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CITY GUIDE Navigate your way around Cologne, the metropolis on the Rhine – and one of bmi’s newest destinations Words: Sophy Grimshaw TOUCHDOWN The heart of Cologne is stylish and diverse. A good start to your visit is the bars and cafés on the banks of the Rhine, where you can sip one of the city’s most famous exports, Kölsch ale. Look up at [...]
CITY GUIDE
Navigate your way around Cologne,
the metropolis on the Rhine – and
one of bmi’s newest destinations
Words: Sophy Grimshaw
TOUCHDOWN
alt="The Gothic grandeur of Cologne Cathedral and a charming square in Germany’s fourth largest city, Cologne">
The heart of Cologne is stylish and diverse. A good start to
your visit is the bars and cafés on the banks of the Rhine,
where you can sip one of the city’s most famous exports,
Kölsch ale. Look up at almost any juncture and you’ll see
the monumental Gothic cathedral, the largest in northern
Europe. For cultural events, check the free listings’ magazines.
SLEEP
Cologne suits all budgets. Rooms at the 5-star Excelsior Hotel
Ernst (Trankgasse 1-5, +49 (0)2 212 701; www.excelsiorhotelernst.de) range from €160 to more than €1,000 a night. The
3-star Mado (Moselstrasse 36, +49 (0)2 2192 4190; www.hotelmado.de
) is situated
centrally and has rooms for about €80. For just a handful of euros budget travellers can sleep at
the Cologne-Riehl Youth Hostel on the banks of the Rhine (An
der Schanz 14, +49 (0)2 2176 7081, www.jugendherberge.de).
EAT
To sample comfort food, such as a fine schnitzel on a mound of
fries, try Bei Oma Kleinmann (Zülpicher Strasse 9, +49 (0)2
2123 2346; www.beiomakleinmann.de). For fantastic views try
the 30th-floor restaurant Osman 30 (Im Mediapark 8, +49
(0)221 5005 2080; www.osman-cologne.de). At Al-Salam bar
and restaurant (Hohenstaufenring 22, +49 (0)2 2121 6713;
www.alsalam.de) typical cocktail ingredients are date syrup and
rose-water. Nearby you’ll find Fischers restaurant, whose wine
cellar has 40 varieties available by the glass (Hohenstaufenring
53, +49 (0)22 1310 8470; www.fischers-wein.com).
SHOPS
You’ll find department stores on Hohe Strasse and Schildergasse
and trendy boutiques on Breite Strasse and Ehrenstrasse.
SIGHTS
Natives talk about the “left” or “right” side of the Rhine. On
the left side, you’ll find the Cologne Zoo and Botanical
Gardens. On the right is a large park called the Rheinpark.
The two sides are connected by a cable car that offers
unbeatable city views (www.koelner-seilbahn.de). Tours of Cologne Cathedral are available in English at 10.30am and
2.30pm, Monday to Saturday. Sports fans can catch a match
at RheinEnergie Stadium, the home of 1. FC Cologne.
MUSEUMS
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The modern Museum Ludwig houses works by Picasso, Warhol
and Lichtenstein (Heinrich-Böll-Platz, +49 (0)221 2212 6165;
www.museenkoeln.de). Nearby, explore the city’s Roman
architectural roots at the Römisch-Germanisches Museum
(Roncalliplatz 4, +49 (0)221 2212 4438). Don’t miss the
Japanese-style gardens and collection of the Museum of East
Asian Art (Universitätsstrasse 100, +49 (0)221 2212 8608).
NIGHTLIFE
Cologne’s nightlife spans techno bars like Edelpink (Brabanter
Strasse 9, +49 (0)22 1554 4773) to performances by the
Cologne Philharmonic (www.koelner-philharmonie.de). The
city’s main live music venue e-Werk (Schanzenstrasse 37, +49
(0)2 2196 2790; www.e-werk-cologne.com) draws hot acts.
COMING UP
They say you go to Cologne to buy the art. This year check
out the convention Art Cologne from 16-20 April. From 4-6
July, Summer Jam, Europe’s largest reggae and world music
festival, descends on the city. On 12 July, watch a fireworks
show choreographed to music called Cologne Lights.
