens. Those looking for a beer with a little more bitterness might like to try Küppers (there are about 30 more brands).

There are so many bars and pubs to choose from that you could spend most of the night going from one bar to the next.

For traditional breweries, head to the Altstadt around the Dom, where the Früh Kölsch brewery is the most famous with visitors and locals. You will find a younger crowd at Hellers Brauhaus on Roonstraße, near metro station Zülpicher Platz or Brauhaus Pütz on Engelbertstraße close to Rudolfplatz. Furthermore the Päff…

Sleep

Cologne is an internationally important trade fair city, with expansive fairgrounds in Deutz. The hotel rates rise multi-fold during important fairs. If you do not have to, try not to stay in Cologne during those. Alternatively, you can try finding accommodation in Düsseldorf or Bonn, which are a short train ride away and are usually not affected by the rate hikes (but Düsseldorf has its own trade fair calendar, so mind it as well).

For accommodation services the city of Cologne charges an extra 5%-levy Kulturförderabgabe, which is included in your bills. Non-tourists, i.e. those who did not voluntarily choose to head for Cologne, can get the taxes reimbursed.

Stay safe

Cologne's safety levels are historically average by German standards, but since the mid-2010s, the city has been plagued with significant waves of crime and decay.

Tourists should take normal safety precautions, particularly in the city centre, where pickpockets are known to be active. Also, be careful on the Ring, which is full of clubs and night-time crowds in the streets. Day and night be careful in outlying neighbourhoods like and . In general, stay away from drunk people. At street crossings, watch the trams.

Go next

Bonn — the former capital of West Germany is due south and easy to reach by train or Stadtbahn (Regional Express 5; MittelRheinBahn MRB 48; U-Bahn line 16 and 18; also ICEs, ICs, and EC's ). Brühl — almost a suburb of Cologne, contains the Augustusburg Palace which has been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The palace is one of the key works of Balthasar Neuman, and contains one of the finest Rococo interiors in the world, the highlight being the main staircase. Also in the grounds is the magnificent hunting Lodge of Falkenslust. Brühl can be easily reached by train in around 20 minutes from Cologne. The theme park of Phantasialand is also in Brühl. Düsseldorf Königswinter — A small town reachable by train. Ruhr (Ruhrgebiet) — If you are interested in heavy industry this might be a worthwhile trip. It is about 100 km north of Cologne. The region, which was the centre of mountain (coal and steel) industry in Germany, is going through a structural transformation and proudly presents its industrial past on the Industrial Heritage Trail . Zülpich — a small town southwest of Cologne dating from Roman times. It has a newly opened museum centred on Roman baths and bathing culture. It is also a gateway to the forested hills of the Eifel region.