Accessible route from Cologne Central Station (Köln Hauptbahnhof) to Conference Venue (Herbert-Lewin Str. 2)
Dear Participants, please note that in addition to those stations, which are not wheelchair accessible, the elevators of five stations in the city centre are currently out of service. This includes the stops: Breslauer Platz, Rudolfplatz, Neumarkt, Poststraße and Severinstraße.
Therefore, an alternative route must be taken to reach the venue from Cologne central station. From a regional or long-distance train platform at Cologne Central, take the elevator down and go in the direction of the exit Dom/City.
The exit doors are very wide. On the left-hand side you will find the beauty shop Douglas. The elevators are located there. Take the elevator down one floor. After disembarking, follow the path and take the second right turn (track 1). There you will find another elevator that takes you to the platform of subway/tram lines 5 in the direction of Heumarkt. Take the underground line 5 and disembark at the stop “Heumarkt.”
After leaving the subway, go to the exit “Gürzenich/Heumarkt”. There you will find an elevator to “Kleine Sandkaul/ Gürzenich”. Press “0” and get out at street level. Cross the street, pass between the tracks and the church tower to the left and walk all the way across the platform. Cross the tracks at the end of the platform and turn left to reach the platform of subway/tram lines 1 (in the direction Weiden West or Junkersdorf) and 7 (in the direction Frechen). Take either train (except line 9) and disembark at the stop “Universitätsstraße.”*
Should your hotel be located in the southern city centre, you will have to rely on the station “Kartäuserwall” and switch trams twice or go all the way until you reach the “Ring”-street around the city centre, where the stations are on ground level. Both options will take you considerably more time. Please get in touch with the team if you do not know how to reach the conference venue.
Once exiting the tram, cross the intersection (left). Cross the street again in the direction of travel (right). Take a final left turn onto the pavement with the (two) poles. Go straight, passing the canal on your right and then take a right turn onto a dirt pavement with the canal on your right (Danteweg). Take a left at the first intersection, following the pavement. The conference building main entrance will be on your right.
To get to Park Inn, also exit the tram at “Universitätsstraße”. Cross the street to the right in the direction of travel and the big street to your left to reach the “Corpus Sireo”- building. In front of the building turn right. You will find the Park Inn on your left after about 300 metres.
*Please note: An orientation system for people with visual impairments is available at the stop “Melaten.” Once disembarking, cross the street. Take a left turn and go straight for approximately 500 meters. Then turn right onto “Richard-Strauss Straße.” Go straight, over the slightly elevated bridge. Take a slight right, following the pavement. The conference building main entrance will be on your right.
Please be aware that escalators or elevators might be temporarily out of order or that damage has been done due to vandalism. The daily online announcements of broken elevators may be found at the following website: www.kvb.koeln/aufzuege
Public Transportation
Kölner Verkehrs-Betriebe (KVB)
Guaranteed Seat - Seats marked for persons with disabilities are found on buses and trams near the entrances and exits. There are also marked areas for people in wheelchairs near the entrances.
Entering & Exiting - Many busses use a special technology to sink or use a ramp. Depending on the vehicle, the button with the wheelchair (buggy) may be pressed to signal the conductor that the ramp is needed.
The station Köln Messe/Deutz has an orientation system for people with visual impairments. Unfortunately, Köln Messe/Deutz and Köln Süd are not wheelchair accessible. For a barrier-free route, it is best to disembark at the Cologne Central Station.
Cologne’s tramlines uses the colors Green – Yellow – Red to signify the extent of accessibility of stations. Green marks a completely accessible station – the platform is easily reachable with a wheelchair or with a small ramp. Entering and exiting the train is possible due to a relatively low gap. Yellow marks limited accessibility. Limitations may be due to an extremely long ramp or a large gap between platform and tram. Red indicates the stations with no accessibility due to a lack of elevators, ramps, or due to steps.
Please be aware that escalators or elevators are temporarily out of order or that damage has been done due to vandalism. The most current availability of elevators may be accessed here: https://www.kvb.koeln/fahrtinfo/betriebslage/aufzuege/
Taxi services
There are a few taxi services in Cologne that offer wheelchair accessible cars. They charge 20 € - 30 € as a fixed price from the start. You then pay an additional 2 € or 3 € for each driven kilometer. You will need to book your taxi service 2 to 3 days in advance, to ensure availability of these accessible cars.
Suggested services:
Aktiv Taxi https://aktiv-funkmietwagen.de/rollstuhl-funkwagen Phone: 0221/61 10 100; 20 € starting – price; 3 € per driven kilometre
Rolli Köln (Porz) https://rolli-koeln.dePhone: 02203-999 888; Email: info@rolli-koeln.de Aprox. 25 € starting – price; 2 € per driven kilometre
Other wheelchair accessible driving services: https://www.stadt-koeln.de/leben-in-koeln/soziales/behinderung/liste-der-fahrdienste
Building Accessibility
Main Entrance: The main entrance is located at Herbert – Lewin Str. 2. This entrance is wheelchair accessible. There is an elevated ramp next to the stairs. Double doors open automatically upon pushing a button.
Elevator: There is one elevator in the building. Upon entering the building, you will need to go through two sets of double doors on the right to reach the elevator. There will be signs posted to guide you.
Restrooms: There is one accessible restroom on the first and second floors. There will be signs to guide you. In order to get into the restroom, you will need an Eurokey. If you are a guest from outside of Europe and/or do not possess an Eurokey, we will have one on site at our contact point.
Interpretation Services
Speech-to-text interpretation and the induction loop will be provided for all keynotes and the sessions taking place in the main auditorium.
