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Guide · Cologne · Day drinking
Cologne lives outside as soon as the sun comes out: on the banks of the Rhine, in the parks, on the terraces. Here is where to spend a long afternoon in the city, how Kölsch works, and how a summer day ends at our open airs by the river.
The sun starts it. The Rhine does the rest.
Day drinking means partying in the daytime instead of waiting for the night: outside, with friends, music and a drink. In Cologne that almost always happens by the water. The Rhine runs right through the city, with the old town and the cathedral on one side and Deutz on the other, and on a warm day both banks fill up by early afternoon.
It is less about the glass than about the light. A spritz, a Kölsch, a lemonade or a water: what matters is who you are standing in the sun with. Non-alcoholic counts just as much, and plenty of water in between makes every long day better.
By the water
The city’s living room. The meadows along the river stretch from the old town towards Deutz, sunset included.
Deutz
Wide lawns right on the Rhine, opposite the old town. On the Tanzbrunnen grounds you will find the km689 Cologne Beach Club, an urban beach with sand, loungers and a skyline view.
Belgian Quarter
A lake in a park a few minutes from the Belgian Quarter, and the classic summer meeting point for a younger crowd. Bring a blanket.
Südstadt
Greener and calmer, with a pond and the Hellers Volksgarten beer garden of the Cologne brewery Heller, open in good weather.
Rheinauhafen
The three crane houses on the water give the old harbour a sleek, urban summer feel, with views across the Rhine.
Up high
For the golden hour above the rooftops. Our picks are in Rooftop-Bars in Köln (in German).
Kölsch is Cologne’s own beer: pale, top-fermented and, under the Kölsch Convention of 1986, only brewed in and around Cologne. It comes in a slim glass called a Stange, and in the traditional brewhouses a waiter called the Köbes keeps bringing fresh ones without you asking.
The one rule worth knowing: when you have had enough, put your beer mat on top of your glass. That is the universal sign for done, and it makes pacing a long day very easy. Non-alcoholic is always an option, too.
Golden Flame · Cologne
We love to celebrate, and in summer we do it by the Rhine. Since 2024 the Rheinterrassen in Deutz have been the summer home of Golden Flame: right on the water, the cathedral across the river, from the afternoon into the night. So far the season has run from the Summer Opening at the end of May to the Summer Closing in September.
We start with house music to arrive, then it turns more and more into a party: hits and songs everyone sings along to, plus live moments like saxophone and vocals. Every event brings together 1,000 to 2,500 guests, groups of friends and plenty of people who come on their own.
Next event – Spooky Flame: Sat, 31 October, 10 pm – 4 am, Wartesaal am Dom, Cologne, 18+. Tickets →
The Rheinterrassen are at Rheinparkweg 1, 50679 Köln. From Cologne main station, take the S-Bahn (S6, S11, S12, S13 or S19) one stop to Köln Messe/Deutz, then walk about ten minutes towards the river, following the signs to the Tanzbrunnen. Or walk across the Hohenzollern Bridge from the cathedral and enjoy the view.
On nights before Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays most KVB tram lines run all night. Everything else about trains, airports and where to stay is in our travel guide Visiting Cologne.
By the Rhine: on the Rheinwiesen and the banks between the old town and Deutz, in the Rheinpark with the km689 Cologne Beach Club, at the Aachener Weiher, in the Volksgarten, at the Rheinauhafen and on rooftop bars. In summer, Golden Flame holds open airs at the Rheinterrassen.
Cologne’s own beer: pale and top-fermented, brewed only in and around Cologne under the Kölsch Convention and served in a slim 0.2-litre glass called a Stange. Put your beer mat on the glass when you have had enough.
Roughly from the end of May to September. The Golden Flame open airs at the Rheinterrassen have so far run from the Summer Opening in late May to the Summer Closing in September.
Yes. Plenty of guests come alone, and an afternoon by the Rhine makes it easy to meet people. Entry is from 18, with your original ID.
From Cologne main station take the S-Bahn one stop to Köln Messe/Deutz and walk about ten minutes towards the river, or walk across the Hohenzollern Bridge from the cathedral.
Check when the next Golden Flame event is on. In summer, that means an afternoon at the Rheinterrassen.
In German, your browser can translate them.
