No matter what part of the city you enter Cologne from, you’ll soon be drowned in a sea of people – locals and tourists alike – going about their day.
Visiting Cologne is like visiting with your extended family at Christmas. It’s hectic, chaotic, and you’re bound to feel overwhelmed at some point. But you’ll be happy you did it, and you’ll want to hang out again when the next opportunity arises.
Cologne (or Koln/Koeln, if you prefer) has everything for everyone. That might sound like a cliche, but this bustling city really delivers in terms of culture, history, night life, fashion and culinary scene.
But around here, we’re interested in green spaces. And yes, Cologne delivers them aplenty.
Take the green stretch in the north of the city, for example, commonly known as The Flora and Botanical Garden. Ten thousand plant species from all over the world are on display for the million visitors that make their way to the Flora every year. And if you’re in Cologne, we think you should join that million.
Here are a few reasons why you should visit Cologne Botanical Garden.
3 things to KNOW when you visit Cologne Botanical Gardens
+ Once again, I present you with these magical words: free admission. Just like the Bonn Botanical Garden, this green oasis in Cologne is also free to visit. And here’s the basic tip that bears repeating: check the opening hours before you head this way.
+ The Flora, which has been recently renovated and refurbished as an events venue, was founded in 1863 as a private endeavor. It had a winter garden with a glass roof and restaurant, modeled after the London Crystal Palace, and quickly became the belle of the ball, a hotspot for weekend trips and dance balls. It united with the botanical garden adjacent to it in 1920 when the Flora was transferred to the local authorities.
+ You used to be able to take the cable car from Rheinpark, across the Rhine, and all the way to the gates of the Flora. While you were suspended above the Rhine, you could admire the Koln Dome puncturing the sky. It’s every bit as impressive from the sky as it it looking up at it from the main square. However, at the date of publication, the cable car system is under maintenance, so double check on their website when you plan your trip (English website this way.)
Another easy way to get to the gardens is via a hop-on hop-off tour bus. The garden is about a 30-minute leisurely walk from the old city center, which can make for a really pleasant discovery walk on a nice day.
3 things to DO when you visit Cologne Botanical Gardens
+ Find your favorite part. The Cologne botanical garden is an all-encompassing garden. Just like the city itself, the garden has a little bit of everything for everyone.
I’m not one for litanies. Long lists bore me to pieces. But please have a look at what this garden boasts and tell me it’s not worth a visit. In the Flora and botanical garden you’ll find an Alpinum, an arboretum, a Rhine farm garden, an iris garden, a lily garden, a sensory garden, a magnolia patch, a hemp garden, an old-growth green tunnel, a palm tree alley, an English landscape garden, an Italian Renaissance garden, and a French Baroque garden.
Pff, okay, you made it to the end.
Now pick your favorite and make it your mission to find it as you’re strolling through the expansive gardens.
And the best part: the transition between all of these is flawlessly executed, along wooden bridges, meandering paths, sprawling lawns and mountain trails. There’s something new to see as the scenery changes behind every corner.
+ Find the subtropical greenhouse. As we’re publishing this, the greenhouses are undergoing a renovation process, but there’s at least one greenhouse open for visitation. You’ll be rewarded with the company of dazzling camellia bushes.
+ Meditate by the lily pond. A few mocking frogs might ruin your zen, but the place is still an oasis of tranquility.
3 things to SEE when you visit Cologne Botanical Gardens
+ You MUST see the dahlia patch. With over three hundred varieties of dahlias sprawled on several generous garden beds, you’re guaranteed to find something in bloom from early summer to late autumn. Dahlia love runs deep around here, and we’re well aware we’re dahlia fanatics. We also know that once you see the silhouette of a dahlia and its boisterous flamboyant colors bending in the wind, you’ll become a dahlia fanatic too. Here’s our promise: you go in a dahlia virgin, you come out a dahlia convert.
+ Revel in the French parterre, a stunning display of almost 30,000 summer flowers from all continents – from South African red geraniums to the Australia-native silver baskets. It’s not the French parterre at Versailles, but it will do.
+ You must see the alpine garden. Two thousand species of mountain-loving plants (a few of which are protected species) grow in this model habitat. And unless you frolic often in the Swiss Alps, this might be the first change you get to examine an edelweiss up close.
Have we convinced you to visit the botanical garden in Cologne? Oh, have we mentioned the dahlias?
More botanical garden guides this way:
Visit Leiden Botanical Garden, the Netherlands
Visit Keukenhof Tulip Garden, the Netherlands
Visit Bonn Botanical Garden, Germany
