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
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- 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 ↗
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Anonymous (verified owner) –
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Uns hat sehr gut gefallen, dass es keine Zeitvorgabe gab und wir Zwischenstopps einlegen konnten und auch das wir uns die Zeit individuell einteilen konnten. Man hat Köln mit den 10wichtigsten Punkten gesehen und sehr viele Informationen erhalten und neues Wissen aufgesaugt. Werden wir bestimmt in einer anderen Stadt wiederholen.
Spain –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Das alles funktioniert hat. Rätsel konnten alle gelöst werden
Petra– Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Es war toll, Anregungen zu bekommen um anders los zu ziehen und Ecken zu entdecken, welche man sonst nicht gesehen hätte.
United States –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Had a nice time.
Germany –
Collected on GetYourGuide
Die Handhabung war leicht und es hat gut geklappt. Die Rätsel war abwechslungsreich und lösbar. Wir hatten viel Spaß. Ich kann diese Tour auf jeden Fall empfehlen.