Munich or Cologne?

Munich and Cologne are among the 10 Largest Cities in Germany. Cologne occupies the fourth place with 1,060,582 inhabitants while Munich with 1,450,381 inhabitants occupies the third place.

1. Munich x Cologne Overview

Munich – ©Dimitry Anikin

Cologne – ©Eric Weber

Munich is a charming city. It offers numerous attractions that can be explored on foot from the central point of the city, the famous Marienplatz.

In Munich there are several Biergarten, “Beer Garden” and is home to the famous Hofbräuhaus brewery.

From Munich, you can combine a day trip and discover one of the symbols of Germany, the beautiful Neuschwanstein Castle and also the Dachau Concentration Camp.

Cologne is located on the banks of the Rhine and is known for its beautiful cathedral. It is the largest city in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

2. Hotels

In Munich the average price for a 3 star category hotel is USD 88 and for a 5 star category hotel it is USD 308.

And in Cologne the average price for a 3 star category hotel is USD 90 and for a 5 star category hotel it is USD 237.

3. Shopping

Surrounding the Marienplatz you will find many stores and department stores like Galeria Kaufhof. In Munich, the most elegant street is the Maximilianstrasse.

Cologne offers excellent shopping possibilities. The main shopping streets include Schildergasse, Breite Straße and Ehrenstraße. You will also find the department store Galeria Kaufhof, and the Köln Arcaden mall is another great place for shopping.

4. Museums

BMW Welt Munich – ©Dimitry Anikin

In Munich, you will find the Deutsches Museum, located on the banks of the Isar River, it is among the oldest museums in the world of science and technology.

Other famous museums in Munich, include the BMW Museum and the 3 “Pinakotheken” located at Königsplatz.

Cologne also has good museum options such as the Germanic Roman Museum and the Chocolate Museum.

5. Parks

Munich – ©Luis Fernando Felipe

Cologne – ©Bianca Berg

The Englischer Garten in Munich is the largest urban park in Germany, covering an area of 910 acres with more than 100 bridges. Another beautiful green space in Munich is the Hofgarten.

Cologne offers extensive parks such as the Rheinpark, Volksgarten, Aachener Weiher and Grüngürtel.

6. Palaces

Nymphenburg – ©Sid Saxena

In Munich, you can visit the beautiful Residenz that served as the seat government and residence of the Dukes of Bavaria, electors, and kings from 1508 to 1918, and in the western part of the city is located the Nymphenburg, which was a summer residence built for the birth of the expected heir to the throne, Max Emanuel, born in 1662.

Cologne is not a destination known for palaces, but it has beautiful palaces and castles in its surroundings. The Schlösser Brühl is one of the palaces located close to the city.

7. Day Trips

Neuschwanstein Castle – ©Luis Fernando Felipe

Rheinland Pfalz – Burg Eltz – Photo Credit: Fred Paulussen

From Munich, you can visit the beautiful city of Füssen and the Neuschwanstein Castle, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Regensburg, Augsburg or even Salzburg and Innsbruck in Austria.

And from Cologne it is possible to visit the Burg-Eltz on a day trip, and destinations such as Düsseldorf, Bonn, Koblenz.

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Check the train routes and schedules with Omio. Omio is an authorized Deutsche Bahn ticket seller, which compares and combines transport options for complete flexibility.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, and cancellations. It’s a protection in case anything goes wrong. You can book your travel insurance with Travelexinsurance.com.