Cologne scavenger hunt
The Great St. Martin Church is a magnificent Romanesque basilica built upon the remains of a Roman warehouse, featuring a distinctive four-towered crossing that has defined Cologne's Old Town skyline since the 12th century.
Steeped in history, the bustling Heumarkt square welcomes travelers with its lively atmosphere, historic monuments, and traditional brauhauses, making it a vibrant highlight of Cologne's Old Town exploration.
The Hohenzollern Bridge and the Gothic Cologne Cathedral form a historic ensemble, with the cathedral’s 13th-century spires overlooking the massive iron bridge that has served as a vital European rail artery since 1911.
Cologne City Hall is Germany’s oldest town hall with over 900 years of history, located just a stone's throw from the Great St. Martin Church and the iconic Cologne Cathedral.
The Imhoff Chocolate Museum is a striking glass and aluminum structure on the Rhine that offers a sensory journey through the 5,000-year history of cocoa.
Cologne scavenger hunt
The Great St. Martin Church is a magnificent Romanesque basilica built upon the remains of a Roman warehouse, featuring a distinctive four-towered crossing that has defined Cologne's Old Town skyline since the 12th century.
Steeped in history, the bustling Heumarkt square welcomes travelers with its lively atmosphere, historic monuments, and traditional brauhauses, making it a vibrant highlight of Cologne's Old Town exploration.
The Hohenzollern Bridge and the Gothic Cologne Cathedral form a historic ensemble, with the cathedral’s 13th-century spires overlooking the massive iron bridge that has served as a vital European rail artery since 1911.
Cologne City Hall is Germany’s oldest town hall with over 900 years of history, located just a stone's throw from the Great St. Martin Church and the iconic Cologne Cathedral.
The Imhoff Chocolate Museum is a striking glass and aluminum structure on the Rhine that offers a sensory journey through the 5,000-year history of cocoa.

Cologne Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

Rated 4.57 out of 5 based on 207 customer ratings
(207 customer reviews)

Explore the city at your own pace with a self-guided experience.
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Make a day of itInteractive guides by World City Trail, delivered with your tickets.

What is a city guide?

Your own guide to Cologne on your phone: hand-picked places, each with why to go, what to order and a practical tip.

  • Tick places off
  • Your own notes
  • One tap to Maps
  • Open now, near me
  • Works offline
  • Print it or save as PDF
See the guides, a short video and all the details →
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Loved by thousands of travelers and locals

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Included: your personal Trail Map with every city you finish, the kilometres you walk and your flag collection. See an example →

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Everything you need for a flexible self-guided city experience

Explore the city at your own pace

✔ Discover hidden gems & highlights
✔ Enjoy a flexible self-guided experience
✔ Explore freely with no schedule
✔ Perfect for couples, students, companies, friends & families

How your city experience works

✔ Instant ticket purchase
✔ Easy access via the World City Trail app
✔ Quick setup with your booking details
✔ Start anytime and explore freely
✔ Pause and resume anytime

Why travelers choose this tour

✔ Instant access after purchase
✔ Optional AI voice narration — listen instead of read
✔ Discover top attractions & food spots
✔ Customize your route anytime

Playing detective in Cologne's old town

The Cologne scavenger hunt is a self-guided city game you play on your phone: you walk through the old town between the cathedral and the Rhine, solve a riddle at each of 10 landmarks by looking closely at what is in front of you, and unlock the stories behind them. With the cathedral, the market squares and the riverbank so close together, you walk only around 20 minutes over 2 km, and the rest of the roughly 2 hours belongs to riddles, legends and perhaps a Kölsch; you begin whenever you choose.

Highlights include Cologne Cathedral, the Heinzelmännchen Fountain and its legend, the Historic Town Hall with the Platzjabbeck, the Alter Markt and Great Saint Martin Church above the colourful houses of the Fischmarkt. The old town is compact and flat, so the short walk leaves plenty of time for stories, photos and a glass of Kölsch along the way.

  • Durationabout 2 hours
  • Walkingabout 20 min · 2 km
  • Stops10
  • LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch

Riddles between the cathedral and the Rhine

Answers hidden on gables, fountains and towers

One riddle waits at each stop, and the answer is somewhere in front of you: a figure on the town hall tower, a detail on the Heinzelmännchen Fountain, a feature of a gabled house on the Fischmarkt. Look closely, reason it out and the next stop opens, with no knowledge of Cologne needed.

House spirits, a tongue and a bare bottom

Solved riddles unlock Cologne's stories: the helpful Heinzelmännchen who left for good after a tailor's wife scattered peas on the stairs, the Platzjabbeck who sticks out his tongue on the hour, and the Kallendresser crouching on a house on the Alter Markt with his trousers down. If you would like the legends told while you stand in front of the fountain, switch on the audio narration.

A short, flat walk

The whole route is only 2 km, about 20 minutes on foot, through the flat old town from the cathedral down to the Rhine. Google Maps shows the way, and the riverside promenade carries you to the end on the Rheinauhafen.

Breaks for a Kölsch

No clock is ticking, so stop for a Kölsch in an old town brewery or an ice cream by the river whenever you like, and the game picks up where you paused, today or tomorrow. Arriving by train? The cathedral stands right outside the main station, so the first riddle is a few steps away.

See the route and attractions →

How it works

  1. Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
  2. Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
  3. Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.

Day-trippers, families and trade-fair teams on the Rhine

Rail travellers with an afternoon to spare

Cologne's main station sits beside the cathedral, so a stopover of a few hours is enough for about 2 hours of play over 2 km. The route never strays far from the Rhine, and the riddles show you far more of the old town than a quick look at the Dom would.

Children who like a cheeky statue

Kids giggle at the Kallendresser's bare bottom, search the Heinzelmännchen Fountain for the busy house spirits and want to rub Tünnes's shiny nose. An adult plays in each team, and a finish at the Chocolate Museum keeps spirits up.

Colleagues in town for a trade fair

Cologne hosts many trade fairs, and after a day on the stands a team game in the old town is a welcome change of air. Teams of up to 5, each player on their own phone, can set off together and meet again by the Rhine at the end.

Good to know

  • Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
  • No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
  • Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
  • Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
  • Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
  • Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.

The route: from Cologne Cathedral through the old town to the Chocolate Museum

10 stops · about 20 min walking · start: Cologne Cathedral · finish: Chocolate Museum

The hunt starts at Cologne Cathedral and leads into the old town to the Heinzelmännchen Fountain, the Alter Markt and the Historic Town Hall with the glockenspiel in its tower. Next come the bronze figures of Tünnes and Schäl, Great Saint Martin Church and the Fischmarkt, then the Heumarkt and the Rhine gauge on the riverbank, and the hunt finishes at the Chocolate Museum on the Rheinauhafen. Since the clues are all on façades, fountains and bronze figures, you never queue at a ticket desk on the way, and should the Heumarkt or the Alter Markt suit you better as a first stop, the app lets you begin there and rearranges the order.

Open the route map ↗

  1. Cologne Cathedral

    1Cologne CathedralStart

    Work on the cathedral began in 1248, stopped in the 16th century and was only completed in 1880, following the medieval plans. At about 157 metres it is the tallest twin-spired church in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, and it holds the golden Shrine of the Three Kings.

  2. Heinzelmännchen Fountain

    2Heinzelmännchen Fountain

    This neo-Gothic fountain by Edmund Renard was built in 1899–1900 for the 100th birthday of the poet August Kopisch, who wrote the ballad of the Heinzelmännchen. According to the legend, these house spirits did the work of Cologne's craftsmen at night until a curious tailor's wife scattered peas on the stairs to catch them, and they left for good.

  3. Alter Markt (Old Market)

    3Alter Markt (Old Market)

    Recorded as Cologne's market as early as 922, the Alter Markt was also used for tournaments and executions in the Middle Ages. In the middle stands the Jan von Werth Fountain of 1884, and on house number 24 crouches the Kallendresser, a bronze figure with his trousers down made by Ewald Mataré in 1956.

  4. Historic Town Hall

    4Historic Town Hall

    Cologne's town hall is one of the oldest in Germany: a house of the citizens is recorded in the 12th century, and the Gothic core with the Hansasaal dates from around 1330. Its 61-metre tower of 1407–1414 carries more than a hundred stone figures, and below the clock the Platzjabbeck sticks out his tongue at every stroke of the hour.

  5. Tünnes and Schäl

    5Tünnes and Schäl

    This bronze pair near Great Saint Martin Church shows Tünnes and Schäl, two characters from Cologne's Hänneschen puppet theatre and the heroes of countless local jokes. Tünnes is the good-natured one with the big nose, Schäl the sly one, and rubbing Tünnes's nose is said to bring luck, which is why it shines.

  6. Great Saint Martin Church

    6Great Saint Martin Church

    With its square crossing tower and four corner turrets, this church is one of the twelve great Romanesque churches of Cologne, built mainly between 1150 and 1250. For centuries it was the church of a Benedictine abbey, and after heavy damage in the Second World War it was rebuilt over more than 40 years.

  7. Fischmarkt

    7Fischmarkt

    The Fischmarkt takes its name from the fish, mostly herring, sold here from the Middle Ages, and the Stapelhaus recalls the staple right of 1259, under which Rhine cargoes had to be offered in Cologne for three days. Its narrow, colourful gabled houses below the tower of Great Saint Martin were largely rebuilt after the Second World War.

  8. Heumarkt

    8Heumarkt

    Named after the hay once traded here, the Heumarkt is one of the largest squares in Cologne's old town and was a busy market place in the Middle Ages. In the middle stands an equestrian statue of the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm III, and the Deutz Bridge across the Rhine starts right beside the square.

  9. Cologne Rhine Gauge (Pegelturm)

    9Cologne Rhine Gauge (Pegelturm)

    This small round tower on the Frankenwerft riverside promenade, near the Deutz Bridge, has measured the level of the Rhine since 1951. It shows the current water level, which matters in Cologne, where high water on the Rhine can flood the riverbank of the old town.

  10. Chocolate Museum

    10Chocolate MuseumFinish

    The Chocolate Museum opened in 1993 at the tip of the Rheinauhafen peninsula, in a glass and metal building that looks like a ship moored on the Rhine. It was founded by the Cologne chocolate manufacturer Hans Imhoff and tells the story of cocoa and chocolate, with a small working production line and a chocolate fountain.

207 reviews for Cologne Scavenger Hunt and Self-Guided Tour

  1. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Kurzweilig und nette, lösbare Aufgaben. Gut hat uns gefallen, dass wir zeitlich unabhängig waren und so zwischendurch auch mal einkehren konnten, da es doch sehr kalt war an dem Tag unserer Aktivität..

  2. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    ok

  3. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  4. Rated 5 out of 5

    Edwin– Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Wandelroute met bij elk hoogtepunt vragen of raadsel oplossen. Prima aangegeven en we werden zowaar fanatiek om de vragen op te lossen. Leuke manier om zo door een stad te lopen en te ontdekken.

  5. Rated 5 out of 5

    Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  6. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  7. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  8. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  9. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Thrilling! We learnt many new things!

  10. Rated 5 out of 5

    Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  11. Rated 5 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Une excellente activité familiale.

  12. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  13. Rated 3 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  14. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Hat spass gemacht!

  15. Rated 5 out of 5

    Israel –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  16. Rated 4 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  17. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Super activity for families

  18. Rated 4 out of 5

    Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  19. Rated 5 out of 5

    Iceland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  20. Rated 5 out of 5

    Poland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  21. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Ich fand das super. Man konnte sich zwischendurch auch mal in Ruhe etwas trinken und so weitermachen wie man wollte. Hat durch die Texte aber auch viel über Köln erfahren und durch die Rätsel hat man sich alles genau angeguckt. Wir haben wohl gemerkt, man darf nicht zu kompliziert denken, sondern einfach machen.

  22. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  23. Rated 4 out of 5

    Katharina– Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es war ein schöner Spaziergang durch Köln mit cleveren Aufgaben. Auch die Kids hatten Ihren Spaß.

  24. Rated 4 out of 5

    Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  25. Rated 3 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Die Aufgaben sind gut, aber nett wäre eine Erklärung, wie man zur Lösung kommt. Bei Aufgabe zwei mussten wir eine Weile ausprobieren. Die zweite Verbesserung betrifft die Texte. Diese sind offensichtlich aus dem Englischen übersetzt worden und klingen teilweise echt nicht nach Deutsch. Das sollte dringend überarbeitet werden.

  26. Rated 5 out of 5

    Cyprus –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Super activity!

  27. Rated 5 out of 5

    Michael– Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Sehr gut. Aber die Texte bitte besser übersetzen!

  28. Rated 5 out of 5

    Frank– Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    ik vond het een leuke activiteit er zat alleen wel 1 fout in volgens ons.

  29. Rated 5 out of 5

    United Kingdom –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    It was informative and yet we took our time, stopped

  30. Rated 5 out of 5

    Sarah – Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Coole Rätsel, gut lösbar, interessante Fakten über Köln. Für den Preis wirklich empfehlenswert!

  31. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  32. Rated 3 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  33. Rated 5 out of 5

    Netherlands –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  34. Rated 5 out of 5

    Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Genial busqueda del tesoro!

  35. Rated 5 out of 5

    France –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  36. Rated 5 out of 5

    Belgium –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  37. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  38. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Tolle Sache!

  39. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Hat mega viel Spaß gemacht und wir haben Orte gesehen, die uns sonst nicht aufgefallen wären. Für den Preis kann ich es nur empfehlen.

  40. Rated 5 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Es war Super

  41. Rated 5 out of 5

    Spain –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    genial

  42. Rated 4 out of 5

    Tatjana – Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Eigentlich sehr gut, allerdings haben zuviele Baustellen, die Lösung der Rätsel ohne Internet unmöglich gemacht. Ansonsten immer wieder gerne

  43. Rated 4 out of 5

    Norway –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  44. Rated 5 out of 5

    Estonia –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  45. Rated 3 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Die Hälfte der Rätsel waren nicht zu lösen, da gebaut wird. Ein Rätsel war falsch. Bei dem Preis sollte man wirklich darauf achten, dass die Aufgaben aktuell sind. Daher nette Idee, aber leider kein Spaß gehabt.

  46. Rated 4 out of 5

    Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

  47. Rated 5 out of 5

    Nicole– Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Tolle Tour, alles gut zu Fuß zu erreichen. Kurze Beschreibung und Hintergrundwissen zu den Sehenswürdigkeiten. Knifflige Rätsel. Tolles Erfolgserlebnis, wenn man sie lösen konnte. Nur das zweite Rätsel bleibt uns ein Rätsel. Eine Erklärung, wie man zu der Lösung kommt, wäre noch prima.

  48. Rated 5 out of 5

    Greece –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Excellent !

  49. Rated 5 out of 5

    Switzerland –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Ich empfehle den World City Trail als eine tolle Familienaktivität.

  50. Rated 4 out of 5

    Maren– Germany –

    Collected on GetYourGuide

    Kurzweilige und informative Stadtführung

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Cologne hunt short enough for a stopover between trains?

Usually yes: it takes about 2 hours, and only around 20 minutes of that is walking, because the 10 stops lie along 2 km between the cathedral and the Rheinauhafen. The rest goes on riddles, stories and views of the Rhine, and if your train leaves early, you can stop and finish on your next visit.

Does the Cologne hunt start at the cathedral, and where does it finish?

Yes, the first riddle is at Cologne Cathedral, a few steps from the main station, and the last one at the Chocolate Museum on the tip of the Rheinauhafen peninsula, right by the river. If you would rather begin at the Heumarkt or anywhere else on the route, choose that stop in the app.

Do we meet a guide in front of the cathedral?

No one is waiting for you there, and no time slot is booked. The booking reference comes by email; key it into the World City Trail app and the old town is ready to play whenever you arrive, on any day. Buy one ticket per head; the Cologne riddles then appear on each player's own screen.

Do we have to pay for the cathedral tower or the Chocolate Museum?

The game itself never asks for one, as the riddles are read off squares, fountains and the cathedral's outer walls. Climbing the cathedral's south tower, seeing the cathedral treasury or going round the Chocolate Museum are separate visits with tickets of their own.

What can children look out for in Cologne?

Plenty, with an adult on their team: the Kallendresser with his trousers down above the Alter Markt, the Platzjabbeck pulling his face under the town hall clock, Tünnes's polished nose and the gauge that shows how high the Rhine stands today. The route is not suitable for wheelchairs and is tiring with a pushchair on the cobbles.

Can we play the Cologne hunt in Dutch or French?

Both work: the riddles between the Dom and the Rhine come in German, English, French, Italian, Spanish and Dutch. Language is a per-player setting in the World City Trail app, chosen before you open the cathedral riddle.

Does the hunt work for a team event in Cologne?

Yes. Book a ticket for each participant and form teams of up to five; they can leave the cathedral square at intervals and gather again at the Chocolate Museum or on the Rhine promenade. Apart from the tickets nothing has to be reserved, since it all happens in the open.

What should be in our bags for a day by the Rhine?

A charged phone with mobile data for each team, a power bank and comfortable shoes for the cobbled lanes of the old town. Rain is common on the Rhine, so a light waterproof is worth packing, and earphones help with the narration on the busy squares around the cathedral.

The first riddle waits at Cologne Cathedral

Tickets are bought online, one per player, and the reference follows in your inbox. On the day you choose, step out of the main station, face the twin spires and open the first riddle.

Book your tickets →

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