Gilden im Zims
Kölsch brewpub in a Renaissance townhouse on the Heumarkt – with Roman walls in the cellar and a carnival exhibition.
On Cologne's Heumarkt stands Gilden im Zims, a brewpub housed in a listed townhouse dating back to the mid-16th century. Under the motto "Heimat kölscher Helden" (home of Cologne's heroes), it pairs Gilden Kölsch with an unusually long history of its location.
At a Glance
- Type
- Brewpub of the Gilden Kölsch brewery
- Address
- Heumarkt 77, Cologne
- Style
- Townhouse in the late Renaissance style
- Built
- rebuilt in 1563
- Motto
- "Heimat kölscher Helden" (home of Cologne's heroes)
- Capacity
- around 800 seats across three levels
- Status
- protected historic monument
- Highlight
- Roman masonry seven metres below the Heumarkt
History
The address looks back on a remarkably long past: as early as 1163 a building stood here, then called "Minnefusshaus". By 1351 it is recorded under the name "Zabelbank". The house took on its present form in 1563, when the Cologne councillor Wilhelm Peter ter Laen von Lennep had it completely rebuilt as an imposing townhouse in the late Renaissance style. Towards the end of the 18th century it went by the name "Zum Sankt Peter".
From Haus Zims to Brewpub
In 1920 Johann Zims (1887–1972) bought the historic building and named it "Haus Zims" after his family. He was the father of Cologne track cyclist Hans Zims (1908–1980). The house burned out during the air raids of 1943 and was restored in 1946. Between 2006 and 2009 a new operating company extensively rebuilt and restored the building – since then it has served as the official brewpub of the Gilden Kölsch brewery.
Roman Heritage Below Ground
A special feature lies hidden in the cellar: parts of the brewpub rest on historic masonry from the Roman era, seven metres below today's level of the Heumarkt. The exposed walls reach thicknesses of up to 1.80 metres and show various masonry bonds, mostly of basalt lava, fired brick and granite. Some still-active wells were also restored during the 2006–2009 renovation.
Good to Know
Gilden im Zims is a stop on Cologne's historic brewpub walking trail (Brauhauswanderweg). As a branch of Cologne's Carnival Museum, the building also hosts a permanent carnival exhibition – fitting for a motto built around Cologne's "heroes".
Map
Blue dots: other places nearby — tap to explore.
Address
Heumarkt 77
50667 Köln
Hours
Mo: 12:00–00:00
Di: 12:00–00:00
Mi: 12:00–00:00
Do: 12:00–00:00
Fr: 12:00–03:00
Sa: 11:00–03:00
So: 11:00–00:00
Contact
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Comments
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Sources & links
- Official website
- Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-07-18, rev 262911821)
- Wikidata (retrieved 2026-07-18)
- Official website (retrieved 2026-07-18)
Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-07-18
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