Loveliest Towns to Visit Near Cologne, Germany

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Cologne with its 2000-year-old history is a place worth visiting. It has a stunning, small old town, amazing Christmas markets, and a highly impressive cathedral. Cologne also has fabulous, trendy shopping streets and a buzzing nightlife.

What might easily be overlooked, however, are the areas surrounding Cologne city. This region is full of small, charismatic towns within a short drive or a bus ride away from Cologne. Many of these towns are full of character and history. Some have played an important role in the development of this highly industrial region of western Germany. Others are known for their picturesque landscapes, castles, or quaint town squares with little shops and cafés.

If you’re hoping to get acquainted with Roman or medieval history or to enjoy the beauty of the mythical lands along the river Rhein, I can highly recommend exploring the areas surrounding Cologne. In this article we present some of the loveliest towns to visit near Cologne, Germany.

Solingen – “City of blades”

Solingen, about an hour away from Cologne, is best known as a centre of blade production in Europe. Many internationally known companies produce blades for their knives, scissors, and so on, here in Solingen. Yet the town also harbors numerous smaller workshops and family-run blade businesses. Solingen has actually been known as the blacksmith centre of northern Europe already since the middle ages.

Apart from blade manufacturing, Solingen is also just generally a beautiful, attractive town to explore. You’ll see lots of traditional German architecture here. I’m a fan of castles and mysterious medieval stories, and so, I can highly recommend visiting the castle Schloss Burg in Solingen. The German Blade Museum is also well worth visiting. Here you can learn about the history of blades, of all kinds, around the world – from stone age knives to swords and nail scissors. The nature around Solingen is beautiful, and so I can also highly recommend exploring this part of the Bergische’s Land on bicycle.

Siebengebirge – home to some of the loveliest towns to visit near Cologne

Siebengebirge is a nature area along the river Rhein that consists of rolling, green hills, river valleys, small, quaint towns, and castles, among other things. The nature area starts just south of Bonn, and it is easiest to explore by car or by bicycle, I would say. There are also local trains and buses that run between these towns in the vicinity of Cologne.

Königswinter

As is the case with many of the attractive towns in the Siebengebirge region, Königswinter also lies on the shores of the river Rhein. Königswinter, half an hour from Cologne, has a lovely waterside promenade, and I love strolling through its small but pretty old town section. There are cute cafés and little shops in the town as well. Königswinter is a wonderful base for exploring the surrounding Siebengebirge nature reserve.

Königswinter is also located right at the base of the mythical hill of Drachenfels. In the German epic story Niebelungenlied, the hero Siegfried slayed a dragon that inhabited a cave at Drachenfels. On the top you can visit the ruins of castle Drachenfels, and from here you’ll have a beautiful view over the surrounding countryside. Halfway up the hill is the more modern Drachenburg castle, with its magnificent towers and decorations.

Linz am Rhein -one of the loveliest towns to visit near Cologne

Another picturesque town by river Rhein is Linz am Rhein. This small town has a beautiful, medieval style town square and streets lined with traditionally built, colorful half-timbered houses. I enjoy the small pubs and cafés by the town square – it’s a great place to have a relaxing stop while cycling around the Siebengebirge region. There are also lovely little shops in Linz am Rhein where you can find local crafts and souvenirs. The town is a peaceful but interesting place and a wonderful holiday destination altogether.

Krefeld

This city about an hour north from Cologne has a charming, small town feel, and I thus include it in the list of loveliest small towns to visit near Cologne. Krefeld is known for Linn castle, and textiles. An interesting place to learn about the history of various fabrics in Germany is the textile museum of Krefeld.

Castle Burg Linn makes Krefeld one of the loveliest towns to visit from Cologne

This is a must place to visit if you’re a lover of history, or nature. The moated Linn castle and museum is located in beautiful natural surroundings, and it originates from the 12^th century. The best time to visit Burg Linn is June, when a highly popular event takes place at the castle: Flachsmarkt. This crafts and events market is a place to immerse yourself in medieval life, to view performances, enjoy traditional medieval-style foods, and appreciate quality craftsmanship. It’s been one of my highlights ever during the times I’ve spent in Germany.

Xanten – a place of history and well-being

Roman and medieval history

If you’re looking for just one town to visit that is fairly close to Cologne (about 1,5 hours), I could highly recommend Xanten. Having spent some time in this town on numerous occasions, I still keep getting surprised by more aspects to discover and enjoy.

Xanten is perhaps best known for the Archaeological Park – an outdoor museum located at the site of a historic Roman settlement. The Park is a truly fascinating place to explore, right on the edge of Xanten. Highlights include a Roman temple, amphitheatre, and a museum. Meanwhile, Xanten town is built in a medieval fashion, and even today, new buildings need to adhere to the regulations that maintain the town’s general image. The historic town centre has a beautiful cathedral, fortress walls and towers, and some traditional buildings.

Climate protection and good living

Apart from being one of the loveliest towns to visit near Cologne, Xanten is also super interesting. As many cities and towns in Germany these days, Xanten has a vibrant climate protection program. Citizens are often invited to participate in events and discussions around climate and sustainable living. Furthermore, the old town, for example, is surrounded by trees and natural meadows aimed at enhancing biodiversity. At Kurpark, in centre of Xanten, you’ll see a special structure erected, made with sea water and plant material. This “green wall” provides clean air to those who visit it. Xanten is also surrounded by beautiful nature and fantastic bicycle roads. The river Rhein flows past nearby, and there are floodplains there that provide homes to wildlife such as storks, herons, and beavers.

I also enjoy Xanten’s restaurants and cafés. Pizzeria San Marino on the outskirts of Xanten serves wonderful Italian food, but they also serve the best Indian food in town. Café Glüxpilz in the centre of town has the most amazing homemade cakes and waffles. They have a very sweet children’s corner, as well. And finally, to talk about Xanten without mentioning its windmills would of course not do at all. KaffeeMühle at the Archaeological Park serves refreshments and operates during the week. Nearby, just inside Xanten town walls, Kriemhild-Mühle is also an operating, historic windmill. Their small café & bakery serve delicious, rustic goods, and you can also visit the mill upstairs to see how it operates.

Somewhat larger “small towns” well worth visiting near Cologne

Bonn

Okay, Bonn is certainly a city, not a town – it is almost the size of Cologne – but it somehow has a cozy, small town atmosphere and it is thus included in this list. If you haven’t had a chance to visit Bonn yet, I hope you’ll make it there someday soon. Bonn is an art-filled student city. It is known as the birth place of Ludwig van Beethoven, and it has since his time been a stronghold of the musical arts. Bonn also has an attractive old town and many green spaces. Being located by the Rhein in the Siebengebirge region it is also aesthetically beautiful. All in all, to me Bonn is like a breath of fresh air; liberal, vibrant, and picturesque.

Aachen

Another city with a somewhat small town feel, and certainly a fantastic place to visit from Cologne, is Aachen. This German city is very close to both the Netherlands and Belgium. Indeed, close to Aachen is a forest, Dreiländerwald, where you can visit the corner “post” of where the three countries meet.

Aachen is best known for its stunning cathedral, a 1,200-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site. The surrounding old town is full of fascinating, historic buildings, including the town hall and square. Aachen is also known as a city of spas. Albeit a little less known than Cologne and Bonn nearby, I’d say Aachen is one of the most interesting places to visit in Europe.

Travel tip: Carnival – a unique thing to experience in western German towns

The time of carnival is known as a festive period before the time of lent (pre-Easter period of fasting) in many parts of the world. In Western Germany, especially the Rheinlands, the carnival tradition has reached great heights. Each small or bigger town usually has its own carnival – or these days, a whole carnival week.

During this week, both adults and children flood the town or city streets, dressed up in imaginative costumes. Although it is common to drink alcohol during the carnival celebrations, and beer certainly is very popular in these parts of Germany, the carnival celebrations usually are suitable for the whole family. If you like festive things and a jolly atmosphere, carnival week in February or March is definitely the time to explore the small towns surrounding Cologne.

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