

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.
Change the matchup
Places with a story
spots where a route tells you what happened there
Cologne
22
Frankfurt
52
Frankfurt leads
How often you pass a story
metres from one story to the next; fewer is better
Cologne
332
Frankfurt
250
Frankfurt leads
Historical figures
real people you meet in its stories
Cologne
1
Frankfurt
4
Frankfurt leads
Instagrammability
score /100, on the index’s fixed scale
Cologne
18
Frankfurt
40
Frankfurt leads
Group outings
of every 100 plays, how many bring a group of 3+
Cologne
14
Frankfurt
17
Frankfurt leads
International visitors
% of player reviews written in a foreign language
Cologne
47
Frankfurt
59
Frankfurt leads
| 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.
Cologne scorecard →
The cathedral city
Frankfurt scorecard →
The banking crossroads