City Stories Index · Germany · 2026 edition
Cologne vs Frankfurt
Not opinions, measured walking data. On what we can measure, Frankfurt leads 6–0. Character is a different question: Cologne is the cathedral city; Frankfurt is the banking crossroads.
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| What we measure | Cologne | Frankfurt | Leads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Places with a storyspots where a route tells you what happened there | 22 | 52 | Frankfurt |
| How often you pass a storymetres from one story to the next; fewer is better | 332 | 250 | Frankfurt |
| Historical figuresreal people you meet in its stories | 1 | 4 | Frankfurt |
| Instagrammabilityscore /100, on the index’s fixed scale | 18 | 40 | Frankfurt |
| Group outingsof every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+ | 14 | 17 | Frankfurt |
| International visitors% of player reviews written in a foreign language | 47 | 59 | Frankfurt |
Differences under 5% count as ties. Sample sizes and definitions on the methodology page.
What their stories are about
How many places with a story each city has per theme: Cologne in orange, Frankfurt in blue. All bars share one scale, so lengths are comparable everywhere on the chart.
CologneFrankfurt
16 places
faith & churches10 places
4 places
arts & culture16 places
4 places
guilds & trade11 places
8 places
crime & dark history4 places
5 places
royalty & nobility7 places
6 places
legends & myths3 places
1 place
industry & modern era6 places
3 places
fortification & siege3 places
Cologne scorecard →
The cathedral city
Frankfurt scorecard →
The banking crossroads