The Cologne City Guides answer the questions every first visit raises: which Brauhaus still pours Kölsch for locals rather than coach groups, what a Halve Hahn actually is, how to dodge the crush at the Christmas markets and which castles and cities you can reach by regional train before lunch. Each guide is a tight, opinionated list: for every place you get why it matters, what to order or look at and a practical tip, and it opens in your browser as soon as you have paid.
About the Cologne City Guides
- 146 places
- 6 guides
- 9 languages
- Works offline
- Print or PDF
- Instant access
- Free updates
The six Cologne guides
Food guide
26 places
Brewhouses where the Köbes keeps the Kölsch coming, fresh döner on the Eigelstein, schnitzel worth queuing for, markets and the cafés for coffee and cake.
Things to do guide
25 places
The cathedral and its tower, Roman remains, nine museums, the best Christmas markets and green walks, with tricks for beating the queues.
Family guide
25 places
The zoo, the cable car over the Rhine and the chocolate museum, Christmas markets with a pushchair, rainy-day backups and food for fussy eaters.
Nightlife guide
24 places
Classic Kölsch houses, cocktail and wine bars in the Belgian Quarter, jazz cellars and live music, late food and the traps worth avoiding.
Day trips guide
22 places
Bonn and Brühl, castles on the Rhine, Aachen, Düsseldorf and the Eifel, plus Ruhr museums for wet days, all by regional train from Köln Hbf with lines and times.
Budget guide
24 places
Free sights and parks, cheap culture and views, meals that keep the bill small and the ticket tricks for a Cologne weekend under €50 a day.
Why an interactive guide beats a list
Tick places off
Mark each place as done and watch your progress, so you always know what is left.
Your own notes
Write notes on any place and add your own finds. They stay on your phone.
One tap to Maps
Every place opens in Google Maps, and the day route puts your picks in a sensible order.
Open now, near me
Filter by what is open right now or what is closest to you.
Works offline
Open the guide once with a connection and it keeps working without data.
Print it or save as PDF
On a computer, print any guide or save it as a PDF to take with you.
Three places from the guides
Brauerei Päffgen
Friesenstraße, Altstadt-Nord
A family brewery that has poured its own Kölsch since the 1800s. Waiters in blue aprons keep the small glasses coming until the beer mat goes on top, so order a Halve Hahn to soak it up. From the food guide.
Cologne Triangle
Deutz, across the Rhine
A viewing deck 103 metres up on the east bank, facing the cathedral and the Hohenzollern Bridge head-on, with none of the cathedral tower queue. Time it for dusk on a clear evening. From the things to do guide.
Drachenfels
Königswinter, about an hour on tram 66
A 321-metre hill above the Rhine crowned by a castle ruin, with the river laid out below. Leave the rack railway to others and walk up from town in about 45 minutes. From the day trips guide.
Finish the game, then follow the guide
World City Trail’s Cologne scavenger hunt, escape game and audio tour lead you through the old town. Once you finish, the guides take over: a Kölsch and a Halve Hahn in a brewhouse, the cathedral view from across the Rhine in Deutz, a regional train to Bonn or a quiet Romanesque church when the rain sets in.
Cologne guides: your questions
What do the Cologne City Guides include?
146 places across six guides: food, things to do, family, nightlife, day trips and budget. Each entry gives the reason to go, the neighbourhood, notes on opening times and a practical tip.
How do I receive the guides once I have paid?
The links show up on your order page straight after checkout and in the confirmation email. They open in the browser of any phone, tablet or laptop, with no app to install and no account to create.
Can I use the guides offline in Cologne?
Yes. Load each guide once while online and it keeps working without a signal, ticks and notes included. Only the map links need mobile data.
What languages are available?
English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Greek and Polish. Switch language inside the guide whenever you like.
How much do the guides cost?
€4.99 for one guide, €8.99 for two, €15.99 for four and €19.99 for all six. If you also book a World City Trail game, the food guide drops to €3.99 and the full set to €14.99.
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