Founded 1920, KölnTourismus GmbH is the official tourism marketing organisation for the City of Cologne and first port of call for tourists from all over the world, both business and leisure visitors.
Together with its partners, KölnTourismus promotes Cologne globally as a travel and congress destination.
Apart from enhancing Cologne’s reputation, we aim at strengthening the market position of the city and its region as an attractive tourist destination and outstanding congress centre on domestic as well as on the international scale.

Service Center
Köln Tourismus GmbH can make your visit to Cologne an unforgettable experience. The friendly staff members at our service center across from the Cathedral will be happy to advise you and your clients and give you valuable tips for an interesting stay in Cologne.

Hotel Services
Whether you‘re looking for a youth hostel or a luxury hotel, KölnTourismus GmbH will be be happy to find accommodation that suits all your needs and book it for you. For every booking you make via the Cologne Tourist Board, you‘ll receive a Cologne WelcomeCard free of charge.

Cologne Welcome Card
The Cologne WelcomeCard is the ideal companion for your visit. It offers you numerous discounts in the fields of art and culture, sightseeing, restaurants, shopping and wellness establishments, as well as free travel via local public transportation.

Sightseeing Services
KölnTourismus GmbH can organize a programme of activities that‘s tailored for you or your group. Online as well as at our service centre you can reserve Cologne specialties in a traditional atmosphere or one of our numerous guided tours of the city in 12 different languages.

Cologne Convention Bureau
Arrangement of suitable event venues, accomodation service incl. room allocation, support in the selection and organisation of fringe programmes as well as site inspections.
Further Information on: www.cologne-tourism.com/service

Cologne is a city like no other! The European metropolis is famous for its cheerful outlook on life, which makes every stay an unforgettable one. This is not only thanks to a visit to the cathedral or the carnival, but it's thanks to the city as a conference location too. The huge fairs and businesses here draw people from all over the world.

Around 45,000 exhibiting companies from 120 countries and 2.5 million visitors come to Koelnmesse each year, the world’s fifth largest trade fair and exhibition site. The trade fairs here are more international than anywhere else in the world – this makes Cologne an important business location. Hosting such events as Anuga, imm cologne, photokina and ISM, Koelnmesse is the world’s leading trade fair organiser for around 25 industries, with representative offices in over 80 countries.

In addition over 140 venues are on offer with around 1,000 rooms for any size of event. Events with a large number of attendees will find all the space they need in the convention centres, the LANXESS arena or in the Staatenhaus at the Rheinpark. There is also a wide selection of options for smaller events. Cologne definitely has the perfect venue for every occasion. Opportunities to hold events in the numerous castles and palaces in the area around Cologne complete the extensive range on offer.

Furthermore, the outstanding infrastructure, hotels to suit every need and budget and the wealth of history and culture the city offers have made Cologne a first-rate “meeting point” for the international MICE sector.
Further Information on: http://www.conventioncologne.de/en

Cologne locals have a heart for kids. With many unique attractions, such as the Zoo, the Yakult Children’s Opera, the Odysseum or the nearby Phantasialand theme park, Cologne is a children-friendly town and always worth a family excursion. KölnTourismus has launched special programmes and offers for families with children.

Cologne’s zoological garden is located in the northern borough of Riehl close to the Flora botanical garden. Founded in 1860, it is Germany’s third-oldest zoo. You can admire more than 500 species from all continents and oceans here. Meet Maha Kumari the baby elephant and her young brothers and sisters Marlar and Ming Jung in Germany’s largest elephant park. It’s fun to watch the lively great apes fooling around in the “Urwaldhaus“ jungle house. Get a close face-to-face experience with exotic birds and reptiles in a jungle ambiance. Bird lovers can examine the “Eulenkloster“ owls’ nest.

A modern mix of science unit, research centre and leisure park of scientific standards, the Odysseum is the new tourist attraction of North Rhine-Westphalia. “Your Knowledge May Experience Something Here” is the brief and concise motto of the theme park for kids and families.

Action, entertainment and fun - experience all dimensions of adventure in one of Germany’s most popular and well-established theme park at Brühl near Cologne. From March to October, Phantasialand is an ideal excursion for families. The attractions and themed areas offer something for everyone, whether for the faster or slower characters. Embark on the fantastic world of Africa with deserts, savannah plains and tropical plants.

A village in Dogon style with sand-coloured towers, magical figures, masks and a vibrant bazaar make you feel deep in the heart of the black continent. Or discover the Middle Kingdom: China Town is the most impressive representation of China outside Asia.

Enjoy Cologne in the best way for families - discover from the ships of KD the picturesque Cologne panorama with the old town and new Rheinau Marina with the "crane buildings". On board you have commentary on all interesting sights and KD loves to pamper families with their inexpensive ship's cuisine.
Further information on: www.cologne-tourism.com/cologne-for-everybody/families-kids.

KölnTourismus offers digital guided tours for individualists. Besides a considerable range of guided tours, the Cologne Tourist Board offers now an option for individual travellers who prefer to explore the city on their own instead of joining a group. Using a small hand computer, you can enjoy an audio-visual walking tour of Cologne and discover the most important sights between the Cathedral and Heumarkt square. With spoken commentary and corresponding images, the well-elaborated route guides you to umerous fountains, monuments and buildings.

The Cologne Cathedral "Kölner Dom" is one of the architectural masterpieces of mankind and a must see attraction in Europe. Declared a World Cultural Heritage Site as a perfect example of Gothic construction, the Cologne Cathedral is the symbol of the metropolis on the Rhine. And with about six million visitors a year, Germany's largest Cathedral is also the country's most popular architectural monument. Its size is emphasized by a gigantic pair of towers that dominated the city panorama since their completion in 1880.

Being an internationally renowned cultural metropolis, Cologne boasts 36 museums and far more than 100 art galleries. Whether municipal, ecclesiastical, company-owned, or private museum - the wide array of displayed exhibits ranges from Roman, medieval via non-European to contemporary art. For example the "Römisch-Germanische Museum" was built over the finding place of the Dionysos mosaic right next to the cathedral. The collection preserves lively examples of art, culture and everyday life from Roman and medieval Cologne. Do you like chocolate? From cocoa cultivation to the finished chocolate, from its origins in America to its use in industrial products: at the Chocolate Museum in Cologne, you can experience all of these aspects of one of the world's favourite foods. And don´t forget to taste some fresh chocolate from the chocolate fountain!
Further information on: www.cologne-tourism.com/attractions-culture

The varied range of KölnTourismus guided tours offer informative and simultaneously exciting entertainment for all tastes – ranging from an adventure tour to an art-historical round tour through the museums or the Romanesque churches of Cologne.

The public programme of guided tours offered by KölnTourismus comprises different series. The “Cologne classics” are particularly popular for all those people who want to get to know Cologne. The “Highlights of Cologne” offers a journey of discovery by foot to the immediate vicinity of the cathedral and also into the narrow lanes of the Altstadt (old city centre). In addition guided tours such as “Cologne is a feeling” and the “Dämmerschoppen Kölschtour” (late night drinks Cologne tour), illuminate important aspects of the Cologne way of living and culture. “Köln für Kenner” (Cologne for connoisseurs) is aimed at all those people who want to obtain a more in-depth insight into special subject areas, for instance during a guided tour through the Melaten cemetery. “KölnSpezial” is for all those people in search of something a bit different.

Also Cologne Tourist Board offers great excursions, for example to Brühl Augustusburg and Falkenlust Palace where visitors get an impressive insight into the bacchanal life that the former Elector and Cologne Archbishop led in his splendid official Augustusburg palace and Falkenlust Hunting Lodge or quiet refuge.

For people travelling in groups KölnTourismus provides an extensive offer of around 120 guided tours in twelve different languages and for the most diverse demands. In addition to city guided tours and walks, tours of the cathedral and museums, KölnTourismus also offers an attractive range of theme-based guided tours. The excellently trained and experienced city guides devote themselves entirely to the groups’ wishes.
Further on Information: www.cologne-tourism.com/guided-tours

For those who love to shop, Cologne is THE place to be. It is one of Germany’s most popular shopping meccas.

Schildergasse and Hohe Straße continue to be the most desirable shopping miles – both streets belong to the most frequented shopping streets in Europe for many years now. On about one kilometre on Hohe Straße, consumers will find everything the heart desires: young fashion and trendy accessories, entertainment electronics, books and much more. The adjoining pedestrian street Schildergasse also delights customers with large flagship stores of well-known brands in fashion and lifestyle as well as show and perfume shops. Located at their intersection is Cologne’s largest department store.

Cologne is home to brands known all over the world: Legendary 4711 Eau de Cologne is looking forward to welcoming guests from all over the world at the 4711 House. Everybody also knows Rimowa - their suitcases can be found at the flagshipstore next to the cathedral.

Those looking for designer goods should visit Mittelstraße, Ehrenstraße and Pfeilstraße. Extravagant and individual fashion design, unusual ideas for gifts and home as well as art and culinary experiences await visitors.

Malls in downtown Cologne and on the Ring Streets also offer diverse opportunities for shopping. Shopping in the City of Cologne is fun! All shopping miles, malls and arcades lie close together and are easily reached on foot.

Less well known but all the more relaxing are the shopping streets in Cologne’s quarters where you will enjoy taking a stroll.

Take your time on your shopping tour in Cologne and enjoy its unique and special atmosphere. The diversity on offer will give you a real boost!
Further Information on: www.cologne-tourism.com/city-experience/shopping

Those who have been to Cologne know that the metropolis not only boasts the Cathedral and numerous museums. There is much more: an exciting nightlife, outstanding restaurants, relaxed cafés, and the typical "kölsche" brewery taverns.

The best place for visitors to experience Cologne’s Kölsch Kultur is in Cologne’s Old Town. Typical colourful gabled houses extend along the Rhine Promenade, only few steps away from the Cathedral. In the many brewery taverns, visitors are always served cool Kölsch, a top-fermented beer, in typical cylindrical glasses known as Stangen, which are presented by Köbes, wait staff dressed in traditional garb. The Cologne cuisine is a good match with the beer, with gastronomic delights such as Halven Hahn (not a half chicken, but a rye roll with cheese), Himmel un Ääd (“heaven and earth” – mashed potatoes with apple mash), and Kölscher Kaviar (not caviar, but another sort of blood sausage with onions).

Beyond, Cologne is home to a large number of international speciality and gourmet restaurants as well as wine bars.

Group Menus in the Direct Vicinity of the Cologne Cathedral
Yum yum – treat you to Rhenish hospitality and savour customised gastronomic group offers! You will be enraptured by good cuisine and local specialities in a rustic atmosphere. This offer applies to groups of minimum 8 people.
Further Information on: www.cologne-tourism.com/city-experience/eating-out