Cologne

The market

Cologne is the Christmas market city for people who like variety. The market at the foot of the cathedral is the famous one, the Heinzels markets in the Old Town are the atmospheric ones with their elves theme, and the harbour market by the Rhine is the one locals go to. All of them are within a twenty minute walk.

Also in Cologne

• Heinzels Wintermärchen, Alter Markt and Heumarkt (from 23 Nov 2026)
• Markt der Engel, Neumarkt (16 Nov to 23 Dec 2026)
• Hafen-Weihnachtsmarkt, Rheinauhafen (13 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027)

What to eat and drink

• Reibekuchen, potato fritters with apple sauce
• Handbrot filled with cheese and ham
• Flammlachs, salmon grilled on a plank over an open fire

The local specialty: Kölsch beer, served in its slim glass, and organic Glühwein at the cathedral market.

The walk

One hour with your host and a small tasting of the local specialty, from EUR 69 per person. Company evenings run two hours with tastings and a table to finish. How the hour works

Your host starts at Roncalliplatz under the cathedral, then leads you through the Old Town lanes to the Heinzels markets at Alter Markt and Heumarkt, with a Reibekuchen stop and a Kölsch in a brewery house on the way. The walk ends at the Rhine, with the harbour market as an option for groups who want to keep going.

• The cathedral market and the story of the Dom at Christmas
• Old Town lanes and the Heinzels markets
• Reibekuchen and a proper Kölsch in a brewery house
• The Rhine promenade and the harbour market by the Kranhäuser

Your host is a Cologne local from the LocalBini network who knows the markets between the cathedral and the Rhine, and where to get a proper Kölsch on the way.