Cologne's City of the Dead Melaten Cemetery Tour in English

Overview

This isn't a tour about death. It's Cologne's history, told from its most unexpected corner. A leper colony. A Napoleonic decree. The man who invented Eau de Cologne. Two hours, one cemetery, more history than anywhere else in the city. Melaten began as a medieval isolation ward for the sick, built deliberately outside the city walls. Then, in 1804, a single decree from Napoleon turned it into Cologne's new cemetery and it is now one of Germany's most extraordinary burial grounds and a beloved green space in Cologne. Walk the famous Avenue of Millions, where industrialists and carnival royalty built monuments meant to outlast memory itself. Meet the perfumer behind the original Eau de Cologne, alongside generals, artists, and the ordinary Kölners whose graves tell the city's realest stories. Beyond the names, Melaten is alive today with birdsong, centuries-old trees, and a green sanctuary locals still walk through daily.

What's included

• Tips and recommendations on the city of Cologne from a decade of guiding experience
• A knowledgable, expert guide in art and history

• Gratuties for your guide if you enjoyed your tour

Meeting point

You'll meet your guide just outside the entrance of the Melaten Cemetery, near the Melaten Train Station and opposite 319 Aachener Straße.

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

• 1+ days before: 100% refundable
• 0–1 days before: 0% refundable