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© Neuwieser · CC BY-SA 2.0

Rheinauhafen

A former trading harbour in the southern Old Town – today a lively riverside quarter with the striking Crane Houses.

The Rheinauhafen is a former harbour in Cologne's southern Old Town – today a lively quarter of housing, offices, restaurants and culture right on the Rhine.

Possible activities

Source: Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-06-23

At a glance

  • Location: Altstadt-Süd, left bank of the Rhine
  • Area: 15.4 ha of land + 5.7 ha of water
  • Use: ~51 % offices, 31 % housing, 18 % art & culture
  • Landmark: the three Crane Houses

From trading harbour to city quarter

The harbour already stretches along the river wall on Cologne's 1531 city panorama. Today the site no longer serves as a harbour: around 2,200 jobs have been created on roughly 235,000 m², and about 1,500 people live here.

Architecture on the water

The street Im Zollhafen runs across the “Werthchen” peninsula past the unmistakable Crane Houses; the Severin Bridge spans the quarter.

Gallery

© Rolf Heinrich, Köln · CC BY 3.0 · Commons
© Островский Александр, Киев · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
© Duhon · CC BY 3.0 · Commons
© Duhon · Public domain · Commons
© Panora, Ltd., photographer · Public domain · Commons
© Superbass · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
© Own work · CC0 · Commons
© Duhon · CC BY 3.0 · Commons
© Freepenguin · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons
© Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Commons
© Rolf Heinrich, Köln · CC BY 3.0 · Commons
© Rolf Heinrich, Köln · CC BY 3.0 · Commons

Map

Blue dots: other places nearby — tap to explore.

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★ Highlight📍 1.2 kmAlter Markt© Thomas Robbin · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-23