Oktoberfest 2023

While in Cologne, you simply have to visit the Kölner Dom, one of the oldest and largest gothic cathedrals in the world, right outside the main train station. For just a few Euros, you can also climb the 533 steps to the top for a great view across the inner city. You could also take a walk across the Hohenzollernbrücke from there, passing by the philharmonic hall, the bridge being famous for the huge amount of love padlocks, and go up the KölnTriangle from there, for a great view across all of Cologne.

You can also take a ride on the cable cars across the Rhine for a great river view and the zoo and aquarium, both well worth a visit if you're into that, are just a few hundred meters from the exit. You can even get a combination ticket for them. The Flora, a large and beautiful botanical garden is also just around the corner from the zoo/aquarium and free.

There are a few noteworthy museums, like Museum Ludwig for modern art, the Wallraff-Richartz Museum for classical art, the Roman-Germanic Museum for history and the Schokoladenmuseum for, well, chocolate.

When it comes to beer, most of the interesting places can all be found in the old city quarter within a few hundred meters of each other, except for Päffgen, Lommerzheim and Braustelle. While in the old city, I would especially recommend Malzmühle, Zum Pfaffen, Peter's and Früh. If you're not going all the way out to the main Päffgen brewery, you can also taste their Kölsch at Bierhaus En D'r Salzgass, right opposite the Delirium Cafe Köln, which is a good place for craft beer, with 30 taps. Even better for craft beer is Craftbeer Corner though, right next to the Gürzenich festival hall. Only 15 taps, but better curated selection and more knowledgeable staff. If you want a little Munich teaser, you could also visit the Augustiner Am Heumarkt beer hall/restaurant.

If you don't mind traveling a bit further out, the Päffgen brewery is one of the oldest, most spacious and highly regarded Kölsch breweries in town and from there it's only a few subway stations to Braustelle, one of the main craft beer pioneers in all of Germany and Cologne's only proper brewpub. I would also highly recommend Lommerzheim for a classic, traditional example of Kölsch culture, which has been a favorite with locals since the 50s and also serves Päffgen Kölsch and is famous for their pork chops. BIll Clinton once wanted to visit there while in Germany, but the owner refused, because he would have had to shut down the place for his regulars on that day. It's just a 5-minute walk from the KölnTriangle.

You can also take a look at my brewery hop around Cologne if you want to check out some of Cologne's Kölsch breweries in advance. Sorry for the late reply and let me know if you're up for a beer or two while in town.