The cathedral view
The cathedral whole, both spires above the old town roofs — impossible to see this way from anywhere near it.
Raimond Spekking — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rolf Heinrich, Köln — CC BY 3.0 · Superbass — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0
The KölnTriangle is a glass office tower about one hundred and three metres high on the east bank of the Rhine, directly opposite the cathedral. At the top is a viewing platform open to visitors for a small fee, and it is the best place in Cologne to see the city from above. The reason is simple: the cathedral is so large that it cannot be seen whole from close by, and from here it appears with both spires above the old town roofs and the river in front. The platform is glazed, so it is comfortable in any weather. The lift is quick, and the price is far lower than climbing the cathedral tower itself.
The cathedral whole, both spires above the old town roofs — impossible to see this way from anywhere near it.
The river, the padlock-covered Hohenzollern Bridge and Cologne's other bridges from above.
Enclosed in glass on every side, so the visit works in rain and cold too.
Ottoplatz 1, 50679 Köln
Hohenzollern BridgeThe Hohenzollern Bridge is a railway bridge over the Rhine directly behind Colog6 minutes walk4.7
Deutzer BrückeA bridge across the Rhine in central Cologne, linking the old town with the Deut8 minutes walk4.6
The TanzbrunnenThe Tanzbrunnen is an open-air stage on the eastern bank of the Rhine, built in 8 minutes walk4.5
FischmarktThe Fischmarkt is a small triangular square on the Rhine bank behind Great St. M9 minutes walk4.3
Cologne River GaugeThe Pegel is a small structure on the Rhine bank in Cologne whose job is to meas9 minutes walk4.6For the view, clearly yes: from the cathedral tower you cannot see the cathedral, because you are on it. From here you see it whole in front of you. The ascent is also by lift rather than more than five hundred steps, and it costs less. The cathedral tower is a different experience for those who want the climb itself.
Walk across the Hohenzollern Bridge from the cathedral side to the east bank — ten minutes, with a good view on the way. Or take the train one stop to Köln Messe/Deutz. The building is visible and impossible to miss.
Half an hour covers the lift, the view and photographs. Combine it with the walk over the Hohenzollern Bridge and back, and the whole comes to a comfortable hour ending with the best photographs of Cologne.