Roncalliplatz

The square on the cathedral's south side – setting of the Cathedral Christmas Market and a meeting point right by the Domplatte and Roman-Germanic Museum.

Square By the cathedral Christmas market

Roncalliplatz lies right on the south side of Cologne Cathedral and is one of the busiest places in the city – between the Domplatte, the Romano-Germanic Museum and the Hohe Straße shopping street.

At a glance

Location: south side of the cathedral
Surroundings: Domplatte, Romano-Germanic Museum, Hohe Straße
In winter: the large Cathedral Christmas Market
Character: central meeting point and event space

Source: Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-06-24

In the shadow of the cathedral

Only with the cathedral's completion in 1880 was the building freed from the dense surrounding houses and its setting generously laid out. Today Roncalliplatz is a stage for city life at its fullest: street performers, tourists from around the world and – in Advent – one of Germany's loveliest Christmas markets, right beneath the cathedral towers.