From Cologne Bonn Airport, take a train from Köln/Bonn Flughafen to Köln Hbf, change to KVB line 16 or 18 at Dom/Hbf, and get off at Neumarkt for the current Romano-Germanic Museum exhibition. From Neumarkt, walk to Cäcilienstraße 46 and look for the Belgian House.
The old museum building at Roncalliplatz is closed for renovation, so the current visitor route ends at a different address. If you search from memory, follow an old guidebook, or aim automatically for Cologne Cathedral, you can end up at the wrong place. The current visitor address is the Romano-Germanic Museum in the Belgian House, Cäcilienstraße 46, near Neumarkt.
Keep the current museum address separate from the old Cathedral-side location:
Köln/Bonn Flughafen → Köln Hbf → KVB to Neumarkt → Cäcilienstraße 46
Köln Hbf is the transfer point from the airport railway to the KVB network. Neumarkt is the final public-transport stop for Cäcilienstraße 46, with Cologne Tourism giving the walk to the Belgian House as about two minutes.
Neumarkt Is the Stop That Matters Now
For the current Romano-Germanic Museum visit, use Neumarkt for the final public-transport leg to the Belgian House. Cologne Tourism lists the walk from Neumarkt to the museum in the Belgian House as about two minutes, and Neumarkt is served by KVB tram lines 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 16, and 18.
Many travelers still associate the Romano-Germanic Museum with Roncalliplatz beside Cologne Cathedral because that is the museum’s original building. That memory is understandable, but it is not the right arrival plan for the current exhibition. The official museum site says the museum at Roncalliplatz is closed for renovation and that visitors should now go to the Belgian House on Cäcilienstraße 46 near Neumarkt.
If your map sends you to the cathedral square, pause before you walk. It may be showing the old museum building, not the current exhibition entrance. If you are checking a map or destination field, use Neumarkt, Cäcilienstraße 46, Belgisches Haus, or Römisch-Germanisches Museum im Belgischen Haus.
From the airport, use Köln Hbf as the rail-to-KVB transfer, then continue to Neumarkt for the current museum address.
From Cologne Bonn Airport, Take the Train to Köln Hbf First
Cologne Bonn Airport has its own railway station near the terminals, so start by following signs for Bahnhof, Train, S-Bahn, or Köln/Bonn Flughafen. You do not need a shuttle bus into Cologne before starting the journey.
From the airport station, take a train that clearly stops at Köln Hbf. S19 is a standard direct airport-to-Köln-Hbf option, but airport rail services can change during engineering work. Check the live departure board and use a train whose stop list includes Köln Hbf rather than relying on a fixed list of regional service numbers.
Once you reach Köln Hbf, change to KVB line 16 or 18 toward Neumarkt. This is the part that prevents the main mistake. If you leave Köln Hbf and walk toward Cologne Cathedral, you are moving toward the old Roncalliplatz area, not the current museum address.
Use this transfer sequence:
Köln/Bonn Flughafen railway station
Köln Hbf
KVB line 16 or 18
Neumarkt
Cäcilienstraße 46
Belgian House
At Dom/Hbf, lines 16 and 18 continue through Appellhofplatz to Neumarkt. That stop order gives you a simple confirmation that you are moving away from the Cathedral-side old location and toward the current museum address.
At Köln Hbf, Do Not Follow the Cathedral Habit
Köln Hbf can cause confusion on this route because Cologne Cathedral and the closed Roncalliplatz museum building are immediately beside the station. The Cathedral is right there. The old museum building was right there. Many older maps and mental images still point toward Roncalliplatz.
Treat Köln Hbf as a transfer point rather than the end of the journey. Follow KVB / Stadtbahn signs to Dom/Hbf and continue on line 16 or 18 to Neumarkt.
If you walk out toward the Cathedral, check the destination address before continuing; Cäcilienstraße 46 is not at Roncalliplatz. Before continuing, check the current address. If your destination is Cäcilienstraße 46, turn your route back toward Neumarkt or take KVB from Dom/Hbf.
On the KVB leg, use Neumarkt as the stop name. On lines 16 and 18 from Dom/Hbf, Appellhofplatz comes before Neumarkt.
Neumarkt, Köln Hbf, or Roncalliplatz?
Use Köln Hbf when you are arriving from Cologne Bonn Airport by train. From there, Dom/Hbf provides the KVB connection to Neumarkt on lines 16 and 18.
Use Neumarkt as the real arrival stop for the current museum visit. It puts you close to Cäcilienstraße 46 and avoids the old-location trap.
Do not use Roncalliplatz as your active destination unless you specifically want to see the closed old museum area from outside. The City of Cologne confirms that the house at Roncalliplatz is closed and that the Dionysos Mosaic and Poblicius Tomb are currently not accessible from inside.
Köln Hbf gets you into central Cologne, Neumarkt puts you near the current museum address, and Roncalliplatz is the closed original location beside the Cathedral.
If a route ends beside the Cathedral, verify the destination address before following it. The current exhibition address is Cäcilienstraße 46 near Neumarkt.
Finding the Belgian House from Neumarkt
After you arrive at Neumarkt, come up to street level and aim for Cäcilienstraße 46. The final walk is short, but it is address-based rather than landmark-based. Do not expect the approach to feel like walking toward a giant museum building.
Look for the Belgian House and current museum signage. The current exhibition is in the Belgisches Haus rather than the purpose-built Roncalliplatz museum building, so use the address and current museum signage as your arrival cues. You are in the correct area when your route has brought you from Neumarkt toward Cäcilienstraße 46 and the Belgisches Haus.
As of August 2026, the official museum site notes works around the Belgian House area connected with water and district-heating lines, with possible noise and traffic restrictions until October 2026. If the street feels messy or slightly restricted, that does not mean you have the wrong place.
If your map keeps pulling you toward the Cathedral, search by the current address instead: Cäcilienstraße 46.
From Central Cologne, Use Neumarkt as the Reset Point
If you are already in central Cologne, your route depends on where you are standing. From Rudolfplatz, line 1 or 7 can bring you to Neumarkt. From Heumarkt or other Old Town areas, lines 1, 7, or 9 may be useful depending on your exact starting point. From Köln Hbf or Dom/Hbf, line 16 or 18 is the clean option.
If you are already near Schildergasse or Cäcilienstraße, walking may be simpler than going underground for one stop. But if you are near the Cathedral, do not assume the museum is still next door. Check whether your route ends at Cäcilienstraße 46.
If you can reach Neumarkt directly from your current location, use it for the final public-transport leg; Cologne Tourism places the Belgian House about two minutes away on foot.
Cologne Cathedral, Museum Ludwig, and much of the Old Town are on the Dom/Hbf side, while the current Romano-Germanic Museum exhibition is at Cäcilienstraße 46 near Neumarkt.
When Taxi Is the Better Choice
Public transport from Cologne Bonn Airport requires a rail trip to Köln Hbf and a KVB transfer to Neumarkt. A taxi avoids that transfer and can be useful in a few cases. Use a taxi if you have heavy luggage, arrive late, travel with children, have mobility concerns, or need to reach the museum before a timed plan.
Give the driver the current destination as “Römisch-Germanisches Museum im Belgischen Haus, Cäcilienstraße 46.” Do not rely only on “the Roman museum near the Cathedral,” because the Roncalliplatz building beside the Cathedral is closed.
A taxi removes the Köln Hbf transfer but is subject to road traffic and a higher fare than the rail-and-KVB route. If luggage is the main concern, another option is to travel into Cologne first, leave the bags at your accommodation, and continue to the museum from Neumarkt.
When your starting point changes the route
From Cologne Bonn Airport, use the airport railway to Köln Hbf and continue from Dom/Hbf to Neumarkt on KVB line 16 or 18. If you are already near Neumarkt or Schildergasse, walking to Cäcilienstraße 46 may be simpler than making another short transit trip. If you are near the Cathedral or Köln Hbf, continue by line 16 or 18 rather than following the old Roncalliplatz location. A taxi is the no-transfer alternative when luggage, children, late arrival, or limited mobility makes the station change inconvenient.
FAQ
What is the nearest stop to the Romano-Germanic Museum now?
Neumarkt is the closest useful KVB stop for the current exhibition; Cologne Tourism gives the walk from Neumarkt to the Belgian House at Cäcilienstraße 46 as about two minutes.
How do I get from Cologne Bonn Airport to the Romano-Germanic Museum?
Take a train from Köln/Bonn Flughafen to Köln Hbf, then change to KVB line 16 or 18 and get off at Neumarkt. From there, walk to Cäcilienstraße 46.
Is the museum still beside Cologne Cathedral?
The old Roncalliplatz building beside Cologne Cathedral is closed for renovation. The current exhibition is at the Belgian House on Cäcilienstraße 46 near Neumarkt.
Should I get off at Köln Hbf?
Get off at Köln Hbf for the airport-train transfer, but do not treat it as the final stop. Continue by KVB to Neumarkt unless you deliberately want a longer walk through central Cologne.
Is Roncalliplatz worth using as a destination?
Not for reaching the current exhibition. Roncalliplatz explains the museum’s old location and the source of confusion, but the current visitor address is Cäcilienstraße 46.
Is a taxi better than public transport?
A taxi avoids the Köln Hbf transfer and can be useful with heavy luggage, children, late arrival, mobility concerns, or a hotel stop near Neumarkt. The train-plus-KVB route requires one transfer but avoids airport-to-city road traffic.
Sources checked
Römisch-Germanisches Museum Köln — confirmed Roncalliplatz closure, current Belgian House location at Cäcilienstraße 46 near Neumarkt, and August 2026 status of works around the Belgian House area continuing until October 2026 — https://roemisch-germanisches-museum.de/Startseite
Römisch-Germanisches Museum Köln — confirmed English visitor information, current exhibition address at Cäcilienstraße 46, opening times, prices, and Roncalliplatz Dionysos Mosaic / Poblicius Tomb closure — https://www.roemisch-germanisches-museum.de/Service_General-shy-information
City of Cologne — confirmed official address at Römisch-Germanisches Museum im Belgischen Haus, Cäcilienstraße 46, opening times, Roncalliplatz closure, and current exhibition near Neumarkt — https://www.stadt-koeln.de/service/adressen/00081/index.html
Cologne Tourist Board — confirmed interim Belgian House accommodation, Neumarkt walking access, tram lines 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 16, 18, and about two-minute walk from Neumarkt — https://www.cologne-tourism.com/arts-culture/sights/detail/romano-germanic-museum
Cologne Bonn Airport — confirmed airport railway station near both terminals, public transport connections, and taxi access from the arrivals level — https://www.cologne-bonn-airport.com/en/passengers/transport/train-bus-taxi.html
KVB Cologne — confirmed Neumarkt stop context and Stadtbahn lines serving Neumarkt — https://www.kvb.koeln/haltestellen/overview/2/
Last updated: August 2026
