The coloured houses
A row of narrow painted fronts with stepped gables — the old town's most photographed corner.
Horsch, Willy — CC BY 2.5 · Renate Bomm — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Daderot — CC0 · Raimond Spekking — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Fischmarkt is a small triangular square on the Rhine bank behind Great St. Martin. It really was a fish market in the Middle Ages, thanks to its position by the river, and today nothing but the name remains of that. What makes it is the row of narrow coloured houses with stepped gables — one of the most photographed corners in Cologne. The square is very small and seen in minutes, but it is among the prettiest spots in the old town, especially with the tower of Great St. Martin rising behind. Free and always open.
A row of narrow painted fronts with stepped gables — the old town's most photographed corner.
The Romanesque church tower rising directly behind the houses, completing the picture.
The square opens onto the river promenade, making it easy to keep walking beside the water.
Fischmarkt, 50667 Köln
Great St. Martin ChurchGreat St. Martin is a Romanesque church in Cologne's old town, its square tower 1 minute walk4.5
The Animal FountainA bronze fountain near the church of Gross St Martin in Cologne's old town, by t1 minute walk4.3
Cologne River GaugeThe Pegel is a small structure on the Rhine bank in Cologne whose job is to meas2 minutes walk4.6
Alter MarktThe Alter Markt is Cologne's oldest square and was the city's trading centre fro2 minutes walk4.4
Cologne Historic City HallCologne's Rathaus is Germany's oldest working city hall: documented since 1135, 3 minutes walk4.3Fifteen minutes is plenty. It is a very small square whose value is the view and the photograph rather than any content. Fold it into a longer walk along the Rhine.
Early morning: the light on the fronts is good and it is far quieter. By the afternoon it fills with tour groups and outdoor tables, and a clean picture becomes hard.
No, and it has not been for a very long time. Only the name survives from the Middle Ages, when the closeness of the river made it the natural place to sell fish. Today it is a square of cafés and restaurants.