How many days in Cologne?

The headline things to do in Cologne

From the Cologne guide — these are the items that anchor a 1-day visit. For the full breakdown, read the Cologne travel guide.

1. Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) — Altstadt

   Germany's most visited landmark and the gothic spine of the city, with twin 157-metre towers visible from the train as you arrive at Hauptbahnhof. Climb 533 steps to the south tower for a panoramic Rhine view (€6, 9am-6pm), or duck inside (free) to see the gilded Shrine of the Three Kings, the medieval Gero Cross, and Gerhard Richter's 2007 stained-glass window of 11,500 randomly arranged colour squares.

2. Hohenzollernbrücke & Love Locks — Altstadt / Deutz

   A 410-metre rail and pedestrian bridge connecting the Altstadt to Deutz with views straight onto the Cathedral. The pedestrian railing is buried under an estimated 500,000 padlocks left by couples since the early 2010s — Deutsche Bahn officially permits them. Cross at sunset for the postcard skyline shot, then continue to the right bank LVR-Tower deck.

3. Old Town Brauhaus Crawl — Altstadt

   Cologne's defining experience: bouncing between the city's 24 traditional Brauhauses serving Kölsch beer in skinny 200ml glasses. Päffgen on Friesenstraße (since 1883), Früh am Dom by the cathedral, Sion in the Altstadt, and Malzmühle near Heumarkt are the four classics. Köbes waiters keep replacing your glass without asking — cap it with a beer mat to stop.

4. Roman-Germanic Museum (Römisch-Germanisches Museum) — Altstadt

   Built directly over the in-situ Dionysus mosaic (220 CE) discovered when workers were building a WWII bunker. The collection is one of the world's great repositories of Roman provincial art — glass, jewellery, the 15-metre Poblicius funerary monument. The main building is closed for renovation through 2026, but the collection is on rotation at the Belgian House next door.

5. Museum Ludwig — Altstadt

   Cologne's contemporary art powerhouse, housing the largest Picasso collection in Europe (over 700 works) alongside major holdings of Pop Art (Lichtenstein, Warhol, Rauschenberg) and Russian avant-garde. Expressionist masters Kirchner, Macke, and Marc are all well represented. Shares its zinc-roofed building behind the Cathedral with the Philharmonie concert hall. Tickets €11.

6. Belgisches Viertel — Belgisches Viertel

   Cologne's creative neighbourhood, named for its streets honouring Belgian cities (Antwerpener, Brüsseler, Lütticher Straße). Independent boutiques, third-wave coffee shops, design studios, and the city's best dining sit in late-19th-century apartment blocks. Brüsseler Platz buzzes after work, when locals bring beers from kiosks and sit on the church steps.

7. Schokoladenmuseum (Chocolate Museum) — Rheinauhafen

   Built into a glass ship-shape building on its own peninsula in the Rhine, founded by the local Stollwerck chocolate dynasty. The 3-metre fountain flowing with 200kg of melted chocolate is the headline gimmick, but the production-line tour explaining cocoa farming through bean-to-bar manufacturing is genuinely thorough. Tickets €15.50, busy on weekends.

8. Rheinauhafen & Kranhäuser — Rheinauhafen

   A former dock district reborn as a riverfront promenade lined with three crane-shaped office towers (the Kranhäuser, completed 2008-2010) that mimic the historic harbour cranes. Walk south from the Altstadt past the Schokoladenmuseum, the Imhoff fountain, and the Rheinau yacht harbour for a 2km stroll that ends at Severinsbrücke.

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