Old town, cologne, © Sanny Zoekt Geluk

Co­logne & Rhein-Erft County


Big city flair meets moated castle ro­mance

Millions of visitors flock to Germany’s most popular sight every year: Cologne Cathedral is a symbol of the biggest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and an important building in the region. The Rhein-Erft County, which borders Cologne, is also famous for its unique buildings: like Cologne Cathedral, the Augustusburg and Falkenlust Palaces in Brühl are also listed as UNESCO world heritage sites and enchant those interested in history, as well as fans of classical music, because the Brühler Schlosskonzerte take place in this historical setting once a year.
 

Türnich Castle, © Tourismus NRW e.V.

Fort­resses, castles and mills

Cycle and hiking tours through the Rhein-Erft district are guaranteed to be idyllic: along stretches such as the Wasserburgen-Route (Moated Castle Route), numerous fortresses, castles and mills appear along the wayside. The QuoRadis app guides cyclists by smartphone or tablet through the Rhineland and along the Erft or Rheinradweg (Erft or Rhine Cycle Trails), for example.

Blick auf den Kölner Dom, © Udo Haake, KölnTourismus GmbH

Cul­ture and shop­ping

The Rhine metropolis of Cologne and the Rhein-Erft district are famous for their renowned museums, which impress visitors with exhibitions of an international standard. In addition to the rich cultural offerings, Cologne also means shopping and big city flair. Schildergasse, which forms the central pedestrian zone of Cologne with Hohe Strasse, is home to the most visited shopping strip in Germany. In contrast to this, the Belgian Quarter presents itself as small but beautiful: in Cologne’s trendy quarter, designer shops, little cafés and hip bars line up beside each other and provide an insight into the city’s youth culture. Visitors can experience the city on the Rhine just as authentically in the old town, where enjoying a delicious Kölsch beer is part of a successful stay, as is a boat trip on the Rhine.

  • Bahnstation in Köln Ehrenfeld., © Bilderblitz / KölnTourismus GmbH
    Aussicht auf den Rheinauhafen, © Dieter Jacobi / KölnTourismus GmbH
    Die Badehalle in der Claudius Therme, © Claudius Therme GmbH & Co. KG
  • Schloss Loersfeld, Rhein-Erft-Kreis, © Tourismus NRW e.V.
    Loersfeld Castle , © Tourismus NRW e.V.
    Gasse in der Altstadt, © Dieter Jacobi / KölnTourismus GmbH

More in­form­a­tion

Dis­cov­er it now!

Hik­ing, cyc­ling & well­ness

Dis­cov­er­ies in the re­gion Co­logne & the Rhein-Erft County

Auf dem Erft-Radweg ist das Wasser ein stetiger Begleiter, © Rhein-Erft Tourismus e.V.

The Erft cycle route

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Cul­ture, shop­ping & events

Dis­cov­er­ies in the re­gion Co­logne & the Rhein-Erft County

The Brühl Palaces from a distance, © Horst Gummersbach

The Brühl Palaces Brühl

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Ansicht auf das Schokoladenmuseum, © Schokoladenmuseum Köln

Chocol­ate Mu­seum Co­logne

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Kolumba Museum in Cologne, © Kolumba Köln, Helene-Binet

Kolumba Mu­seum in Co­logne

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Timo - a real Köbes from Cologne, © Ralph Sondermann, Tourismus NRW e.V.

Timo - 'ne echte kölsche Köbes

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Urbanana Köln-LeBloc Sonic Ballroom, © Georg-Hopp alias Fänger der Zeit

Pop-Trail

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Die Schildergasse in Köln, bei der Shoppingmeile, © KölnTourismus GmbH / Andreas Möltgen

Shop­ping in Co­logne's Schilder­gasse

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The Cologne Cathedral from a distance, © Köln Tourismus-Udo Haake

Co­logne Cathed­ral

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The cathedral, the Rhine and the Hohenzollern Bridge shine in the glow of the Cologne lights, © Dieter Jacobi / Köln Tourismus

Co­logne lights

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