Cologne Old Town & Great St. Martin
Altstadt / Groß St. Martin
An old town of colourful gabled houses and Romanesque church spires along the Rhine. It is the best place to taste Kölsch beer.
The Cologne Old Town stretches from the south side of the cathedral down to the Rhine bank. It was badly damaged in the Second World War and was rebuilt after the war in its former style. The landmark Groß St. Martin church is the most striking of Cologne's twelve Romanesque churches, and its four corner spires and the colourful narrow houses along the riverbank form a classic picture. Around the Alter Markt and the Heumarkt are traditional beer halls. You must try Kölsch, the local beer, served in 200 ml slender glasses called Stange. The waiters, called Köbes, keep refilling your glass. A beer mat placed over the glass means you do not want another. Recommended dishes include 'Halver Hahn', which is actually rye bread with cheese, and 'Himmel un Ääd', blood sausage with onions and apple purée. The Old Town is also the centre of the carnival season opening on November 11 and the carnival parades in February. The old 4711 Eau de Cologne shop is nearby, on Glockengasse.
Opening hours
District open all day; church open during the daytime
Nearby sights
- Cologne City Hall
- Museum Ludwig
- Wallraf-Richartz Museum
- Farina Fragrance Museum
- Cologne Cathedral
- Christmas Market at Cologne Cathedral
- Hohenzollern Bridge
- Früh am Dom