Europe Hostels Home »  Germany Hostels »  Cologne Hostels

The hostel movement was born in Germany at the beginning of the 20^th Century so it’s no surprise that there are many hostels in Cologne even though it’s not one of the larger cities in the country. Cologne is a very popular tourist destination though, and hotel prices are fairly high so the Cologne hostels come in very handy for those of us who travel on lower budgets and still want to maximize our experience.

The main attraction in the city is the monstrous Gothic cathedral right in the heart of the old part of town. It’s also just across from the train station so this central area is not only home to several of the Cologne hostels, but it’s the perfect location for visitors as well.

Cologne is fairly spread out, but virtually all the interesting things are in the city center. It’s important to pay close attention when selecting your hostel in Cologne because a few of them are in far-flung districts that may be convenient to one or two things, but are far from everything else. Unless there is something else specific you want to see in Cologne you probably want to find a hostel that advertises being close to both the train station and the Dom, which is what they call the cathedral.

For authentic nightlife the old part of the city in the shadow of the Dom is filled with bars small and large, and they all serve the local beer in a unique way. The local lager is referred to as Kölsch and it’s not much different from the other lagers that make Germany famous, but it’s always served in skinny 0.2L glasses, which is quite a contrast to the 1-liter mugs you find in Bavaria. They claim serving in a small glass keeps the beer from getting warm, but don’t worry because the bartenders keep them coming fast.

The Station Hostel for Backpackers is right in the center of everything with a great location near the nightlife area. They have bunks in a 6-bed room starting around €18 and beds in a 4-bunk room with an en-suite bathroom starting around €22. They have a café and bar and they serve a buffet breakfast for an extra fee.

The Hostel Am Rheinauhafen is directly overlooking the Rhine and some rooms have river views. They are a close walk to the Dom and the train station as well as the Chocolate Museum. The bunks in their 6-bed rooms start around €20 per night, and they have private twin rooms as well starting around €30 per person.

Youth-Hostel Cologne-Riehl is the largest hostel in the city with over 400 beds in well over 100 rooms. Their location is not as convenient to the city center attractions, but they are located next to a park and they have their own large parking lot. Their cheapest beds are in their 6-bed en suite rooms starting around €19 per night, but they also have 4-bed rooms as well as singles and doubles, all with their own bathroom. Breakfast is included with the price and they have a restaurant, bar, and internet access.

Hostels in Germany (Cologne)