Best Day Trips from Cologne, Germany

Share This Article

Cologne, with river Rhein running through it, is an important cultural, historical, and economic centre in western Germany. These days, Cologne is best known for its medieval cathedral, as well as for its research institutes, vibrant boulevards and nightlife, museums, and street art. People visit the Cologne-Bonn metropolitan area from all over the world.

What adds to the charm of Cologne is, however, its location. I love how Cologne is conveniently located fairly close to the Netherlands and Belgium, and not far from Cologne there are beautiful nature areas and charming river valleys. In short, Cologne is a great base for exploring the nearby regions of Germany as well as neighboring countries.

That being the case, if you’re visiting Cologne for a while, I highly recommend doing day trips from the city. From castles and nature to vibrant cities and picturesque villages, there are a number of amazing things to do within a few hours from the city.

Siebengebirge – river Rhein, castles, and folklore

One of the best day trips to do from Cologne, and one of the most lovely things to do in the whole of Germany in my opinion, is exploring the Rhein Valley by Siebengebirge. This hilly region is just about half an hour by car from Cologne.

Drachenfels and other castles

Siebengebirge is made up of beech and mixed forests, rolling hills, quaint small towns with countless lovely cafés and biergartens, and castles. The best known of the castles is Drachenfels (Dragon’s rock), located on a mystical-looking, volcanic hill. The ruins are about 1000 years old and have inspired countless stories and poems.

Most notably it has been linked with the German epic Niebelungenlied and its hero Siegfried who supposedly killed the dragon Fafnir that inhabited this small mountain. Drachenburg castle, on the same hill as Drachenfels, is younger but also magnificent to view. Furthermore, the castle ruins Rosenau and Löwenburg are also worth visiting, with beautiful views of the surrounding countryside.

Exploring along the Rhein river

The Rhein river is wide in the region of Siebengebirge and it truly feels like it is the lifeline, or soul, of this land. You’ll find people swimming in the Rhein, sunbathing on its shores, and enjoying boat tours on its slowly but strongly moving waters. I can especially recommend renting a bicycle and doing a bicycle tour along the Rhein in the Siebengebirge region.

This way, you can stop at all the little towns, such as Königswinter and Linz am Rhein. And you can take in the views of the river, the surrounding vineyards, and historic villages, all the while enjoying well-maintained and safe bicycle roads. Visiting the Siebengebirge is a romantic kind of day trip you’ll not want to miss.

Düsseldorf

Just under an hour away from Cologne, Düsseldorf is a major city of the Rheinland region of West Germany. It has a historic city centre as well as more modern city parts. There are plenty of museums and art galleries to visit in Düsseldorf, and lovely promenades along the river Rhein. The Karneval is big in Düsseldorf, as in most cities and towns of West Germany, a few weeks before Easter.

It is also a rather cosmopolitan city, with fantastic live music venues and places to appreciate fashion and design. In other words, Düsseldorf makes for an interesting day trip option from Cologne.

One of my personal highlights in Düsseldorf is the Rhein Promenade, leading from the Old Town to the Media Harbor (with fascinating modern architecture). The Old Town (Altstadt) is worth walking around, with its historic architecture. If you’re into shopping, I highly recommend heading to Düsseldorf’s main shopping street, Königsallee, with fabulous design shops and showrooms. In terms of entertainment, you might like to check out the calendar of Mitsubishi Electric Halle indoor arena. I can also recommend visiting Tonhalle Düsseldorf, a former planetarium turned into a music hall.

Düsseldorf Christmas market

One of my favorite things to do in Düsseldorf, if I’m visiting between end of November and end of December, is exploring the Christmas Market. Many European towns have their own Christmas markets, and in my opinion the one in Düsseldorf is definitely in the top 10.

The whole Old Town and Düsseldorf city centre are transformed into a Christmas paradise, with twinkling lights, colorful art and craft stalls, and the smell of roasted nuts in the air. I love getting myself a mug of glühwein to keep me warm while I stroll around the market.

Some of my favorite things to look for are the traditional German gingerbread biscuits, Lebkuchen, with their imaginary decorations, or warm, roasted chestnuts. You’ll also find beautiful winter “scenes”, made with Christmas elves, toys, and little trees. If you’re lucky, you can enjoy a gentle snowfall while taking in the market.

Visit small towns in the Netherlands

Although small towns in both western Germany and eastern Netherlands are not all that different in terms of what things one can see and experience, there are also some differences. It can be great fun exploring some of the small towns on the other side of the Dutch-German border. You can hear some Dutch spoken, see the (even greater) amount of bicycles being used for daily commute, and perhaps buy yourself some Dutch snacks or souvenirs.

Mix of history and trendiness – Nijmegen

Nijmegen is one town I personally greatly enjoy, and it makes for a wonderful day trip from Cologne. It is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands – recognized as such since the Roman times. It is full of interesting historical buildings, including castles and churches. But it also has lots of trendy bars as well as enchanting, independent shops and galleries. Nijmegen is two hours from Cologne by car. It is a beautiful city to visit as well, as it is located on the shores of the river Waal.

Quaint villages and delicious Dutch snacks

Also not far from the border is the Dutch centre of technology and design, Eindhoven. This vibrant city is the birthplace of Philips electronics, but Eindhoven is also known for its numerous bars and pubs. Another town I find highly charming is Thorn, a small town close to the border with Belgium. This enchanting place is well known for its whitewashed, traditional buildings and friendly atmosphere.

While you’re visiting some of the Dutch towns, I highly recommend trying something traditionally Dutch for lunch or for a snack. You might enjoy the savory bitterballen (bite-size meet and gravy croquettes) or kibbeling (battered chunks of fish served with mayonnaise or tartar sauce). Or, as to sweet treats, some of my favorites include stroopwafels (best enjoyed warmed up over a cup of tea) or small Dutch pancakes, poffertjies. I also love finding a sweets store and buying some Dutch liquorice to enjoy while strolling the quaint streets.

Day trip to Eifel National Park

Eifel National Park is located in North Rhein-Westphalia, close to the borders of the Netherlands and Belgium. It is part of a much larger cross-border Hohes Venn Eifel nature area. The national park is a protected area, where forests may take their natural course. Accumulating dead and decaying wood are left untouched, which is important to biodiversity on the whole. The national park’s beech and oak forests, lakes, streams, and meadows harbor rich fauna and flora, including wildcat, beaver, and stork. Also interestingly, of the over 7000 animal and plant species found in Eifel, nearly 2000 are considered endangered.

At Eifel National Park, visitors can walk along 200 km of walking trails. Tens of kilometres of trails are also available to cyclists and horse riders, and in winter, for cross country skiing. With its mountains, dense forests, clear night skies, and great walking trails, I find Eifel to be one of the most beautiful areas to visit in western Germany. It is just 1-1,5 hours away from Cologne, and makes for a superb day trip destination – although you might well enjoy spending a few more days exploring this beautiful area.

Visit the transforming centre of the industrial Ruhr area

Duisburg, about an hour from Cologne, was one of the main centres of the Ruhr industrial area for many decades. Friends have told me that growing up in this area, they used to have to choose carefully when to hang laundry outside, to avoid it getting blackened by the smoky, polluted air. These days, more and more coal factories are being closed down, as is inevitably necessary for Germany to cut back on carbon emissions. It isn’t all easy for the factories and their workers of course. Yet, some of these transitions do come with more than the obvious positive repercussions, of which Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord is one example.

Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord

This is one of the most interesting places I’ve visited in the whole of Germany. Located in the outskirts of Duisburg, Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord is an old iron factory complex that was closed down some decades ago. It has since then been turned into an interactive visitor centre with a multitude of things to see, do, and learn about.

Walking around this old factory complex, I was blown away by the sheer mass and extent of it. At the park, you can see how vegetation is taking over after years of the factory not having been used. Some parts of the factory have been turned into climbing walls, while another is now a scuba diving tank and training centre. From the top of the structures you get a view of the surrounding (post) industrial area. And there are art exhibitions embedded into the factory structure, showcasing other similar projects of transforming and greening old factories in the Ruhr region. For me, visiting Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord feels a bit like visiting a post-apocalyptic land – certainly an interesting place to experience.

Visiting Duisburg inner city

While visiting Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord, it is also worth making a visit to Duisburg city centre. It is located at the conjunction of the Rhein and Ruhr rivers, and it is best known for its large harbor. Duisburg also has an attractive waterfront area with restaurants and vibrant nightlife.

---

Read more of our best insights from around the world

• 
  Best Day Trips from Cologne, Germany
• 
  Loveliest Towns to Visit Near Cologne, Germany
• 
  The Ultimate 2 Week West Coast USA Itinerary for 2025
• 
  Don’t Miss These 9 Best Restaurants in Larnaca
• 
  8 Best Affordable Restaurants in Rome For Mains Below €13
• 
  Top Things to Do in Whangarei: Culture, Hikes and Waterfalls