6 Unique Things to do in Cologne Germany

Cologne, or Köln, is the 4th largest city in Germany in the state of North Rhine–Westphalia. It is only an hour’s flight away from London and perfect for a weekend getaway. Cologne is known for its laid-back attitude and you will enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and a small town feel.

If you have already done some research on things to do in Cologne, I know you have read about Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) which is a must, breweries which are a must, the Hohenzollern bridge a.k.a the love lock bridge which is covered by padlocks and padlocks of love which are sometimes removed for safety reasons, adding yet another weight on that poor bridge, is not a must, but the view from the bridge is wonderful and highly recommended.

Anyway, those are the things you always hear about Cologne almost involuntary. But there are other unique things you can do and enjoy whilst you are in Cologne!

Here are the 6 unique, non-touristy and sometimes thought provoking things to do in Cologne Germany.

Banana art

Walking around the city of Cologne, you will find bananas spray painted on the city’s walls. These are the works of local artist Thomas Baumgärtel. Although they look random, the bananas are actually pointers to places of art such as museums and galleries. Baumgärtel has been using this trademark since 1986.

The Golden Chamber in The Basilica Church of Saint Ursula

The Basilica Church of Saint Ursula is supposedly built upon the ruins of a Roman cemetery. The church has a reliquary, also known as ‘the Golden Chamber’ which is the room decorated with and covered in bone.

A medieval story says that Saint Ursula was a Roman-British Princess. In the 300s, she decided to go on a pan-European pilgrimage, on a boat with her 11,000 companions (‘they’re gonna need a bigger boat’.) However, they were captured and tragically killed by Huns in Cologne. The bones in the Golden Chamber are said to be Saint Ursula’s and her 11,000 companions’.

The story of Ursula and the question of whose bones are really in the church, are still ambiguous and unclear. Nevertheless, the room filled me with awe and wonder surpassing any words or reasons.

As you enter the church, the Golden Chamber is a small room to your right (€2 for entrance). If the room is not open you will need to look for the church keeper.

Stumbling stones

Whilst you’re walking around the city of Cologne, you will notice little brass plaques in the pavement with writing on. These are Stumbling stones, or ‘Stolpersteine’ which commemorate the victims of National Socialism. The plaque is placed outside the doorstep of person’s last-known freely chosen residence. Originally an art project started by Cologne based artist Gunter Demnig in 1995, Stolpersteine can now be found in 24 countries. The inscription on a Stolpersteine says: ‘Here lived (name), (date of birth), (fate)’. Sometimes I just walk by, sometimes I stop and think of the lives they had there, and think of my own life right then and there at that very moment, and remind myself that I am alive and free.

Eating reibekuchen from Rievkoochebud

Reibekuchen are German potato fritters. If you have no idea what they are, think of a flat and round hash brown. However, as potatoes are cut in spaghetti like thinness, I would say reibekuchen are crispier on the outside and creamier on the inside compared to hash browns. They are often served with apple sauce.

Rievkoochbud is a little hole in the wall takeaway stand in the old town of Cologne, and they do one thing and one thing only – reibekuchen, and they do it VERY WELL. It is run by a chef-owner (= one person) and each order is made fresh. Simple, happy, heavenly utter perfection. If you think they are only potato fritters and they are all the same, you are wrong. This little shop, Rievkoochebud is truly an only in Cologne food experience and you simply must go whilst you’re in Cologne. As a matter of fact, we went THREE TIMES.

Make sure to check out my Best Food in Cologne post too!

Relaxing in a park

There are plenty of green spaces in Cologne. You can see people of all ages enjoying their time in a park; running, chatting with friends, walking dogs, having a picnic or BBQ specially on a warm sunny day. We went to Hiroshima-Nagasaki park often at the end of the day just to wind down and watch the world go by, sometimes with €0.30 a bottle beer from Aldi in our hands (which, by the way, was really good especially given the price.)

Visit to Ehrenfeld

Ehrenfeld is a little upcoming area in Cologne known for its street art scene. This neighbourhood is a real cultural mixture where industrial working class feel meets urban art scene meets where the young and wanna be ‘hip’ come to be seen meets immigrant-rich community. The Dom cathedral is breathtaking and the old town is pretty, but if you could squeeze in a short visit to Ehrenfeld, it may give your visit to Cologne a little extra something – something less touristy, something ‘offbeat’.

From Dom Central station, Ehrenfeld (Köln-Ehrenfeld station) is just under 10 minutes by train. There are plenty cafes, shops and of course street art around the station.

If you have time and energy, you can walk back towards the city along Venloer street. This busy street is filled with unique restaurants, cool cafes, clothes shops, health food stores, middle Eastern takeaways and so on. Cologne Central Mosque which is the largest mosque in Germany can also be seen on this street.

Cologne is known for its cultural diversity and being welcoming and open to people from all walks of lives. I hope between visiting famous landmarks and wonderful museums you will also get to feel Köln in its natural form.