What was supposed to be a long weekend trip was cut short due to airport strikes all across Germany, including Cologne Airport, on Monday 10th March 2025, which happened to be the day I was supposed to fly back to London. Fortunately, British Airways rescheduled my flight to Sunday at noon. What this meant was I only had one full day in Cologne. Saturday. Did I manage to do everything on my itinerary? Yes. Here’s how.
Itinerary: Essentials Only
As far as I was concerned, these were the things I had to do in Cologne to get a feel of the city in my limited time.
- Visit Cologne Cathedral
- Explore Old Town
- Walk along the Rhine River
- See the Hohenzollern Bridge
- Try local food and beer at a brewery
The good news is, all of these things can be accomplished in one day due to their close proximity to one another.
Itinerary: Optional
Now, here’s a few things I might have done if I had Sunday too.
- Visit Museum Ludwig
- Go to the observatory level in the KölnTriangle
- Taste some chocolate at Lindt Chocolate Museum
- See inside Great St. Martin Church
- Try a German doner kebab (it’s practically Germany’s National meal!)
The skyscraper KölnTriangle is excellent for panoramic views of the city, including directly opposite views of the imposing Cathedral of Cologne. Entering the building is free but the observation level is €3. If you’re into photography and have a good camera, this could be worth it to you, but for me, honestly, the views of both the Cathedral and Hohenzollern Bridge were amazing from where I was standing, and that was simply on the bridge placed before the famous one. It was green coloured and google maps says it’s called ‘deutzer brücke’. Just walk along this bridge. Seriously, you’ll get amazing free pictures of the two major attractions, plus old town, all in one.
The last one on this list (donor kebab) isn’t really a Cologne thing, but it has come to my attention that donor shops in Germany are a staple and I really wanted to try one to see what all the fuss was about. I love a good donor, but alas, there wasn’t enough time. I will try it on my next trip for sure. I know it might not be spectacular so I won’t overhype it but I must do as the locals do!
