A Half Day in Agnesviertel
In Cologne, it’s not always obvious where to spend your time. The city is small but big at the same time. Everyone is overwhelmed by the Dom so no one knows where else to visit. The history goes on and on and on. What can you do?
We can help you out. We have 86 different Veedel (that means neighbourhoods in our dialect)! This article is one of a few half-day itineraries you can follow while here in Cologne. We’ll start with one of our most beautiful neighbourhoods in Cologne. Let’s check out a half day in Agnesviertel!
Agnesviertel gets its name from the big church that sits at its center. The church was built as memorial for the dead wife of a wealthy man from the area. It was finished not that long ago in 1901 (relative to Cologne history). It’s a beautiful neighbourhood with gorgeous old buildings, wonderful restaurants and cool shops mixed in with great attractions!
A Half Day in Agnesviertel!
We recommend starting your day here in Agnesviertel at Goodchild Café. Goodchild is, for our money, the best French bakery in the city. You can grab a wonderful breakfast here in the morning or just a croissant later in the day. Maybe if you’re lucky they’ll even have some Cruffins hanging around (a croissant muffin that is mouthwatering). If you’re in the mood for coffee only, stop at the zwoo kaffeeröster x king georg kaffeebüdchen. This little kiosk hosts one of Cologne’s premium coffee suppliers.
Satisfied and satiated, head towards Neusser Straße for a little shopping and exploration. Neusser is the main street of the Veedel and still has some of the basic necessities available from back in the day. Mixed in with laundromats, butcheries, and bakeries are wonderful shops like Mrs. Goodwill , No59 Concept Store, and Lanius. Beyond that, you’ll find several jewellery stores, the popular Stadtkind and more.
Off on the sidestreets you’ll find the wonderful Kiss the Inuit eco clothing store and vintage items at Bonodeluxe. Even grab yourselves some Mexican goods at Doña Pelos Mexikanische Lebensmittel.
You can easily spend an hour or more traversing the streets before even getting to St. Agnes. In front of the church is one of our favourite kiosks to drink and relax called Pico if you’ve worked up a thirst. Beyond that you’ll find Agnes & Astaire for another quick shopping stop, and KEISERLICH, the best Ice Cream in the Veedel. You can then spend some time wandering around what is the second biggest church in our city.
After exploring the church, you can wander the beautiful Weißenburgstraße, famous for its Denkmalgeschütztes Häuser, historically protected homes and apartments buildings. This street has the most of anywhere in Cologne and leads to Reichenspergerplatz featuring this building:
After you feel you’ve explored the area around the church properly, why not take a walk to Fort X. Just a few minutes from the church, this Prussian Fort built after the city was expanded is now home to a surrounding park and a gorgeous, hidden rose garden that is more than worth a visit. Here you can spend some time relaxing and enjoying a view of St. Agnes, and the surrounding garden that blooms beautifully in June.
By now, you may have worked up an appetite for lunch or dinner depending on the time of day. You’re in luck as Agnesviertel has a fantastic mix of options. Back on Neusser Straße you’ll find Pescado for delicious fish sandwiches from this Portuguese inspired shop. You’ll find Feuer & Flamme for tasty Flammekuchen, a German favourite. Try Barile or Pasta Bar Caruso for Italian, German tapas at Ritter Wülfing or just a good old fashioned sub at Shirley’s Submarine Sandwiches. Really, almost anywhere you go in the Veedel will satisfy your needs.
If you’ve timed this right, you could join our 16:11 tour right from the Eigelstein Torburg next. Or if you’ve come back after the 12:11 tour, enjoy yourself a kölsch at any of several Brauhäuser on the street or a craft cocktail at Suderman or Toddy Tapper, two of the best cocktail bars in the city.
You can do this in any order, all at once, or over a few visits but spending a half day in Agneviertel is a great way to get to know a more local spot in Cologne while enjoying so significant sites and beauty at the same time! Make sure to check out our other blog posts for more itineraries for Cologne and click here for even more recommendations in the city!