When I am in the mood for a green local idyll I take my bike and head for the Kalscheurer Weiher. It’s a pond with a boat rental and a small kiosk in Cologne’s outer green belt and I am quite sure that this place has rarely been discovered by Cologne tourists! You will have to put in some effort though to reach it. In case you can’t come by bike, take tram No. 12 to the terminus “Südfriedhof”. From the tram station it’s a 1.5km walk.

For me, this place feels very much down-to-earth. On a sunny day, I love to get a (cheap!) drink from the “Büdchen”, take a seat on the basic ale-benches and enjoy the view over the water. When I come with my kids I am easily persuaded to rent one of the vintage boats with old-fashioned names like “African Queen” or “Frau Walterscheidt” and spend an hour on the pond.

On weekdays, there are only a few people around, while during sunny weekends many families come to the Weiher to have a picnic. Anyway, I have never seen the place overcrowded.

Everything looks very peaceful and idyllic, but be aware that the motorway is not far away and does not allow you to forget you’re in a big city. This is Cologne!

Please note! The boat rental is closed during wintertime, but the kiosk remains open on Saturdays and Sundays!