Historic Old Town
Historic Old Town
4.5
Tours & experiences
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Top ways to experience Historic Old Town
The area
Address
Neighborhood: Altstadt-Nord
How to get there
- Koln Central Station • 7 min walk
Best nearby
Restaurants
1,795 within 3 miles
Attractions
327 within 6 miles
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,366 reviews
Excellent
678
Very good
515
Average
146
Poor
23
Terrible
4
Helen935
Angouleme, France105 contributions
Dec 2022
We went for the Christmas Markets, one of which was in the old town. Have a look around there are some beautiful buildings and great places to eat.
Written December 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Darth_Vaider
Scotland, UK333 contributions
Oct 2022
Was a bit disappointed by this area of Cologne. Probably spent more time walking to it than looking around.
Written October 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jotum
Knoxville, TN1,489 contributions
Aug 2022
Although about 80% of the city was destroyed in WW2, this area was rebuilt to be much like it was before the war. It has narrow cobble stone streets with nice shops and restaurants. (Note the cathedral was not destroyed: either by order to avoid it or because it was a good navigational landmark to guide planes to other targets.)
Written September 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Razorfish
Little Rock, AR3,496 contributions
Apr 2022 • Couples
My wife and I walked through Historic Old Town Cologne after our morning tour of the Cologne Cathedral on our Viking Rhine River Cruise. The different colored buildings were very picturesque. This area around the Cathedral was one of the few places in Cologne not bombed by the Allies during WWII. I’m glad Historic Old Town survived the War.
Written September 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
jasjam98
Reading, UK651 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
We took a free walking tour . Small area of cobbled streets , painted buildings, cathedral, Roman ruins , stumbling blocks. Backs on the the Rhine . Grab a Kölsch and sausage or pork knuckle in one of the many restaurants. Loads of places to sit and take it all in .
Written August 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Tkommy
102 contributions
Jul 2022
I love this busy old town! It has nice shops and restaurants and it is enjoyable to just have a walk here with friends.
Written July 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Malissa H
13 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
A beautiful historic district. It's a small area so won't take a lot of time to explore. If/when the museums are open they will likely make the experience something you can spend more time on. I would recommend sitting down for a glass of beer and schnitzel.
Written July 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Eaton_Out
Greenville, SC467 contributions
Apr 2022
Cologne's Old Town contains narrow, cobbled lanes. Many houses in various colors line the streets. Visit the Cologne Cathedral while here. Much of Cologne was destroyed during WW2 so much of what you see has been rebuilt to emulate the old.
Written May 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Millie M
Englewood, FL50 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
5 stars fir this town. Just about amazing town to walk through. Do not miss the Dashund Muesuem, it is so cute. The sausages were also amazing by the river.
Written March 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Polisgirl
Polis, Cyprus634 contributions
Nov 2021
The Old Town of Cologne is really picturesque and a good size to stroll around. It was particularly good as I visited at the time of the Christmas Markets so it felt extra special
Written December 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
EssexWoo
essex14 contributions
Hi
I am thinking of visiting on a weekend break how to prices for eating and drinking and attractions compare to other cities please
Thank you
Wendy
Heddy G
Malvern, PA508 contributions
Cologne is a friendly, walkable town. Most of the restaurants we went to were reasonably priced and there was a lot of choice in cuisines as well. We ate at a lot of the Kolsch breweries and we met a lot of locals this way and had a great time. Fruh was our favorite! Did not do a lot of attractions but we walked past a few of them, just strolling along the river was fun in itself. The church of course is hard to miss and has some neat historical archaeological things around it, all of which are out in the open - (free) to peruse. I dont think you will be disappointed.
Old Town parking
Babak
Tehran, Iran101 contributions
I guess so, I have seen some parking around there.
debbiv2
Jensen Beach, FL89 contributions
We are in our 70s and will arrive to Cologne by train. We will only have a 4 or 5 hours to visit. Is it a short walk from the Cathedral to Old town? Is there a tram to get around? We can't walk miles... Is there anything else we really need to see in our short time there? Thanks!
bradbrot
22 contributions
Altstadt is just round the corner.. have fun!
Jessica A
26 contributions
Hello!
I'm visiting Germany for the first time and I was hoping to see cologne cathedral on my 2nd day. I'm staying in Frankfurt, but I'm planning to check the cologne for a day and then go back to Frankfurt.
With the tour, do I have to stay in Cologne hotel to be picked up or is there any other places to be picked up by the minivans or the tour? Thanks and hope to hear from you guys soon!
Sincerely,
Jessica
Mario99445345
Island of Malta, Malta45 contributions
Meeting place for tours is at Tourist Information Centre infront of Cathedral. If your hotel is in city centre the cathedral is reachable on foot.
Wmohsin
Pakistan86 contributions
Hi, I've read your reviews about Cologne and found them very helpful. We (myself & my wife) intend to visit Cologne for 2 days in July (we'll be coming after spending 3 days in Berlin). We've booked a hotel very close to the Cathedral.
The main purpose of our trip is to walk around and enjoy the "historical" aspects of the City.
Will be grateful for your advice on how to maximise our requirements during the short 2 days stay.
Thanks & regards
Waqas
K B
Cologne97 contributions
Hello, the previous answers have recommended all the main sight-seeing atractions. Apart from the online tourism websites, there is a tourist office right on the cathedral square, where you can pick up maps and info. The old town is very lively - lovely in summer, as you can walk along the river, have a drink or dinner in the restaurants which have tables outside. The menus there are in English too. On the other side of the old town and the river, over the bridge, there is the Hyatt Hotel. For a lovely view, visit their restaurant Glashaus on the top (pricey but good) The most typical local pubs are Päffgen and Früh. The latter is near the cathedral. There you can have the local (very hearty!) specialities of knuckle of pork with saurkraut, Bratwurst (the local sausage, very tasty) with Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes with onions) Himmel'n Äd which is blood pudding with apples, onions and mashed potatoes. The interior is typical and worth seeing. You can (like I do!) just have a salad or something less daunting! There are restaurants of every type in Cologne. The ones near the cathedral are all very touristy, though sitting on the Rhine is fun, plus there is a Thai restaurant there which is good, but I would advise going further afield the second evening.You can take the tram which goes from the cathedral You have to buy a ticket then stamp it in the machine on the tram.
There is a little train which goes from the cathedral to the chocolate museum ( I personally found the museum uninteresting, but coffee in their café is good as you have a lovely view).There is also a hop on hop off bus which like everywhere, allows you to get on and off when you like. I would recommend that.There are lots of pubs and cafés - if you want to have the typical Kaffe und Kuchen go to Café Reichart right on the cathedral square. One interesting museum is the Stadt museum, as it is about the history of cologne.
There are also good shops - Jakobi, Kaufhof, Appelrath und Cupper, if your wife feels like doing some shopping..! There's also a cinema showing English films called Metropolis, near Ebertplatz. Feel free to contact me again if you want to know anything else as I've lived just outside Cologne for years, so know it well. Enjoy your trip!
Anything missing or inaccurate?
Suggest an editHistoric Old Town (Cologne) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Historic Old Town
- We recommend booking Historic Old Town tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 7 Historic Old Town tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Historic Old Town:
- Cologne City Tour Experience cathedral city on the Rhine (From $28.57)
- Haunted Cologne Outdoor Escape Game: Witch Hunt (From $7.02)
- 1 hour limousine sightseeing ride in Cologne (From $350.53)
- Cologne City Tour "Domstadt Experience" Exclusive tour for up to 12 people (From $324.16)
- Private walking tour of Cologne's old town (From $60.44)
- Hotels near Historic Old Town:
- (0.03 mi) Legend Hotel
- (0.03 mi) Stern am Rathaus
- (0.04 mi) CityClass Hotel Residence am Dom
- (0.10 mi) CityClass Hotel Europa am Dom
- (0.04 mi) Lint Hotel Koln
- Restaurants near Historic Old Town:
- (0.00 mi) Chocolaterie Jan von Werth
- (0.01 mi) Eiscafe Marco Polo
- (0.01 mi) Kitti Chai
- (0.01 mi) LyLy
- (0.02 mi) Fräulein Herborths
- Attractions near Historic Old Town:
- (0.00 mi) Alter Markt
- (0.01 mi) Jan von Werth Fountain
- (0.02 mi) Flora Nightclub
- (0.02 mi) TimeRide Cologne
- (0.03 mi) The Corkonian Irish Pub