If you want to make some new friends, go to Cologne. The easiest way to break the ice is to ask someone speaking German if they are from there. They will kindly and firmly explain that yes they are, and welcome to their beautiful city, and it’s pronounced “Köln”.
You’ll spend a few minutes repeating the umlauted “eeuu” sound to each other until they give up. Then, they’ll probably buy you a beer. The Cologne tourist board claims that its local citizens are “down-to-earth and upbeat… tolerant and rarely arrogant. What more can you ask as a solo traveller?
People from Köln are proud to be locals. In Cologne, the people are more outgoing, and weirder in the best way – just look at the Karneval. Visit Cologne during carnival season at the start of Lent and you’ll find a city full of parades and street parties. Two million people partake in “the four Ss”: singen (singing), schunkeln (swinging arm-in-arm), saufen (drinking) and scherzen (being a silly billy).
Read more: The six best city breaks for spring sunshine and natural beauty
Cologne cathedral is the city’s Gothic core, towering black and jagged amongst the mid-century concrete of the city centre. Its magnetism is bewildering and when I first saw its dark stone walls I was scared of turning my back on its gargoyles and soot-blackened saints.
As a lone traveller, the cathedral is a perfect place to spend an hour or two. You can walk up the stone spiral staircase to the roof, 97 metres straight up into the sky. You can take as many photos as you like without anyone needling you to get a move on. You can just be.
Speaking of enjoying your peace, Rheinpark is a beautiful green space on the western banks of the River Rhine, across the bridge from the zoo. It’s one of Cologne’s many parks, each as lovely as the last. And there’s also the Stadtwald, Cologne’s local forest, a gorgeous space with meadows, boating lakes and plenty of paths to explore. Take the number one tram from the centre of the city and you’ll be there in ten minutes.
Kölsch is Cologne’s local delicacy, a beer brewed especially to suit the deliciously pure water here. Thanks to the friendliness of locals and the general German attitude towards minding your own business, bars and breweries around the city are perfect for a lone traveller, since it is absolutely normal for a local to head there alone for a beer or two between errands or after work. If you’d like to be left alone, you will be. If you want to make friends, all you have to do is say hello.
The city’s Kölsch bars are a huge part of Cologne’s heritage and culture, and it’s customary to visit more than one in a day. At Sünner Kölsch, the snug front room always looks too busy to fit inside but I’ve been dragged in by a stag do before now (“Don’t just stand outside! Come in and drink!”) and on a separate occasion the bar manager has told everybody to crush up to let me in. They’d do this for anyone with a smile.
Last time I visited with my husband we raised our glasses in greeting to a couple sitting to our right. Three rounds later we were being taken across the river to their favourite pub in their neighbourhood, a place I wouldn’t have found on my own. When I said goodbye, they told me to come back anytime and sleep on their sofa.
Read more: Is Paris still the city of love?
Cologne’s coffee scene is bright, and if you love a third-wave coffee shop, there’s enough here to keep you busy. The Coffee Lab, Weiwaldi, People People, Jlöcklich and Cup of Sun will scratch your itch, but there are so many more worth visiting I can’t list them here. Cup of Sun also does the best porridge I’ve ever eaten.
I have never felt awkward in a café in Cologne because, without exception, the service has been friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere suits my needs to a tee – to be self-sufficient and happy with my own company, but also open to a kind smile or a quick, polite conversation. That’s the vibe of this city that keeps me coming back.
Visiting Köln outside of the festive seasons gives you the opportunity to get to know a vibrant, modern city with eclectic taste. Another fringe benefit for shoppers: the boutiques in the old town are much quieter too. Germans from all over the country visit Cologne for the independent shops here and when you’re done zapping your debit card, you’ll be in the perfect location for lunch. While most of the tourist-attracting bars and restaurants serve Bavarian food like schweinshaxe and schnitzel – the best of these being the Augustiner bar – Cologne has a traditional cuisine all of its own, and an appetite for dishes brought in by immigrants and students from all over the world.
The most important global German food is, of course, the doner kebab. Go to Mem-Et for upmarket doner and falafel, or Oruç Kebap, which has been a staple of Cologne post-nightlife sustenance since 1988. If you want something authentically Kölner, go to Brewery Päffgen or Restaurant Max Stark. The food is filling, rustic, and delicious. You will become addicted to their mustard.
The best thing about these places as a solo diner is that they’re cheap, and everyone is minding their own business. I like to add a little trip to a local natural wine bar to round out my evening with a glass of bubbly, but that’s my prerogative. Perhaps you fancy cocktails under neon lights, or karaoke and Jagermeister. That’s the beauty of Cologne. You can find it all, and nobody is here to judge.
How to do it
Fly to Frankfurt from all major UK airports, then take the train directly from Frankfurt airport to Cologne. Tickets are available from £9.15 via Trainline. Alternatively, British Airways offer flights from London Heathrow directly to Cologne.
Get around Cologne easily with a KölnCard, giving you entry and discounts at many museums, attractions and restaurants plus free transportation on the city’s buses, trains and trams. Available in 24 or 48 hour denominations from £8 per person.
Where to stay
Stay in the centre of Cologne at the Black Hotels for a touch of Gothic drama. From £120 per night.
For those who want to try the local tipple, the Hotel zur Malzmühle by independent brewery Mühlen Kölsch has beer taps in the rooms. From £83 per night.
What is Interrailing? Everything you need to know about passes, routes and more
Underground Paris is the city at its most intriguing
Ronda is the Spanish winter sun spot made for romantics
Why this tidal island in Northumberland is so special
I’m a hotels expert and these are the best stays for Mother’s Day
It’s time to return to Tunisia, the Mediterranean’s most intriguing country
