Cologne for Free: Ten Experiences That Cost Nothing

I lived in Bonn for about eighteen months, twenty minutes from Cologne by train, and went back so often that the city began to feel like an extension of home. There is a particular energy around the cathedral square: tourists, buskers, locals, people selling things, people simply watching. I have wandered there with friends for whole afternoons, been carried along by the carnival crowds, watched fireworks over the Rhine, and once lost my wallet and filed my first police report. Bittersweet, but memorable.

Because Carnival was approaching when I first wrote this, I put together a list of ways to enjoy Cologne without spending much at all. Most of them work at any time of year.

1. Join the Carnival

Cologne's Carnival — the city's unofficial fifth season — is one of the liveliest weeks in Germany. For nearly a week in February, the streets fill with costumes and the celebrations do not really stop. The parades are spectacular and the crowd's enthusiasm is the real attraction. In the evenings, pubs and clubs host parties and balls. If you are in town for it, go and watch at least one parade. Two warnings: sort your costume out in advance, and watch your bag and wallet in the crush.

2. Stand outside the cathedral

The Dom is the second-highest building in Cologne and impossible to miss: it rises directly outside the central railway station. You do not need a ticket to appreciate it from the square, where jugglers, musicians and living statues perform most evenings. The treasury in the crypt charges a small entrance fee if you want to go deeper, and the interior is free to enter for anyone who wants a quiet moment. Either way, it belongs at the top of your list.

3. Walk the Hohenzollern Bridge

Thousands of couples have fixed padlocks to the railings of the Hohenzollern Bridge, each one a small promise of lasting love. Walking across is free, and the custom is contagious: visitors arrive with their own locks, attach them, and throw the key into the Rhine. Go at sunset, when the cathedral and the river are both lit.

4. Watch the New Year's Eve fireworks

On 31 December the banks of the Rhine fill with people letting off fireworks, and there is a coordinated display before midnight. Bring your own if you like, then watch the sky over the river. Afterwards, the pubs and clubs around Südstadt stay open until dawn if you want to keep going.

5. Wander the Pützchens Markt

Held in the second week of September, Pützchens Markt is a traditional funfair that draws crowds from across the region. Its main site is in Bonn, twenty minutes away by train, but Cologne gets its own share of rides and fairground atmosphere along the Rhine. Walking through costs nothing; individual rides charge.

6. Explore the shopping streets

Schildergasse and Neumarkt are where the city shows its everyday self. Wander past old and new shops, drop into one of the breweries for a Kölsch, and use the streets as a free introduction to how Cologne lives. You do not have to buy anything to enjoy the atmosphere.

7. Visit the Christmas markets

German Christmas markets are worth planning a trip around. Cologne's open in the last week of November and run until just before Christmas, with brightly lit stalls selling candles, decorations and toys, and plenty of Glühwein and food. Some markets add an ice-skating rink for a small fee. The two easiest to reach are the one beside the cathedral and the one at Neumarkt.

8. Take a free walking tour

A good walking tour gives you the city's history and a couple of new acquaintances in about two hours. Cologne has several free tours, where you tip the guide at the end rather than paying upfront. CYHIT is one company that runs them. Wear comfortable shoes and bring an umbrella; the weather does not always cooperate.

9. Watch Kölner Lichter

Every year in mid-July, fireworks are set off over the Rhine in time with music, and the whole city seems to turn out to watch. You can buy a ticket for one of the river cruises that follows the display, or simply find a spot on the bank at night and watch for free. The banks get busy, so arrive early with a blanket.

10. Celebrate Christopher Street Day

Cologne's liberal reputation is on full display at CSD, the annual parade in support of the gay and lesbian community. The parade itself is free to watch, and it comes with two weeks of information events, cultural programming and discussions beforehand. Even as a spectator, it is one of the warmest and most colourful days in the city's calendar.

Cologne is not an expensive city to enjoy. Most of what makes it memorable — the river, the cathedral square, the parades, the atmosphere — costs nothing but time.

If you are planning around Carnival, read my carnival survival hacks first.