Kolumba
4.5
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Monday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Friday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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Address
Neighborhood: Altstadt-Nord
How to get there
- Koln Central Station • 8 min walk
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
298 reviews
Excellent
176
Very good
78
Average
25
Poor
9
Terrible
10
Sassamatt
Victoria, Canada1,189 contributions
Sep 2014 • Family
Kolumbia was not on our list, but along our meandering path, we found a wall that looked like it was built on an ancient foundation. We meandered further, into the free section where we could see that archaeology revealed life back to Roman occupation. It lured us further into the section where we were willing to pay admission fees to see more archaeology realign layers of civilization: Roman occupation dwellings layered over with Medieval structures and than a parish church not far from Cologne Cathedral. All of this was revealed by the British bombing of central Cologne in 1942. Rebuilt is a breathtaking museum that houses contemporary art fused with classical art exhibition. The rooms go on forever, and there are quiet places to absorb and be absorbed into art installations. No didactic panels, which suits me just fine, and the small exhibition catalogue is German only. This is one of the most outstanding conversations between antiquity and contemporary life. Don't miss it.
Written September 21, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
claztwo
Singapore, Singapore81 contributions
Nov 2014 • Solo
Didn't know what to expect when I went to Kolumba. I knew that it was designed by Peter Zumthor so I expected that the building would be amazing. And how true that was! The collection of art pieces inside were so beautifully curated, and worked so well within the space that Peter Zumthor wonderfully created. It wasn't very crowded when I went, making it such a peaceful, calm experience inside the museum.
I'm not an extremely artsy person, and I must admit I didn't understand a lot of the art pieces on display, but for just 5 Euros, I still felt it was worth going in for. Oh, and you're allowed to take pictures inside which I thought was really cool!
I'm not an extremely artsy person, and I must admit I didn't understand a lot of the art pieces on display, but for just 5 Euros, I still felt it was worth going in for. Oh, and you're allowed to take pictures inside which I thought was really cool!
Written November 26, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marija S
London, UK6 contributions
Nov 2014 • Friends
Studying architecture I was so fascinated. Not only by the exhibition, but of course by the building and its history.
To go inside the Chapel, then walk above the ruins. Architects Gottfried Bohm and Peter Zumthor did a great job. It's a must to see!
To go inside the Chapel, then walk above the ruins. Architects Gottfried Bohm and Peter Zumthor did a great job. It's a must to see!
Written January 25, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ANGELO V
Milan, Italy4,689 contributions
Jul 2023 • Solo
The Kolumba is an art museum located on the site of the former St. Kolumba church, that was destroyed during WW II.
The museum building incorporates remains of the church wall, and the church excavations can be visited as part of the museum tour.
Only a few works are in permanent display, the others are regularly rotated, and late antiquity / medieval works are displayed mixed to contemporary pieces. Most of the works have no explanations attached, but a booklet is provided with the ticket with descriptions.
I personally think that the antique / medieval works are extremely beautiful, and I would rate them with a five star. The contemporary pieces are questionable to say the least, and I would rate them with one star: this is the main reason why I rated the whole with three stars.
The museum building incorporates remains of the church wall, and the church excavations can be visited as part of the museum tour.
Only a few works are in permanent display, the others are regularly rotated, and late antiquity / medieval works are displayed mixed to contemporary pieces. Most of the works have no explanations attached, but a booklet is provided with the ticket with descriptions.
I personally think that the antique / medieval works are extremely beautiful, and I would rate them with a five star. The contemporary pieces are questionable to say the least, and I would rate them with one star: this is the main reason why I rated the whole with three stars.
Written August 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravellerOxford
Oxfordshire, UK898 contributions
Dec 2019
Have to totally agree with the many negative reviews written; why is it that the staff follow you around? I’ve never seen so many staff in a museum who watch your every move; it’s awful - please stop it!
Signage is poor and there’s little labelling of artefacts (which needs to be in multiple languages). Pamphlet is boring and difficult to follow.
Don’t go until they improve it.
Signage is poor and there’s little labelling of artefacts (which needs to be in multiple languages). Pamphlet is boring and difficult to follow.
Don’t go until they improve it.
Written December 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
30carat
Australia297 contributions
Oct 2019 • Couples
Some reviews suggested it was a must-sees museum. So beg to differ. Despite its large exterior it is a quite small museum with only the ruins in the basement and two floors of exhibits. The Columba plot was completely lost in a mish mash of 20th Century home appliances and meaningless modern art. Most of the artwork was eminently forgettable. Signage was poor and it was sometimes difficult to match the exhibit with the poorly produced guide pamphlet. There was no attempt to explain or label what you were viewing in the basement ruins. The entrance fee was only €5 but I would not have visited if I had known the contents before entering. You may wish to visit the interesting adjoining chapel free of charge.
Written October 23, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
patricia a
Los Angeles, California26 contributions
May 2019
Kolumba is a museum that starts you off looking at the excavations which reveal the Roman ruins. The raised walkways and excellent lighting give you a chance to absorb the "ancientness" of the place. Then you exit and enter the museum. It is very unusually curated - we saw ancient things in the same exhibit room with 20th century jewelry from a prominent Cologne jeweler. There were rooms with ancient statuary followed by a recent video. If you insist on thematically organized museums this is not for you - otherwise it is well worth you time. The actual St. Kolumba church is small but beautiful; you exit the museum and it is around the corner.
Written May 19, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NielsHansen
Aarhus, Denmark98 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
One of the most interesting museum buildings I have seen, impressive in materials and room experience. From the “Koldinghus”-like boardwalk installation across old excavations, through the long stairway with elegant rail as the only decoration (resembles the jewish museum in Berlin) to the mix of art and historical artefacts in sometimes closed sometimes with panorama windows impressing differences. Throughout the brick stone walls moderates the presentation in a very interesting way. The demanding part is to figure out the modern art and relations to old items ondisplay.
Written April 22, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
In-Yong H
London, UK658 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
Built on the ruins of the old Kolumba church, this is one of the best curated museums I have been to. The booklet you get on entrance as part of your ticket gives you extensive commentary on pretty much all the important pieces. The chapel and the walkway over the old foundations are quietly moving. At the moment, the exhibits are a mixture of modern art and artefacts from the Roman German museum but they change every September.
Written May 28, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aquinasmagister
Hatfield, UK376 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
This is not one building but essentially three, incorporated into the Archdiocesan Museum of Art openedbetween 2007 and 2009 to critical acclaim. But more about that later .
The first are the ruins of an old parish Church - St Kolumba (not the Irish /Scots monk, Kolumba was a women venerated for her holiness) which was one of the most important in Cologne - which was ruined in the Second World War bombing. Out of the ruins has emerged a beautiful chapel dedicated to the Madonna of the Rubble which you can visit from the street without paying for entry to Kolumba. It’s moving and prayerful and I loved it. It has two sections, one a chapel with the statue of the Madonna behind the altar and some modern stained glass. Beautifully and gently lit. This statue was pretty much that survived the bombing in this church and it is nearly unscathed. The second section is a blessed sacrament shine which when all the candles are lit glows subtly and richly.
The museum will hand you a small A6 guidebook which is itself a bit of a work of art. You WILL need it. Nothing is labelled
When you enter the museum in the ground floor you can visit the rest of the ruins of the KolumbaKirche . This will
Move you even more. The modern building built around it feels like a modern church itself and a beautifully rendered wooden walkway takes you through to a small garden . Arches, vaults, columns reduced to rubble and in the midst of it the sleek modern Octagonal chapel dedicated to he Madonna of the rubble you may just have visited.
Personally I thought these two buildings a triumph.
Then back into the museum. A sleek grey walled building with many stairs. Lovely in an efficient way.
Old and new juxtapose here so you may see in a cabinet a first century artefact displayed next to a 21st century artefact. Some of the modern works feel to me excellent but one or two rather lacking in accomplishment compared to some of the older works on display. But the building is a great simple setting echoing the austerity of the minoritenkirche nearby whose Franciscan friars look after the chapel of the Madonna of the rubble.
Some beautiful pieces ( a first century deep and iridescent blue glass hog) and some modern stuff which frankly which rather mystified me but then I’ve never enjoyed art which requires me to look at a catalogue entry before I can even begin to understand what it is. Call me old fashioned or even uneducated in modern art if you will. The guidebook does very well to avoid cliches when discussing its modern exhibits, which is my other pet hate about modern art - while undoubtedly of very great creative imagination - cliches seem to make up for a lack of talent, craft and skill . I’m not saying that is the case here. You can judge. You will come across a Stephan Lofner Madonna. If you wish to see more of this undisputed master of Cologne gothic painting then the Wallraf-Richhartz Museum is an absolute must.
A beautiful finely crafted modern wooden reading room - which has for me a 1950s -1960s feel and reminds me of the great love of wood in that time in British public buildings - with very comfortable chairs is, I think, stunning and worth browsing and a few minutes quiet.
The mix of first century pottery and 1950s Eucharistic pottery with Belgian domestic ware left me slightly wondering why they needed to try being so clever - even though the shapes reinforced one another.
There are some treasures here. The exhibition also changes it seems some stuff we didn’t see which encourages us to go back.
Written April 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, I’m visiting Köln in April and I’d like to know if you’re open the 21st or the 22nd, thank you .
Written January 22, 2019
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