For me, that means strolling through colourful neighbourhoods – the so-called Veedel –, eavesdropping on market chatter, following the scent of freshly roasted coffee, hunting for street art and laughing out loud again. So here are my slow-travel tips for Cologne that awaken all your senses.
Colourful moments: see Cologne
The streets of Ehrenfeld are an open-air gallery. On Körnerstrasse you’ll find tiny, colourful messages from locals, paste-ups, mini-sculptures and stickers. Giant murals shape the streetscape around Ehrenfeld station. It’s fun to go on a little treasure hunt here, or book a guided tour.
From vibrant streets to green calm: the “Flora” offers a visual breather with its fountains, vivid flowerbeds and glasshouses. It’s a bit like stepping into a painting. I could wander the botanical garden for hours or people-watch over a lemonade at “Dank Augusta”.
As the day winds down, head across the river to the Rheinboulevard. The setting sunbathes the cathedral, old town and Hohenzollern Brücke in golden light. Excursion boats drift by with lanterns aglow – the perfect finishing touch to the panorama.
Street Art walk Ehrenfeld – Körnerstrasse / Venloer Strasse – more on our Street Art map
Flora & Botanischer Garten – Amsterdamer Strasse 3, 50735 Cologne
Rheinboulevard – Kennedyufer 2, 50679 Cologne
Listen up: hear Cologne
To understand a city, go to its weekly market. It’s the best place to soak up the soundtrack: traders calling out their specials, neighbours swapping the latest Veedel gossip, the local neighbourhood news, between the stalls. Grab a coffee from the kiosk and tune in at Wilhelmplatz in Nippes.
Music lovers, head for “Parallel” in the Belgian Quarter. Between tables piled high with vinyl you’ll unearth funk, soul, indie and African beats. If you browse with care, you might just find that one record you’ve been hunting for.
A “Veedelperlen” performance captures the sound of Cologne in a nutshell: more than one hundred women singing three-part pop hits in English, German and Kölsch (the local dialect). You can’t help but sway along, and feel how music connects people.
Weekly market at Wilhelmplatz – Nippes
Parallel Schallplatten – Brabanter Strasse 2–4, 50674 Cologne
Veedelperlen – gig info at veedelperlen.de
Follow your nose: smell Cologne
Sometimes you just need a breath of fresh air: So hop on a bike and cruise along the Rhine past the Kranhäuser (crane houses), with views of the Severinbrücke and the Poller Wiesen, those lush green meadows. It’s not just a treat for your nose – it’s a full-on sensory outing.
And what beats the smell of fresh coffee? “Zwoo” is part of Cologne’s thriving coffee scene, with a few locations – including a sweet little kiosk right on Ebertplatz.
Cologne’s scents go far beyond the famous one: at “Dimgo Soaps” in Südstadt you’ll find handmade soaps, solid shampoos and natural skincare. Best bit: you can also take a workshop with founder Diana and craft your own soap.
Ride the Rhine – KVB bike-sharing
Zwoo Kaffeebüdchen – Sudermanstrasse 2, 50670
Dimgo Handmade – Severinstrasse 128, 50678 Cologne dimgohandmade.com/
Take a bite: taste Cologne
For modern Cologne cuisine, head to Eigelstein, one of the city’s liveliest old-town streets: “Vunky Foods” serves vegetarian and vegan dishes made with love. Kaddy and Tom bring out their signature ferments, mushroom pâté with pumpernickel and homemade ginger beer. Trust me: Don’t miss the Basque cheesecake.
Cologne is one of Germany’s great brewing cities. Beyond the classic Brauhäuser – those buzzing beer halls where Kölsch flows and plates of hearty food keep coming –, there are small gems to discover, like “Büdchen Casablanca” in Sülz. It’s more than sweets and newspapers: they stock the full range from “Lieber Waldi”, a Cologne craft brewery.
Sweet tooth alert: “Armer Ritter” is your spot. There you get the very thing hip cafés now call “French toast” – either classic with cinnamon, sugar and fruit, or savoury with goat’s cheese or bacon.
Vunky – Eigelstein 127–129, 50668 Cologne
Büdchen Casablanca – Sülzburgstrasse 164, 50937 Cologne
Armer Ritter – Merowingerstrasse 33, 50677 Cologne
Open your heart: feel Cologne
Time for that “Kölle-Jeföhl” – that unmistakable Cologne vibe. For me, it’s the warmth and openness of the people. You can feel Cologne’s community spirit over a round of Mau-Mau, a classic card game, at “Wiewaldi Coffee Roasters”. On the first Tuesday of every month, folks gather to play, swap stories and sip cold brew or natural wine.
And you should also experience the city’s special kind of humour – at least once. If you haven’t already caught it at the bakery, a Brauhaus or on the market, head to a comedy night – the open-air shows in Rheinauhafen are a winner, with the skyline as your backdrop.
And sometimes when you’re travelling, nothing beats getting lost in a beautiful bookshop: the smell of books, the rustle of pages, dipping into different stories. “Siebter Himmel” in the Belgian Quarter is just perfect for that. A book set in the city you’re exploring also makes a lovely souvenir, doesn’t it?
Wiewaldi Coffee Roasters – Kleiner Griechenmarkt 22, 50676 Cologne
Cologne Comedy Open Air – info & dates: doppelpunkt-entertainment.de
Siebter Himmel – Brüsseler Strasse 67, 50672 Cologne
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