Autumn has arrived in Cologne, but that doesn’t just mean tea and thick blankets. In September and October, when the temperatures are still mild and the skies are clearing, an autumn walk is the perfect way to give your body some exercise and fresh air. Especially when the leaves are starting to change color – do you want to be in the city? Sure, you can stretch your legs in the city forest. But how about one of these autumn excursions in Cologne, which are all easily accessible by car or train?
1st Drachenfels
It gets mythical: Siegfried fought the battle with the dragon on Drachenfels. The hill and castle ruins are located in the Siebengebirge, near Königswinter on the Rhine. If you don’t want to hike to the top, you can take the Drachenfelsbahn and enjoy the view of the Rhine and the surrounding area on the way.
🚆RB 27 to Königswinter
2nd Heisterbach monastery ruins
If you’re already in the Siebengebirge, you might want to include the Heisterbach monastery ruins in your plans. The Gothic-looking choir ruin is the last piece of masonry that remained of the monastery after Heisterbach Abbey was abolished in 1803. Admission is free and the woods surrounding the ruins are not bad either. We recommend the 5-stream hike. The monastery ruins are easy to reach by streetcar (Niederdollendorf stop).
🚆RB 27 to Niederdollendorf, if you don’t want to walk, take bus 520 to Königswinter Kloster Heisterbach
3rd red wine hiking trail
If you fancy idyllic vineyards, you should definitely visit the Red Wine Hiking Trail. The 36-kilometre trail leads through the Ahr Valley and offers breathtaking views. If you follow the hiking trail all the way to the end, you can taste the wine in Mayschoss that you have already looked at during your walk. A special tip: during the Mittelahr Wine Autumn from September 27 to October 26, 2025, you can taste your wine directly along the route.
🚆 RE5 to Remagen, then RB 39 to “Ahrweiler Markt”
4th Paffendorf Castle
Not a ruin this time: Paffendorf Castle is one of the most beautiful autumn excursions in Cologne. The complex near Bergheim dates back to the 16th century and is surrounded by moats as well as a park. Old sequoia trees, ginkgos and giant arborvitae line the paths here. The neo-Gothic complex is also perfect for a photo session.
🚆 RB 38 to Pfaffendorf
5th Royal King’s Forest
This popular forest to the east of Cologne, together with the Dellbrücker Heide and the Wahner Heide, is part of the southern Bergische Heideterrasse. The forest is a bird sanctuary and partly a nature reserve and offers you plenty of space to run around on 2,519 hectares. Perfect for an autumn walk in a sea of color or for a hike up Monte Troodelöh, the highest elevation in Cologne at 118 meters.
🚆 e.g. RB 25 to Rösrath
6th Wahner Heide
With over 130 km of marked hiking trails , the Wahner Heide is worth a visit at any time of year. As the area was used as a military training area for many years, nature was able to develop freely here without external influences. Foxes, deer, wild boar and snakes can all find a home here. Over 700 endangered animal and plant species have been recorded in the Wahner Heide. In the fall, the nature reserve is also a feast for the eyes when the broom heather blooms.
🚆 e.g. with the S9 to Köln Röttgensweg