Is Cologne Safe for Women to Live?

Cologne is one of the biggest and most lgbt friendly city in Germany. It is very safe for female solo travellers. But they are, just like in every big cities, some homeless and drugs/alcohol issues. It is also a city with lot of parties. At night, you still have to be cautious.

Cologne is generally pretty safe. I'm happy to walk around in the city center pretty much any time of day, but some areas especially east of the Rhine can get a bit uncomfortable after dark, and I try to avoid isolated tram/bus stops at night. During big events like Karneval and football matches, you get big crowds and lots of drunk people, so sexual harassment is very common. There are pickpockets in the more touristy areas, but muggings are very rare. Cologne is a very inclusive city, so non-white/LGBTQ+ people don't have a much higher risk.

I feel like it's quite safe, unless you go to certain parts of town that are known to be a bit more rough. At night it really depends too, but so far I haven't had any bad experiences myself. Certain people on the streets you should probably just ignore though, and just keep walking.

There are a lot of nice and open people but also a lot of weird ones. At night I do not feel safe at all, especially in the subway. You see many drunk or drugged people lying around in the centre, for example the central station.

it is safe to stay there! Everyone is very mindful and I really enjoy going out! Eventhough I still feel safer when I’m going out with my boyfriend or my brother. The girls really support each other, so that’s amazing!

I grew up my whole life in the City Centre of Cologne. Due to that I know the City very well and feel quite safe. I think it really depends which area you are in. Especially in the area around the Central Station I do not feel that safe alone at night. Most people are very friendly and looking out for each other. If you want to go out at weekends their will be other people and many options, so you want be alone even late at night there are people in the streets. It is quite different at other week days then the streets are often empty after 12pm.

Cologne in general is a very safe place, especially in the city center and in the student area and the Belgian quarter (most of the bars and clubs) ! But as usual - take care at night, especially when you’re drunk!

As in every large city, safety depends on where you are. I would avoid the inner city in the later evening, if I were alone. Generally cologne is a very open-minded and “woke” city. So people generally watch out for one another and mean well.

Solo travel experience

Cologne was one of my favourite cities that I’ve visited so far in Germany. Not only was it extremely safe, but the architecture and food scene was out of this world. I had great kölsch and the best schnitzel I’ve ever had in my life there. Furthermore, as a Catholic, the church in front of the train station is a must see.

Couple travel experience

Quite nice and safe place to visit. The Colonge Cathedral - my absolute love. There was a lot of visitors on weekends, but still such a good experience. Highly recommend to climb the Cathedral tower. Amazing views!

Solo travel experience

I was travelling for work and I was hosted in a teacher’s house which was a very interesting experience since I got to exchange views about art and education. The city although not too big I think it has a great public transportation and a lot of cultural events going on. Not too expensive and very calm!

Group travel experience

I stayed at the 25 Hours Hotel The Circle, it was amazing! I definitely recommend visiting the Kölner Dom cathedral - you can go all the way to the top (we didn't go because we were there during the New Year and I misread the opening hours of the tower, oops), be sure to check out the crane houses (Kranhäuser) by the river, really cool buildings. Kölntriangle offers stunning city views, and if you cross the Hohenzollern Bridge, you can check another sightseeing point off your list. It's also worth mentioning that Cologne is not too far from Bonn or Düsseldorf by train, so it's worth going there if you can, to see more.