Groov

The Groov is a former Rhine island in the south of Cologne, in the Zündorf district. Between 1974 and 1978 it and the surrounding areas were developed into one of the city's loveliest recreation grounds.

At a glance

• Location: Cologne-Zündorf, on the Rhine
• Highlights: marina, beer gardens, mini-golf, swimming pool, boating pond
• Connection: a Rhine ferry for walkers and cyclists to Cologne-Weiß
• Name: from the Gaulish grave (gravel or sand bank)

Summer by the water

Sheltered by a dyke, cycle and foot paths, sunbathing lawns and sports and play areas spread out beneath the trees. On the island's market square, garden restaurants and beer gardens invite you to linger; at its centre stands the restored Nepomuk column. In hard winters the frozen lakes become an ice-skating surface. The Rhine ferry, running all summer, makes the Groov an ideal day out for the whole family.