Cologne

Cologne is a Rhine city in western Germany with a Gothic cathedral, Romanesque churches, Roman remains and Kölsch pubs. Its street Carnival peaks on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday.

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Cologne (Köln) is a city of about one million people on the left bank of the Rhine in western Germany. It is the largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany's fourth-largest. The Gothic cathedral, begun in 1248 and completed in 1880, is the best-known landmark and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Twelve Romanesque churches shape the old town, and several have Roman roots. The Romans founded the settlement as Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium in AD 50, and Roman sewers still run under the city.

Cologne sits about 35 km southeast of Düsseldorf and 22 km northwest of Bonn. Two or three days cover the cathedral, the Roman-Germanic Museum and Museum Ludwig, with time for a Kölsch in a local pub. ICE trains from Köln Hauptbahnhof reach Paris in about 3 hours 14 minutes. The Carnival season opens on 11 November at 11:11, but the street party peaks in February or March. In July the average temperature is about 19.0 °C, and in January about 3.0 °C.

Cologne in five

Buy a cathedral ticket before you queueSince 1 July 2026 tourist visits to the interior of Cologne Cathedral need a ticket, sold online and at the office on Roncalliplatz. The tower climb and the treasury are ticketed too. Prayer visits use the North Portal.Cologne in 2 days
Sleep within a tram ride of the HauptbahnhofThe station sits beside the cathedral, so the Old Town saves the most time. The Belgian Quarter suits evenings, and Deutz gives Rhine-bank views and quick ICE access.Where to stay in Cologne
Use Cologne as a day-trip hubDüsseldorf, Bonn and Aachen are all a short regional train away, so one hotel covers the whole northern Rhineland. A cheap monthly regional ticket can beat single fares if you plan several trips.Cologne or Düsseldorf?
Book early for Carnival and Christmas marketsStreet Carnival peaks in the days before Ash Wednesday, and the cathedral-area Christmas markets open in late November. Rooms in the center fill first, and hotel rates rise sharply on both dates.
Landing at Cologne Bonn on a long-haul flight?If this is your first Schengen stop, the Entry/Exit System registers your biometrics at passport control instead of a stamp. Leave a longer margin for a same-day onward train.EES explained

Things to do in Cologne

See all attractions in Cologne

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Church · CologneBasilika St. UrsulaCheck the church’s opening times before setting out; it is open for limited hours.

Sight · CologneLandschaftspark Duisburg-Nord

Sight · CologneLWL-Museum für Naturkunde

Free trip plannerPlan a trip to ColognePut the places you like in Cologne on a map, give them days, and let one button order each day. Free, with no account.Plan a trip

Need to know

Airport: Cologne Bonn (CGN), about 15 min by S-Bahn to Köln Hbf
Getting there: ICE from Frankfurt about 1 hour; Amsterdam and Brussels about 2–3 hours
Getting around: Walk the center; KVB trams and U-Bahn for Deutz, Ehrenfeld and the Südstadt
Best base: Old Town for first visits, Belgian Quarter for evenings
Time needed: 2 days; 3 with Bonn or the Brühl palaces

Weather by month

Rainy days
Snowy days
Festival

Best
Good
Mixed
Poor

JanuaryRain16 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh6°Low2°Cold, grey
FebruaryRain13 rainy daysHigh9°Low3°Carnival season
MarchRain13 rainy daysHigh12°Low4°Mild, showers
AprilRain12 rainy daysHigh15°Low6°Spring, tulips
MayPartly cloudy12 rainy daysHigh19°Low10°Warm, long days
JuneRain12 rainy daysHigh24°Low14°Rhine evenings
JulyRain13 rainy daysHigh25°Low15°Warm, busy
AugustPartly cloudy12 rainy daysHigh25°Low16°Warm, festivals
SeptemberPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh22°Low13°Mild, clear
OctoberRain14 rainy daysHigh16°Low9°Autumn color
NovemberRain14 rainy daysHigh10°Low5°Damp, quiet
DecemberRain16 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh7°Low3°Christmas markets

Average daily high and low in Cologne, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.

Festivals: Feb Cologne Carnival · Mar Cologne Carnival · Jul Summerjam, Amphi Festival

Right now in Cologne

Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.

Feels like: 7°
Humidity: 89%
Wind: 5 km/h
Chance of rain: 55%

Cologne

09:46 PM

Monday, November 2

GMT+1

Today9°7°55%Monday: Drizzle. High 9°, Low 7°. Chance of rain 55%.
Tue10°4°4%Tuesday: Cloudy. High 10°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 4%.
Wed11°3°0%Wednesday: Clear. High 11°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 0%.
Thu11°3°0%Thursday: Clear. High 11°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 0%.
Fri11°2°0%Friday: Clear. High 11°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 0%.
Sat9°1°7%Saturday: Cloudy. High 9°, Low 1°. Chance of rain 7%.
Sun9°5°14%Sunday: Drizzle. High 9°, Low 5°. Chance of rain 14%.

Updated 09:19 PM local time · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com

Money

Mid-market rate1 USD = 0.8961 EUR

Amount

Converted to

EUR · Euro

Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API

What's on in Cologne

Concerts, festivals and big events in and around the city

Events calendar

Coming up

Every year

Feb–MarCologne CarnivalCologne
May–JunMoers FestivalDüsseldorf, a day trip
JunRock am RingKoblenz, a day trip
JulSummerjamCologne
JulAmphi FestivalCologne
Sep–OctInternational Beethoven Festival BonnBonn, a day trip

Day trips by train

Before you go to Cologne

Trains from CologneICE and Thalys links in four countriesRead the guide

Hotels by the cathedralOld Town, Belgian Quarter and DeutzCheck availability

eSIM for CologneCathedral tickets and KVB tram appsRead the guide

Cover for a Rhine city breakCancelled trains and Carnival bookingsRead the guide

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Rules for Cologne, checked

A ticket is required for tourist visits to the interior of Cologne Cathedral since 1 July 2026. Children under 14 enter free.Checked Oct 1, 2026 · Source
Interior visits: Mon–Sat 10:00–17:45, Sun 13:30–16:30. Tower: 9:00–18:00 Mar–Oct, 9:00–16:00 Nov–Feb; last entry 30 minutes before closing.Checked Oct 1, 2026 · Source

All Cologne guides

Where to stayWhere to stay in Cologne: four bases from the Old Town to DeutzChecked Oct 3, 2026

Head to headCologne or Düsseldorf: which Rhine city to choose, and where to sleepChecked Oct 2, 2026

ItineraryCologne in 2 days: cathedral tickets, museums and a Kölsch eveningChecked Oct 1, 2026

Plan around Cologne

Bonn travel guide

Beethoven's birthplace and the Rhine, about 30 min away

Read the guide Aachen travel guide

Charlemagne's cathedral an hour west by regional train

Read the guide All of Germany

Regions, trains and entry rules for a Germany trip

Read the guide

Cologne FAQ

Is Cologne worth visiting?

Yes, for the cathedral, the Rhine setting and a relaxed brewhouse culture. It is more of a lively working city than a polished one, so go for the evenings as much as the sights.

How many days do you need in Cologne?

Two days cover the cathedral, a museum or two and a Kölsch evening. A third day adds Bonn, Brühl's palaces or Düsseldorf. One day works only as a stop on a longer Rhine rail trip.

Do you need a ticket for Cologne Cathedral?

Yes for the interior since 1 July 2026, with free entry for children under 14. The tower climb and treasury are also ticketed, and the North Portal stays open for prayer. Check the cathedral's site for current prices.

Where should you stay in Cologne for a first visit?

Near the Hauptbahnhof and the Old Town, so the cathedral, museums and trains are all on foot. Choose the Belgian Quarter if evenings matter more than the sights.

Can you use Cologne as a base for the Rhine?

Yes. Bonn, Koblenz and the Rhine gorge are reachable by regional train in about 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. For the villages of the gorge, plan one overnight in the valley itself.