A Long Weekend in Cologne: Cathedrals, Kölsch, and Queer-Friendly Culture
- Jon Holden-Makings
- Jul 24
- 10 min read
Updated: Aug 1
From Gothic grandeur and pastel-painted old town streets to street art, riverfront beers, and unexpectedly fabulous nightlife, Cologne is a city that welcomes you with open arms and doesn’t let go. Here's how to make the most of a long weekend in Cologne, including must-see landmarks, queer-friendly hangouts, and even a few offbeat discoveries.
Index
Day One: The Icons of Cologne
That First Cologne Moment
Very few cities give you such an awesome welcome as Cologne. We stepped off our train at Köln Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) dragging our suitcases behind us - now clinking with wine bottles from the Moselle Valley - and were stopped in our tracks by Cologne Cathedral, probably Germany's most famous building.
It’s hard to describe the full scale of it without sounding dramatic, but trust me - it’s absolutely enormous. Jet-black twin towers pierce the sky, just steps from the glass arches of the train station. Locals rush past, totally desensitised to the fact that they live next to one of Europe’s most spectacular landmarks - meanwhile we’re stood there gawping like absolute tourists.
Where We Stayed: The Qvest Hotel
After catching our breath (and snapping 40 photos), we wandered 10 minutes through leafy side streets to The Qvest Hotel, a gem midway between the cathedral and the Belgian Quarter. Even from our first stroll, we could tell how laid-back and effortlessly cool this city is. It’s cosmopolitan without being pretentious - a city that wears its creative streak proudly.
The Qvest is housed in a grand old building that looks like it was once part of a monastery or cloister complex. Inside, it's a design-lover’s dream: Bauhaus meets boutique luxury. Think marble columns, mid-century furniture, and curated art books in the library. A palatial place to crash after city exploring - 10/10, would recommend.
Cologne’s Icon: The Cathedral (Kölner Dom)
The next morning, we emerged into the sunlight of the cobbled square outside our hotel, facing St. Gereon’s Basilica - a domed Romanesque church that's actually the second-oldest church north of the Alps. Cologne's ancient roots are always just around the corner.
Of course, no Cologne itinerary is complete without returning to its biggest star: the Kölner Dom. Towering over the city since the 13th century (well, sort of - it wasn’t finished until 1880), this Gothic masterpiece once held the title of world’s tallest building, and was only surpassed by the Eiffel Tower, and still dominates the skyline today.
A lovely surprise: entry is totally free. No ticket booths, no guilt-trippy “suggested donations” - just walk in and marvel. Sure, you won’t have it to yourself, but the space is so vast it rarely feels crowded.
Inside, the stained glass windows are mind-blowing - especially the modern pixel-art design - and the Reliquary of the Three Kings behind the altar makes it clear why this cathedral became such an important pilgrimage site. The mix of spiritual grandeur and architectural detail is overwhelming in the best way.
Feeling brave? Climb 533 spiral steps to the viewing platform. The views across the Rhine and Cologne’s rooftops are worth the calf burn. You’ll need a ticket for this, and it’s best to book in advance if you’re visiting in peak season. (I sat this one out. After nearly fainting atop Florence’s Duomo, I wasn’t risking another dome-induced vertigo spell. But if you’ve got a head for heights, go for it!)
While many churches aren’t always LGBTQ+ havens, Cologne Cathedral often lights up in rainbow colours for Pride and other causes. It’s a quiet but powerful show of support - and a reflection of the city’s inclusive spirit.
Walk the Hohenzollern Bridge
Right behind the cathedral lies one of Europe’s busiest railway bridges - the Hohenzollernbrücke. It’s not just for trains: pedestrians and cyclists cross here daily, dodging suitcases and stopping for selfies. Thousands - maybe millions - of love locks line the bridge, left by couples over the years. It’s a low-key romantic symbol of Cologne’s warmth. And yes, queer couples are represented, too. Love really does lock here and seemingly forever.
When you reach the other side, turn back. That view - the three iron arches of the bridge perfectly framing the black spires of the cathedral - is one of the most iconic in Germany. Bring your widest lens.
Cologne’s Altstadt: Pastels and Pints
From the bridge, we wandered into Cologne’s Altstadt (Old Town). This colourful riverside neighbourhood is small but picture-perfect, with pastel buildings, cobbled alleys, and bierhalles spilling out into sunlit squares. It was a bit early for beer (even for us), but Kölsch, the local brew, is hard to resist. Served in small glasses and refilled relentlessly unless you place your coaster on top, it’s Cologne’s pride and joy, even if the rest of Germany has mixed feelings about it.
The traditional brewhouses in Heumarkt and Frankenwerft were already buzzing - locals tucking into hearty German fare and endless trays of beer. And watching the servers, known as Köbes, juggle their trays and bark orders is a show in itself. We paused to admire the massive Great St. Martin Church, which would be a headline attraction in any other city. But here? Just another stunning Romanesque building in the shadows of a very famous neighbour.
Scent History at Farina House
Just behind Heumarkt is one of Cologne’s quirkiest attractions: the Farina Fragrance Museum, home to the original Eau de Cologne.
Founded in 1709, Farina is the world’s oldest perfume house still in operation, and the tour is a gem. You descend into the old cellars, learn about perfume-making with raw essences, and hear gossipy tales of Farina’s famous customers - including Napoleon and Princess Diana. Our guide, Anna, was effortlessly funny, flipping between English and German while making jokes about 18th-century royals. The 45-minute guided tour is well worth booking in advance - though entry to the shop is free if you just want a sniff.
Shopping and Dinner in the Belgian Quarter
We made our way back towards the hotel via Schildergasse, Cologne’s busiest shopping street, filled with high-street favourites and local boutiques. A great stop for souvenirs or grabbing essentials.
That evening, we ate in the Friesenplatz area - near the arc of the old city walls - and stumbled into Maison Sen, a brilliant Vietnamese restaurant with loads of gluten-free options and huge portions. Com Xoài, crispy rolls, cocktails… all dreamy.
The relaxed dinner crowd was diverse and quietly fabulous - queer couples, families, students, all enjoying the warm Cologne evening, and drifting between Rudolfplatz's vibrant gay nightlife and the Belgian Quarter's creative and welcoming vibe.
As night fell, we drifted into the Belgian Quarter, Cologne’s artsy, studenty, and increasingly queer hub. The streets here - especially around Brüsseler Platz - are a blend of independent bars, edgy boutiques, and bold street art.
We kicked things off at Zum Goldenen Schuss, a gritty-cool corner bar that wouldn’t feel out of place in Berlin’s Kreuzberg or Bristol’s Stokes Croft. Inside: dim lighting, random vintage streetlights, and tables of well-dressed locals chatting over Riesling or Kölsch.
From there, you could let the night take you anywhere. Cologne’s bar scene is casual but creative, with a mix of retro cocktail lounges, grungy dive bars, and rainbow-flagged terraces. Best of all? Everyone feels welcome.
Day Two: Markets, Museums & Riverside Architecture
Belgian Quarter by Day
After a slow morning wake-up (the blackout curtains in our room worked far too well), we wandered back towards the Belgian Quarter, which transforms from buzzy nightlife hub to laid-back creative enclave by daylight. We grabbed breakfast at Hommage Cafe, a tiny bohemian cafe with an amazing selection of gluten-free treats to clear our heads as well as perfect coffees, before diving headlong into the artistic neighbourhood. We wandered in and out of independent shops and galleries, snapped photos of tiled doorways, and stocked up on queer art postcards from Schee Designstore. The architecture here is a real mixture, with some Belle Epoque curves butting up against Bauhaus simplicity - not unlike Cologne itself: unexpected, smart, and full of character.
The Lindt Chocolate Museum
From there, we jumped back on the U-Bahn and headed riverside to the Lindt Chocolate Museum. Touristy? Yes. Worth it? Also yes, especially if you're a fan of the sweet stuff. Build to look like a ship rising from the Rhein, the museum takes you from the Mayan cacao rituals to the mass production of modern chocolate. Highlights included the robotic assembly line, a walk-through tropical greenhouse showing the kind of environment Cacao plants grown in, and a towering golden chocolate fountain where staff dip wafers and hand them out to passers-by. Sadly these weren't gluten free wafers, but we settled for some free Neapolitans that the robotic arm gently plucked from the production line for us instead. Finishing the full tour took us around an hour, but we managed to use this time to shelter from a particularly nasty downpour, and watched the rain lash against the windows from the café overlooking the river. Yes we had two of the most overindulgent hot chocolates known to man during an incredibly humid afternoon, but we're no quitters!
Crane Houses & Riverside Sunset
We wandered south of the chocolate museum, after the passing deluge, to the Rheinauhafen, Cologne's newest regenerated neighbourhood on the old harbour area. It's now filled with striking modern architecture, especially the iconic Kranhauser - three massive buildings shaped like upside-down cranes. A real throwback to this areas industrial heritage.
It's the perfect place to reflect on Cologne's old-meets-new personality. Locals jog by, kids play on the steps, and you can grab a drink from Bay Area Coffee or just lounge on the riverside steps and watch the world go by, all while the Dom spires tower in the distance. It was one of those unexpectedly perfect city moments.
Dinner in Sudstadt
We headed into Sudstadt for dinner, Cologne's charming southern district known for it's mellow LGBTQ+ vibe and leady relaxed feel. It reminded me a little of Amsterdam's De Pijp - full of dogs, prams, vintage bikes, and queers sipping wine at any time of day. We headed a little further out, hunting down gluten-free Austrian cuisine at Gasthaus Scherz - and boy did we find what we were looking for. Two massive schnitzels accompanied with tangy potato salad and pickles arrived and were washed down by a ice cold bottle of GV wine. We still had a little space for dessert and were delighted to find that the Kaiserschmarrn was also gluten free; a huge, diced, fluffy pancake covered with rum-soaked-raisins and icing sugar and accompanied with a sweet and sour compote made from fresh plums was brought out to us and thank goodness we'd only ordered one to share - two would have been a challenge even too far for us!
Day Three (Optional): Bruhl & Phantasialand Magic
Augustusburg & Falkenlust Palaces
If you have time for a third day, Bruhl - just a 15-minute train ride from Cologne - offers a beautiful change of pace. We started at the Augustusburg Palace, a baroque masterpiece with swoon-worthy gardens and a main staircase so extravagant I thought I was in a drag version of Bridgerton. The optional combo ticket also includes entry to Falkenlust, a smaller but equally fabulous hunting lodge surrounded by woodland. We practically had it to ourselves, which for a UNESCO world heritage site, is virtually unheard of. It felt like some kind of aristocratic fever dream but the area is huge so bring comfy shoes and your most dramatic outfit for photos.
Magic at Phantasialand
Phantasialand is on the edge of Bruhl and is gloriously over the top. Imagine if Disney had a slightly goth German cousin. Each themed world - from the lantern-lit Chinatown to the cyberpunk Rookburgh - is wildly immersive so it's not difficult to see why it's often claimed the title of best Theme Park in Europe. It boasts several record breakers including Taron, the fastest multi-launch coaster in the world, which will make you scream so loud even the staff will clap. Queues were manageable midweek, and there's plenty of shade and gluten-free food options inside. It's camp, it's kitsch, and it's a proper thrill right on the outskirts of Cologne.
Need-to-Know Travel Tips for Cologne
How to Get to Cologne:
By Train: High-speed trains from Frankfurt (1h), Brussels (2h) and Amsterdam (2.5h).
By Air: Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) is 15 minutes from the city by train. Düsseldorf is another option about 45 minutes away.
Public Transport:
Use trams, U-Bahn, and buses. Buy a KölnCard for unlimited travel plus discounts on attractions and museums.
When to Go:
Spring to early autumn is perfect for riverside strolls, open-air drinks, and street festivals.
Winter is magical with Cologne’s Christmas markets (some of Germany’s best!).
Day Trips from Cologne:
Brühl: Visit Schloss Augustusburg, a grand Baroque palace just 20 minutes away.
Phantasialand: One of Europe’s best theme parks - also about 30 minutes by train.
Bonn: The former capital of West Germany, filled with history and Beethoven nostalgia.
LGBTQ+ Travel Tip🏳️🌈
Cologne is one of Germany’s most LGBTQ+ inclusive cities. There’s a vibrant queer nightlife scene centred around Rudolfplatz, but it’s the city-wide vibe of normalised inclusivity that really shines.
Couples walk hand-in-hand with zero drama. Bars don’t feel segregated. Public spaces - from churches to bridges - often show quiet signs of Pride support. Whether you’re looking for gay bars, queer-friendly spaces, or just want to feel at ease, Cologne delivers.
Planning to visit in summer? Don’t miss Cologne Pride (Christopher Street Day) - one of Europe’s biggest Pride celebrations outside Berlin.
Cologne's Magic
Cologne might be best known for its cathedral, but what we found was a city filled with personality. A place where design, history, and hedonism collide. From the booming bells of the Dom to the clink of glasses in tiny brauhauses, Cologne invites you to slow down, take it all in, and toast to life.
Whether you’re here for the architecture, the beer, the LGBTQ+ nightlife, or just a weekend of wandering - it has something for everyone. Cologne doesn’t try too hard. It doesn’t need to. It just hands you a Kölsch, smiles, and says “Willkommen.”
📸 Planning your own Cologne getaway?
Save this post for later and tag a mate who needs a weekend of beers, bridges, and brilliant vibes. Got Cologne tips of your own or found a great piece of street art? Drop me a comment or tag @biggayworldtravel on Instagram - I’d love to see where you end up!
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