This a great museum to visit!! There's TONS of Picasso paintings and a couple of Warhol ones. I…read morewould say it would take a couple of hours to thoroughly go through everything, not including the special exhibit. Don't miss the rooftop! There's a couple of cool art installations there as well as a gorgeous view of Cologne Cathedral!!

Museum Ludwig is the most popular museum in Cologne on TripAdvisor and one of the top attractions…read moreoverall in the city, and for good reason. I stopped by on a Sunday evening for two hours before they closed. Ideally, you'd like to spend 3-4 hours here, especially if you do the audio guide. Museum Ludwig is Cologne's preeminent museum of contemporary art. You'll find works of art from pretty much every major artist who painted in this style. Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian, Rene Magritte, etc. It's a feast of riches so I'm only scratching the surface. Beyond the quality of the art, something else I care about at museums is how the exhibitions are laid out. Here, it's intuitive. It's pretty easy to go from room to room without worrying about missing something. Some museums aren't laid out in the best way logistically---Museum Ludwig is. There are three floors. Start at the top and then make your way down. Outside of the layout and the artwork, the final piece for me is comfort. You have that here, too. There's air conditioning which certainly is not a guarantee in Europe. You have free lockers. You have free WiFi. Well done all-around. If you're visiting Cologne, Museum Ludwig should definitely be part of your itinerary.

Very interesting visit Amazing chocolate and even better…read moregifts Definitely worth a visit Sehr interessanter Besuch Erstaunliche Schokolade und noch bessere Geschenke Auf jeden Fall einen Besuch wert

The Lindt Chocolate Museum itself is beautiful, informative, and genuinely enjoyable. The exhibits…read moreare well designed, the chocolate history is fascinating, the tasting stations are everything you'd hope for and staff interactions enhanced our experience. Up until the very end, our visit was truly wonderful. Sadly, the way we were treated by staff as we were leaving completely overshadowed what had been a great experience. While we were calmly waiting near the exit for family members who were finishing in the gift shop -- where they had just spent a couple hundred euros -- staff members became abruptly rude and aggressively chased us out of the building. Even more unacceptable, one family member was refused access to the restroom, despite being an active, paying customer who had just made a substantial purchase. The tone used with us was unkind, unnecessary, and frankly shocking for a company that promotes hospitality. Because of this final interaction, we would not return, and it's very unfortunate -- because everything else about the museum was excellent. A guest's last experience matters, and ours left us feeling disrespected and unwelcome.

Interesting to see Roman ruins underneath a German city, but since Cologne was a provincial…read morecapital, there they are! This is an underground excavation of the governor's residence, and if you're a fan of ancient history then it's worth the €3,50. For that matter, even if you're not a huge history fan, it's a unique feature of Cologne and probably worth it. There is only one small room of displays, and they are almost all in German, but they appear to be quite professionally done. There is also a stretch of Roman sewer tunnel you can walk though; while interesting there aren't any displays or anything in it, it's just a long hallway. The ruins themselves are in a huge room with a walkway running around and through it. The signs in this area are in both German and English. Not someplace you should expect to spend hours, but if you like this stuff you should probably upgrade to the €10 ticket that includes admission to the Romisch Germanische Museum (next to the cathedral) that has a lot more displays.

The praetorium was the residencs of the roman proconsul in Köln (…read moreCOLONIA CLAVDIA ARA AGRIPPINENSIVM). It was the military and civil administration department of the roman province "Niedergermanien". Today you can look at the ruins that are located under a house in the " Kleine Budengasse". Probably that is only interesting for people who are interested in roman history and/or archaeology. I think all other people can save the EUR 2,50 for the entry...

Johann Maria Farina was an Italian-born perfumier who named his innovation, Eau de Cologne after…read morehis host city Köln, Germany. Previously, perfumes were dominated by heavy scents suspended in oils to mask unpleasant odors. Farina's original concoction introduced refreshing citrus notes suspended in alcohol. The formula was the same for men and women - only placed in different shaped bottles for different buyers. Demand was so high that they sold for the equivalent of EUR5,000 a bottle in today's currency. Napoleon would have specially made boots made which had a small compartment large enough to hold a bottle on each side. As you can imagine, the popularity of Farina's innovation sparked a rash of counterfeits. Unfortunately, there was little protection in those days for trademarks. It took 80 years to resolve that dispute in court. By then, the word "cologne" was in such wide use that it could not be trademarked. The tour gave us the opportunity to smell different essential oils. We discovered we all like lime very much. The 8th generation of the Farina family still produces the original Eau de Cologne. https://farina1709.com/en/

I did not know much about perfume, let alone the origins of eu de Cologne. The tour at Farina was…read morefantastic, our guide Anna was wonderful. She answered a lot of questions and was very nice to my little girls after the tour concluded. I highly recommend anyone coming to Cologne, check this out. And the girls still have the flowers...

By 50 AD Cologne was the largest Roman settlement north of the Alps with a population of 45,000…read more The Romans called it Colonia, Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (Colony of Claudius and Altar of the Agrippines). It was the massive Roman settlement that is the basis of the museum's collection. The first major find occurred in 1941 when while digging for an air raid shelter a large mosaic floor tile from a first century Roman Villa was discovered. It depicted the world of Dionysos (220/23). The find and other artifacts found represents the basis of the museums collection. Other notable objects are the reconstructed sepulcher of legionnaire Lucius Publicus (40 AD), the largest collection of Roman glass vessels and a unique collection of Roman and Medieval jewelry. The museum has three floors for viewing and countless objects. The Adult admission price is 9 Euros. Large bags are checked at the front desk. No credit cards are accepted. Some English translations and no English audio. the Cologne Welcome Card gets you a 20% discount. It's open Tues-Sundays 10-5. It's rather old school in the way objects are displayed with limited interaction and technology but the objects are well lit and there is much natural sunlight. I was impressed by the collection itself.

One of my all-time favorite museums!…read more After my first visit 6 years ago and then later while I studied in Cologne 4 years ago, the Romisch-Germanisches Museum came to feel like a home, connecting and emphasizing years of study at university in the US and bringing the culture and art of the Romans to life again. It highlights the history of Cologne as a "colonia" of Rome under the early emperors (from which its name derives) and its transition into Late Antiquity. The highlights of any visit are the in situ mosaic of Bacchus and funerary monument of Publicius, around which the museum is constructed and centers. Thanks to this set-up, you can view the mosaic from multiple levels and angles, taking it in in all its glory. The rest of the museum tour and collection is arrayed on a few floors and allows you to get up close and personal with the statues, busts, and other artifacts. Unless you're working on an archaeological site, this is the closest you'll get to such objects. I have loved every visit here and will definitely be back when I can!

We visited several museums in Köln during our recent stay. This was far and away the best and most…read moreinteresting museum we visited. It is compact and multi-level, but with an elevator, which was much appreciated due to my bad knee. The museum has a modern feel. The information is attractively presented concisely and clearly in both English and German. I did not make it to the top floor. I sat on a conveniently placed stool near the evaluator while my wife went up. She said that I missed the best part, so be sure to check it out.

The museum's permanent collection is closed (at least as of fall 2019) while a new building is…read morebuilt, with the date that will happen unknown. The two special exhibitions I saw (about the Cologne pavilion at the 1937 World's Fair in Paris; also an exhibition of Cologne buildings before and after the war) were both interesting, and there were some interesting local books for sale (about Carnival, etc.). Still worth a stop if the special exhibition sounds interesting, but somewhat disappointing if you want to learn the history of Cologne. Do walk all the way around the building to enjoy the sight of the gold winged car on the roof and the statue /fountain paying tribute to Cologne's Roman history (there are pieces of the Roman wall quite close).

Easy to find and not to be missed if you find yourself in Cologne. Being a Jew, I needed to see…read morethis historic place and learn more what happened here. It was awe inspiring. The place is well laid out and the English language headset is really appreciated as most of the graphics were obviously in German. You can make it through in 30 minutes or a few hours depending on your interest level.

As you walk up to the Schloss Augustuburg, you will not be blown away. It looks fairly plain when…read morecompared to other castles from that time. What is truly remarkable waits for you inside. The grand stairway is one of the most ornate and intricately decorated places I have ever seen. Simply breathtaking. I felt that the tour, which is the only way permitted to see the inside of the castle, was a little too rushed. If possible, take your time walking the grounds and the gardens before you have the tour so that you are tired and don't mind a faster walk through the castle. The gardens are another amazing sight and very invocative of Vaux-le-Vicomte and Versaille since they were done by one of Le Nôtre's pupils. The audio tour is worth it and make sure you keep your headset for the second castle: Falkenlust.

A great place to chill out and enjoy the nature! Big and beautiful garden with so many carefully…read moretended beds of flowers, fountains, a labyrinth and kind of forest with so many wild blackberries. It's also very popular for wedding photos!

One of my favorite parts about exploring Europe is the large number of awesome museums…read more Wallraf-Richartz Museum is no different. Located in Cologne, I spent a good three hours or so exploring this museum of fine arts. When it comes to museums, I look for several different things, and Wallraf delivered on all fronts. Logistics: museums are typically large. There's a lot to see. I like when a museum is easy to navigate. Where you don't have to use a lot of brainpower to make sure that you don't miss anything. In addition to a map of the museums, the way the museum is laid out makes a difference. It adds to my comfort, along with A/C which you have here. And which is by no means guaranteed in Germany. More importantly, the artwork. Wallraf has an impressive collection of international art spanning various periods and styles including French impressionism, pointillism, and much, much more. You'll find paintings by Monet, Rembrandt, and many other famous artists. I've been lucky enough to learn a lot about art history since I was a kid. I know I'm at a good museum when I'm snapping pictures left and right. This is what happened here. Wallraf-Richartz Museum is one of the top attractions on TripAdvisor in Cologne. Don't miss it when visiting!

This seems to the the museum where you find the not so modern art - that is the art that doesn't…read moreconsist of weird paintings and sculptures but rather the more traditional works. The museum is set on three levels, with the upper levels having the older works and the lower levels having the newer works. I do admit that I liked the museum, but it didn't come across as great as some of the other museums that I visited. However, there was a pretty decent selection of art from across the centries, and it was an enjoyable visit. Also, it isn't that huge so you can complete it in an hour or so, depending on how fast you breeze through the rooms.

One of the oldest churches and from what I understand, the largest in area-under-roof…read more.. Standing outside this church, you can't be feel in awe - when you go inside, you become slackjawed at the immensity and sheer awe inspiring feel this structure gives off. When you learn how long it took to build this structure - in the order of 600 (or maybe I forget 800 years) - it is a testament to human endurance and persistence. The frescoes, the buttresses, the carvings, the paintings, the everything of this place inspires a tongue-tied, mind-bending, experience. Kinda leave you wondering about your place in this whole wide world... Anyway, tickets are 12 Euros each and it's worth every penny. There is a plaza next to the church where you can start at this enormous and wondrous piece of architecture for about as long as you would like. It was well worth the time spent getting here and the parking hassles that Cologne has to offer...

We came here September 2026. Cost was $12. Get there early…read morewe came at 2 pm and they were closing at 330 for special event. We stayed the whole time. So Quiet and beautiful. This one took 600 years to build but sat vacant for 300 years. Mosaic floor was very impressive. The outsiders black because all of the soot from all the industries over the years. Hard to clean because it is a gummy film. They have to use a special sand to clean it. I still don't know how they built these with no power tools? Loved it! Shopping area and all kinds of restaurants are right next to the cathedral the river is a short walk away.