Cologne has something to offer every month of the year, but the experience changes dramatically with the season. The cathedral and the Rhine are constants. What shifts is the weather, the crowds, the hotel prices and the sort of city you meet, from a quiet winter town of museums and brewhouses to a street party in carnival week.
Advent and the Christmas markets
From mid November to just before Christmas, Cologne is one of the great Christmas market cities of Germany, and entry to the markets is free. The best known is the market on Roncalliplatz at the foot of the cathedral, with wooden stalls and a canopy of lights under the floodlit spires. In the old town, Heinzels Wintermärchen spreads across the Alter Markt and Heumarkt with the tale of the Heinzelmännchen, the helpful house gnomes of local legend, and an ice rink. The Markt der Engel on Neumarkt is known for its angels and starry lights, the Rudolfplatz market feels like a small Nikolaus village, and the harbour market outside the Chocolate Museum has a Ferris wheel and a view of the Rhine. Most markets close on 24 and 25 December, and a few open later or close earlier in the quiet November holidays, so check dates for the week you plan to visit.
How to walk the markets
Walk them as a chain: begin at the cathedral, drift through the old town to the Heumarkt, then cut across to Neumarkt or head south along the river to the harbour. Go on a weekday afternoon, when the lights come on and the lanes are still passable. Friday evenings and Saturdays can be shoulder to shoulder. Each market has its own mulled wine mug design with a deposit, which you get back if you return the mug or keep as a souvenir, and the Rhineland snacks to try are Reibekuchen and Printen. A festive KD cruise on the Rhine in Advent is a relaxing break from the crowds, and the cathedral tower is open in winter if the sky is clear.
Winter beyond the markets
In January and February Cologne is quiet, hotel prices drop, and the city’s indoor sights come into their own. Museum Ludwig, the Romano-Germanic Museum’s interim exhibition in the Belgian House, the Chocolate Museum, TimeRide and the Farina Fragrance Museum are all comfortable on a cold day. Phantasialand runs a winter season in the colder months, with decorated lands and a festive atmosphere, which makes it a surprising day trip for families and thrill seekers alike, and it is only a short train ride from the main station.
Carnival
Cologne’s carnival, which peaks in the days before Lent, is a huge street party with costumes, parades and bands in every neighbourhood. If you enjoy dressing up and singing along with strangers, it is unforgettable. If not, avoid the main days, because hotels are expensive, trains are full and the old town is packed. The dates move each year with Easter, so check them if you are booking.
Spring and early autumn
These are the best months for a sightseeing trip. The weather is mild, the days are long enough for the tower climb, the Rhine cruise and an evening walk across the Hohenzollern Bridge, and terraces open along the river. Trade fairs at Koelnmesse, held throughout the year, can still push prices up, so look at the fair calendar before you book a hotel.
Summer
Summer is warm and lively, with the Rhine promenade, beer gardens and open-air events. It is the best time for a cruise, a picnic in the Rheinpark in Deutz and the zoo and the Flora gardens next door. It can also be hot and humid in July and August, so plan museums and cool indoor sights for the middle of the day, and book popular timed tickets in the school holidays.
Which season should you choose?
For atmosphere, choose Advent, and book your hotel and any cruise well ahead. For value and quiet, choose January or February. For walking, views and terraces, choose May, June or September. For a party, choose carnival, but only if you are ready for it. Whatever the season, buy the cathedral and tower tickets online, which saves waiting in the queue on busy days, and keep a flexible hour or two in your plan for a brewhouse stop, because a glass of Kölsch and a warm table are the best answer to a grey Rhineland afternoon in any month. If you are travelling in Advent, remember that the best hotels fill first, so the earlier you reserve, the better your choice of location and room.
