← Maastricht Marathon·3 nights

Aachen and Cologne: Two German Cathedral Cities After Maastricht

A border city with a Carolingian chapel followed by a river city dominated by one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Europe.

Duration3 nights
TransitTrain or bus from Maastricht to Aachen, about 1 hour, then train to Cologne, about 1 hour
DepartsMaastricht Centraal

After the Maastricht Marathon: Aachen and Cologne

The Route: Maastricht → Aachen → Cologne → Cologne Bonn Airport Logistics: Train or bus to Aachen, about 1 hour, then DB train to Cologne, about 1 hour. Cologne Hauptbahnhof sits beside the cathedral. Marathon Month: May Duration: 3 nights

Maastricht ──(about 1h)──> Aachen ──(about 1h, DB)──> Cologne
                                                         │
Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) <──(about 15 min, S-Bahn)─────┘

Cologne Cathedral took 632 years to build, from 1248 to 1880, and the spires rise 157 metres above a station platform. You step from the train and there it is, black with age and rain, filling the whole view. Cologne is the end of a three-night trip that starts in a smaller cathedral city.

Book DB tickets in the DB Navigator app, and check the current timetable.

May in Aachen and Cologne: highs of 17°C to 20°C, with sun and showers. The Rhine path in Cologne is flat, with benches. Check opening days, because Monday closures are common.

Night One: Aachen

Hotel Drei Könige, on the Büchel, is close to the cathedral. Charlemagne's chapel is the main sight, and the interior is level. The Elisenbrunnen, a fountain hall with warm sulphur spring water, is free to visit. Dinner is easy in the pedestrian streets around the Markt. Printen, the local gingerbread, is the dessert to try.

Night Two: Cologne

Take the DB train to Cologne Hauptbahnhof. Excelsior Hotel Ernst, a few steps from the station and cathedral, is a historic option. Confirm lifts and breakfast times when you book.

The cathedral is free to enter at ground level, and the south tower climb is 533 steps, which you should skip. The Roman-Germanic Museum beside it has lifts and displays Roman mosaics. Entry is around €12, and prices vary, so use the figure as a guide only.

A walk along the Rhine promenade is flat, and a Rhine boat trip gives a seated hour on the water. Dinner can be Kölsch beer in a brewery tavern, with Himmel un Ääd, a dish of black pudding with apple and mashed potato.

Night Three: A Slower Day

Choose one place. The Chocolate Museum on the river, the Ludwig Museum next to the cathedral, or a long lunch in the Belgian Quarter. Check opening days.

Getting to Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)

Cologne Hauptbahnhof to the airport takes about 15 minutes by S-Bahn. Check the DB planner. The airport station is below the terminals, with lifts.