Parks and the outdoors in Cologne

Parks and the outdoors in Cologne

1. See

   Agnesviertel

   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.

2. Do

   Aqualand

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

3. See

   Basilica of St. Severin

   St. Severin' is the second tallest of Cologne's Romanesque churches (79 m), dedicated to the patron saint of rain who is said to protect the city from drought. Visitors can walk beneath the elevated 19th-century shrine to receive a "blessing from above." The church is a treasure trove for history buffs, housing the largest preserved medieval silk fabric in the world (4th–10th century) and a crypt built over ancient Roman burial sites.

   Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00; Sat 10:00-13:00; Sun 13:00-17:00

4. See

   Flora and Botanical Garden

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

   08:00-sunset·Free

5. Drink

   Gebäude 9

   Concerts. International flavor. Alternative crowd. Quite popular. Inside a defunct factory site on the right bank of the river.

6. See

   Hohenzollern Bridge

   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".

7. See

   Kölner Dom

   Cathedral

   A UNESCO World Heritage site, this monumental cathedral took 632 years to complete, finally being consecrated in 1880. Cologne's Dom is the first thing you will notice when leaving through the main exit of the central station. If you don't see it, you've likely taken the back exit. If you are in good shape, you can climb the 509 stairs to the top of the south tower. The round trip takes about an hour and requires comfortable shoes, but the panoramic view is well worth the hike. Touring the cathedral is forbidden during Mass; to ensure the doors are open for visitors, check the liturgical calendar: koelner-dom.de.

   Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00; Sun 13:00-16:00·Admission to the cathedral is free, a 'sightseeing fee' for tourists is being introduced in July 2026 (worshippers and those attending Mass still enter for free). Admission to the South Tower costs €8 (reduced €4, family €20), and admission to the Treasury is also €8 (reduced €4, family €20). A combined ticket for the tower and the treasury is available for €12 (reduced €6, family €30). No luggage or large bags may be carried inside; lockers are available at the nearby station or the service centre

8. Eat

   Lizbät

   Delicious crepes, a nice ambience and great service. There are all kinds of crepes: vegetarian, vegan, with meat, and sweet. The beer garden is nice and the service is good.

9. See

   Rheinauhafen

   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.

10. See

    Severinsbrücke

    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.

11. See

    St. Maria Lyskirchen

    St. Maria in Lyskirchen is the smallest of Cologne’s twelve Romanesque churches, famous for its remarkably well-preserved 13th-century ceiling frescoes, the only ones of their kind to survive largely intact in the city. Located near the Rhine, it has long been the traditional church of the river boatmen and houses the beautiful "Schiffermadonna" (Boatmen's Madonna), a late Gothic wooden statue from around 1420.

    Closed · opens 9:30 am tomorrow

12. Do

    Stadtgarten

    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.)

13. Do Not mapped

    KD Rhine River Cruise

    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.

    €6.80

14. Do

    Kölner Seilbahn

    Take a ride with the Aerial tramway across Rhine river.

    Closed · opens 10 am tomorrow·Adult one way €4.50, return €6.50; child (aged 4–12) one way €2.50, return €3.70

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Cologne (CC BY-SA 4.0).