Hidden Cologne 2022

URBAN

& CULTURE

TOURS

Join us on a journey into our second nature – the city of Cologne

‘Nature is healing’ was a popular meme that did the rounds at the height of the pandemic: the accompanying photo showed wild animals which – in the absence of humans – could be seen roaming deserted urban streets during the first lockdown. And now, in late summer 2022, we are back walking on these streets ourselves, window-shopping and meeting friends for coffee. ‘Nature is healing’, but this time the nature we are referring to is us, the city dwellers.

And so for this issue of hidden cologne, we once again set off on a journey into our second nature – the city of Cologne and the still unexplored corners of its different districts, or ‘Veedel’ as the locals call them. We learnt new knotting techniques in a macramé workshop, watched the city’s young female rappers going head-to-head in a hip-hop battle, listened to mushrooms growing in a cellar vault and found out why Cologne’s Benin Bronzes didn’t see the light of day for such a long time.

But we also took some time out to venture into actual nature too, which is always a good idea.

We hope you enjoy reading this latest issue.

The hidden cologne team

Seasonal highlights

Mushrooms and AI

start-ups are thinking about the food of the future by exploring the

of vertical farming

Variety on tap

Cologne is well-known for its local beer, Kölsch. But a young generation of brewers is mixing up the scene by introducing new styles and bringing back old traditions

Cologne’s rap queens

Cologne is home to the first hiphop battle league where only female rappers perform – we take a

A day in the life of ...

of Cologne’s artistic communities tell us how they like to spend one of their rare

A day in the life of ...

Weise

are

up ways to make

for

in the life of ...

Riquelme

A day in the life of ... Jan Lankisch

Partying for Future

are

with climate

Good to know

Variety on tap

scene

highlights

to offer all year round

Text Anja Albert, Christian Werthschulte Illustration Ælfleda Clackson

Karneval

Cologne Carnival is back! A er two years of pandemic-induced restraint, the city is looking forward to what it hopes will be the return of its traditional Karneval celebrations. As usual, it all kicks o at 11:11 am in the heart of Cologne’s Old Town. A er this, the colourfully dressed partygoers, or Jecken, will sway to traditional carnival music in pubs, visit parades and sessions and dance at balls, all while liberally bestowing kisses to all and sundry. As befits the o icial 200-year anniversary in 2023, the Shrove Monday procession will cross the bridge to the traditionally unfashionable right-hand side of the Rhine for the very first time. However, the smaller neighbourhood parades are also well worth a look, not to mention the Stunksitzung session and Geisterzug ghost procession.

literature lit.Cologne

Not only is this reading marathon the perfect way to while away a spring evening, but it will also ensure that all visitors leave Cologne with more books than they brought with them. Every year, lit. Cologne invites leading names from the world of literature – from Margaret Atwood to Salman Rushdie – to discuss the major questions explored in their works or to talk about the current state of the world. But the real highlight of this literature festival are the readings by young authors, who o en come together in interesting constellations. For instance, French author Édouard Louis was so excited to be at his first reading that he took a photo of the audience. Today, he is one of France’s leading intellectuals. If you’re planning on attending, it’s always a good idea to book tickets early.

street art

City Leaks

What better place to rethink cities than Cologne, with its 2,000-year history of constant change? The City Leaks Festival has been involved in pioneering work for years – with street art, temporary installations and experiments in urban coexistence. Many of the ideas that first emerged during the festival actually went on to become part of everyday Cologne life, such as using Ebertplatz as a location for theatre and art performances. Most recently, the City Leaks team has been looking into a series of disused railway arches along a busy road in Ehrenfeld. Here, together with local residents, they gauged the suitability of these locations for urban gardening, exhibitions or cultural events. Watch this space!

Spring 2023, cityleaks-festival.de food

Fine Food Days Cologne

Cologne in culinary fever! How about an exclusive dinner on a football field? Or a light picnic in the park by a Michelin-starred chef? Or wine tasting in the presidential suite of the Prinzen-Garde, one of the traditional corps in Cologne Carnival? At this Cologne gourmet festival, top chefs demonstrate just how creative, diverse and sophisticated today’s restaurant scene is. The beauty of the two-week event is that it takes gourmet cuisine to places like rustic restaurants, cool roo op bars or even the freshly renovated director’s villa at Cologne Zoo. The undisputed highlight is the closing night gala dinner at Schloss Bensberg where all the top chefs come together on stage.

Late summer, tickets available from kölnticket.de, finefooddays.cologne

March, litcologne.de

music Week-End Fest

The Week-End Fest is one of Germany’s best pop music festivals –and one of its best-kept secrets. This is because, rather than sprawling, o en random line-ups, this festival features only handpicked artists who o en deliver very special performances. In the past, indie darling Stephen Malkmus teamed up with Cologne musicians to recreate a live version of the landmark album Tago Mago by Krautrock pioneers Can. Folk singer Devendra Banhart took to the stage backed by an orchestra. This is also where pop pioneers like Arthur Verocai or Suzanne Ciani are shown the appreciation that is all too o en denied to them. This event’s unique atmosphere is also due in no small part to its surroundings: the Stadthalle in Mülheim, a masterpiece of post-war modernism. Autumn, weekendfest.de

art

Cologne Night of Museums

What could be better than wandering around the city’s large museums and small artist-run spaces, taking in exciting performances in unusual venues? A er a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Night of Museums is to be held again at 40 art venues, including larger, high-profile institutions – but also at smaller niche locations. Every year, some 20,000 visitors attend the cultural highlight, which features almost 200 events. Refreshments are available from the street food market at the Chocolate Museum and the small bars at the art stations. Needless to say, it will have all the necessary coronavirus safety precautions in place.

5 November at 40 art venues, tickets available from museumsnacht-koeln.de

Eating out in Cologne: Breakfast

Hanimeli

To find Hanimeli, all you need to do is look out for the unmistakeable red LED-lit signs. At the front, you will find the lavish self-service buffet, while breakfast guests can relax and enjoy freshly prepared dishes and sip çay (Turkish tea) in the plant-filled conservatory at the back. We sample our way through the bu et: as well as classics like menemen (a popular Turkish omelette-like dish with scrambled eggs and tomato), the scrambled eggs with spicy sucuk sausage (or vegetarian with paprika, tomato and parsley), there are countless panfried dishes and roasted and pickled vegetables, cheese, salads and baked goods to choose from. It’s pretty much impossible to try everything, especially since Elif Tatli and her team are so quick o the mark to bring out new dishes whenever something runs out.

Keupstrasse 33, 51063 Cologne, no outside seating

Feigenbaum

This small, refreshingly laid-back café is situated just o Bonner Strasse and, with its wood and metal terrace furniture and ample greenery, even looks appealing from the pavement outside. Once you’ve taken a seat, you can choose from a range of generously filled panini and salads from the substantial salad counter, including plenty of vegan options. We go for the avocado toast and a glass of chia rosewater from the decorative water dispenser. The toast comes topped with a fresh, lemon-flavoured cream, while the bread is baked with flaxseeds and sunflower seeds and slightly toasted. The portions aren’t huge but are still enough to satisfy a small appetite, and the water is really refreshing with a lovely rose a ertaste. To finish, we order a cappuccino and an Italian almond biscuit and couldn’t be happier!

Darmstädter Str. 2, 50678 Cologne, outside seating

Café Walter

Vegan option

Even before setting foot inside Café Walter, you will be met by al fresco diners enjoying their breakfast outside at small wooden tables between the flowerpots. By contrast, the interior of the café is dominated by a large counter. The menu includes everything from toasts and bowls to egg variations. For example, the ‘Günther’ toast is topped with hummus, cashew and tomato spread and roasted vegetables – a flavourful composition that packs a punch but isn’t too heavy. The accompanying scrambled eggs with herbs are moist and flu y. We were pleasantly surprised by the classic ‘Zweierlei’ breakfast: cream cheese with beekeeper’s honey, fresh cooked ham and strawberry and tonka jam with a spicy note – and thick slices of fresh farmhouse bread served alongside crusty bread rolls in a basket.

An der Bottmühle 13, 50678 Cologne, outside seating

Text Karolina Jagodzinski

tagnacht — the Germanlanguage gastro guide to eating out and drinking in Cologne

shop.stadtrevue.de

Café Heimisch

At this café on the right-hand side of the Rhine River, you can sit on the leafy patio or in the brightly fur nished interior with armchairs and café tables. As well as classic break fast options, the menu o ers toast, pancakes, bowls and scrambled eggs. We choose the eggs with ov en-roasted vegetables, scrambled eggs, herb quark and bread, adding mild farmhouse cheese and onion butter as extras. We also go for a cappuccino made with beans from local co ee roastery Van Dyck and the freshly squeezed ‘Franz’ juice with carrot, apple and ginger. The roasted veg – mainly potato, pars nip and carrot – is served cold with a generous helping of black pepper. The scrambled eggs are fresh and hot enough for the cheese on top to melt and the fresh juice is the per fect complement to our hearty breakfast.

Deutzer Freiheit 72-74, 50679 Cologne, outside seating

Café Sehnsucht

This Ehrenfeld café stands out with its laid-back flair, which can be at tributed to its solid menu, refreshing drinks and noticeable lack of Wi-Fi. It is mostly young couples and fami lies who can be found sitting at the wooden tables in the main room and the light and bright conservato ry area. Up until 2:00 pm, you can order from the substantial breakfast menu, which includes everything from eggs to sweet treats and sour dough bread with di erent top pings. Our recommendation: the slightly sweet French toast with ma ple syrup, served with crispy strips of bacon and fresh fruit. From the menu of the day, we choose the toasted focaccia with tasty cottage cheese, pumpkin and tomatoes, which goes very well with the ac companying wild herb salad with fresh mushrooms.

Körnerstrasse 67, 50823 Cologne, outside seating

Turkish delights, locally roasted coffee and vegan options galore: our top breakfast recommendations

Start the day o right on the right side of the Rhine: Café Heimisch

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

A day in the life of …

Photo: Dörthe Boxberg

…

Cologne is by far my favourite city in Germany! For me, it’s very similar to my hometown of Odessa: they are both international, both home to many di erent cultures and both extremely tolerant.

There’s just something in the air in Co logne that I find hard to describe: it’s probably the jeföhl – which is how the locals describe the city’s unique vibe or feeling. I just love living here! Cologne audiences are fantastic too: they are incredibly open to more experimental music and love hearing anything new. This always results in an amazing energy between the artist and audience.

I live in the district of Bickendorf and really enjoy the peace and quiet there. But my favourite part of the city is with out a doubt Ehrenfeld – I love its mix of subculture and laid-back living! Of course, rampant gentrification has meant that a lot of brilliant places have just dis appeared o the map. But such gems do still exist, and new ones are sprouting up all the time too. Coming to Ehrenfeld from quiet Bickendorf, you really notice the explosion of big-city life with all its cafés, bars, restaurants, little stores, clubs and cultural venues. I like Ka eebud on Glasstrasse and the wonderful retro charm of Café Franck on Eichendor strasse. Sometimes I grab a co ee to go from Schamong on Venloer Strasse, ad mire the gorgeous flowers at the Goldre gen florist on the other side of the street and have a stroll down to either of my favourite parks: the Takufeld or the Blücherpark. I also love wandering down Körnerstrasse with all its little shops. I buy my groceries at the packaging-free store Veedelskrämer. But I also like eating out, especially Asian food. I’m a big fan of

the two Vietnamese restaurants Hanoi 36 and Viet Village and the international dishes on the menu at Speisemeister and Wallczka.

A er two and half years of living with the pandemic, Cologne’s sophisticated cultural scene has finally returned. As an artist, I travel a lot, but I also like to be in spired by cultural events and fellow artists in my free time. Of course I love going to jazz concerts – for example at Stadtgarten or at Lo on Wissmannstrasse. Jazzora ma, which takes place on Tuesdays at Art theater, is great too: once the musicians have performed their individual sets, they all get together for a jam! Altes Pfandhaus on Kartäuserwall and Salon de Jazz in the former Severin monastery in the south of the city provide the ideal atmospheric backdrop. And Heimathirsch in Nippes of fers a cool mix of bar and culture.

I also enjoy going to museums and am particularly fond of Museum Ludwig be cause it has such an incredibly varied col lection. There are so many works to see that you can keep going back again and again! I recently visited the Käthe Kollwitz Museum at Neumarkt, which was also very inspiring.

But I also love the city’s churches, not just Cologne Cathedral, the Kolumba, or the well-known Roman ones, but also more unknown ones – as long as I can go inside. I love the Rhine at any time of the year – including autumn and winter – and come up with plenty of musical ideas on my riverside walks! A place that has grown very close to my heart is the Skulp turenpark (Sculpture Park) in Stammheim, a wonderful location right by the water and a must-see for every visitor to Cologne.

Cologne reminds me of my hometown Odessa: both are home to di�ferent cultures and very tolerant

Tamara Lukasheva Award-winning Ukrainian jazz singer Tamara Lukasheva (34) has lived in Co logne since 2010. She recently curated a number of solidarity concerts to support fellow musicians in Ukraine.

Change as a constant

A stroll through Ehrenfeld, where past and present live side by side

Text Christian Werthschulte Photography Ella Klopotek

The district of Ehrenfeld gets talked about a lot in Cologne. Mostly when people reminisce about the ‘good old days’. But when were they exactly? It’s hard to say. Ehrenfeld is changing and al though many places have disappeared, new things are springing up in their place. A case in point is Colonius, the starting point of our stroll. The former television tower is regarded as a city landmark, but barely anyone has ever set foot inside since the revolving restaurant and view ing platform closed in the 90s. A citizens’ initiative campaigned for the TV tower to be reopened and it was placed under a conservation order in summer 2022 – the first step towards making this happen.

A er that we head down Innere Kanal strasse to Ehrenfeld, grabbing a cold drink from the kiosk and weaving our way through the district’s streets. Many of the residents here have planted flowerbeds

with wildflowers or put out self-built seats or benches. As we stroll through the narrow streets, it’s easy to see how the past and the present of Ehrenfeld coexist happily here. Because for every café or coworking space hidden behind one of the many retro-look craftsman signs, there is a family-run business that has been passed down through the generations.

But this is also clear as we move away from the cosily narrow streets. From the 1950s, 4711 Echt Kölnisch Wasser – the original Eau de Cologne perfume – was made at the Barthonia Forum between Venloer Strasse and Vogelsanger Strasse for four whole decades. And the build ing’s brick façade is still resplendent in turquoise, white and gold to this day. Film and TV production companies have since moved into the premises, with a universi ty for ecological design to follow.

We head north, zig-zagging our way through Ehrenfeld’s streets and its mix of older, turn-of-the-century houses and new, modern buildings squeezed into any available gaps – which brings us to the corner of Subbelrather Strasse/Hütten strasse. This is where you’ll find the char acteristic railway arches, which housed tradespeople and small shops for a long time. But these days they are empty and that’s not about to change any time soon. Every two years, the City Leaks Festival uses some of them for readings, discus sions and performances and has also cre ated a small, raised garden. When you get to number 24, it’s worth looking up at the house that architect Wolfgang Zeh built here, in a gap the size of a garage.

We follow the railway arches all the way past the next crossroads to Bart holomäus-Schlink-Strasse. And this is where you can see the full potential of

When exactly were the ‘good old days’ of Ehrenfeld?

The area around Heliosstrasse / Vogelsanger Strasse was the heart of Ehrenfeld’s nightlife scene

the arches: since 2010, Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld has been using two of them for its ambitious concert line-ups, which cover everything from jazz to global pop and hip-hop. In 2015, these were joined by the third arch: the Yuca Club. On the other side of the street, Bumann & Sohn opened its doors five years ago in the premises of an old workshop. Since then, it has hosted indie, punk and songwriter concerts against an industrial design backdrop and also happens to have a great beer garden. Both clubs are turn ing the street into a new hub of Ehren feld’s nightlife.

But the beating heart of Ehrenfeld nights used to be on the corner of Vogelsanger Strasse/Heliosstrasse. For 29 years, this area was home to the Underground club on the grounds of a former factory. The words ‘We deliver rock’n’roll’ could be read above the entrance and many bands would perform here before they hit the big time. Since a citizens’ initiative pre vented the construction of a shopping centre on the grounds, a school is now being built there that aims to be a role model for inclusive teaching.

The area is also something of a memorial site for the electronic music scene: on the other side was Heinz Gaul and Sensor, while Werkstatt and Papierfabrik were both on Werkstattstrasse. We carry on walking to Lichtstrasse, still home to Live Music Hall, one of the city’s oldest concert clubs. And on the next corner you will see quotes from residents on a window, de scribing the transformation of Licht strasse from a workers’ street into a cul tural site. ‘This used to be the Wild West’ is one example. But it’s mainly creative agencies that rule the roost here today. We leave Lichtstrasse at Sonic Ballroom, Cologne’s best punk rock dive, and make our way down Oskar-Jäger-Strasse. A er the railway bridge, you can catch a glimpse of the latest new-build complex on the le , the old freight depot. This used to be home to sociocultural project Jack in the Box which, following a suc cessful campaign, will be popping back up somewhere between the new builds. We walk down Helmholtzstrasse where, on the right-hand side of the street, a group of artists has turned an old factory building into their studio. On the corner of Hospeltstrasse, we turn right to head north. As you stroll along the street, be sure to take a close look at the buildings and architecture. Worthy of particular mention is the Malzfabrik (house number 32), which was converted into apartments and o ices in 1995. We then cross over Venloer Strasse, heading first onto Ley

Ehrenfeld’s citizens have slowly transformed their quarter

The former home of Eau de Cologne perfume: Barthonia Forum

Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

endeckerstrasse and then right onto Ma rienstrasse. A er a few hundred metres, we find ourselves standing in front of old buildings with banners and slogans. The houses were occupied by squatters in 1977 to save them from being renovated, which would have doubled the rent. But the tenancy agreement is now legal and the buildings are merely relics of a time when Ehrenfeld was known as a hub of the squatter’s movement. What has stayed the same is the appetite among the locals to keep rediscovering their neighbourhood. And with that we make our way to our last stop on this tour, Al pener Platz, an unassuming gravelled area on the busy Venloer Strasse. During the coronavirus pandemic it established itself as a new terrace for the neighbour hood and is the best place to get to know the locals.

Our route on Google Maps

The latest development: New houses at the former freight depot in Ehrenfeld

OUT and PROUD

Text Christian Werthschulte Photography Thomas Schäkel

Cologne is the queer capital of Germany. This is confirmed every year when over a million people take to the streets for the exuberant Christopher Street Day parade. But aside from this major event, our city has a lot to o er LGBTIQ* tourists and travellers – if you don’t believe us, just open your preferred dating app next time you’re here. But Cologne’s queer scene would be nothing without its nightlife and there is certainly no shortage of that here. For cocktails and Kölsch in a cosy atmosphere somewhere between trash and excess, your best bets are the Old Town and the Bermuda Triangle around Schaafenstrasse. If you want to hit the dancefloor, we can recommend Venue or Backstage Diaries at Artheater in

Ehrenfeld. And the best place to remedy your hangover the following morning is Café Rico. If you need some more fresh air a er that, you can take a leisurely stroll to the Melaten cemetery where you’ll find the grave of gay comedian and actor Dirk Bach, who died in 2012. He was instrumental in increasing the visibility of queer people and supported them with initiatives, which is why he was honoured with a starshaped gravestone that wouldn’t look out of place on the Hollywood Boulevard.

But alongside these pillars of queer Cologne, there are many other initiatives, institutions and venues that add valuable colour to this city and deserve a higher profile. Here’s our round-up of five of them.

The lesser-known side of Germany’s queer capital

Glam without glitter: Schampanja is the place to come for beer and good conversation

BOIze.bar

Cologne’s queer scene owes a lot to Payman Naziri. The 35-year-old organises the women’s party Kisses and Lies and also recently opened BOize.bar – a female-only bar – at what turned out to be the worst possible time: shortly before the coronavirus pandemic began in winter 2020. Despite this, the cosy, industrial-design locale soon attracted a whole bunch of regulars – which has a lot to do with its weekly showing of lesbian dating show ‘Princess Charming’ every Tuesday. With BOize.bar, Payman Naziri says that she wants to show how diverse the lesbian scene is – and she has certainly done just that. There’s room for everyone here: whether butch, gender-queer or ultra-

feminine. Only one group is strictly not allowed inside: the boys. But that shouldn’t be too much of a problem as they have plenty of other bars to choose from anyway.

Friesenstrasse 43, 50670 Cologne Instagram: @boize.bar

Centrum Schwule Geschichte (CSG)

Collecting documents might not sound that exciting at first. But since 1984, the Centrum Schwule Geschichte (Centre for Gay History) has been documenting a history that was shrouded in secrecy for a long time: the history of LGBTIQ* people. These days there is a lot of interest from the public, which is met by the CSG’s impressive archive. An exhibition on the persecution of gay men under Paragraph 175, a provision of the German Criminal Code that made homosexual acts between males a crime, was shown throughout Germany. But the CSG also has a lot of stories to tell about Cologne’s queer history. Their ‘Warme Meilen’ city tour not only visits former cruising locations and gay bars, but also tells its participants how rumours about the alleged homosexuality of a Cologne four-star general in the 80s almost triggered a governmental crisis. csgkoeln.org

Many of Cologne’s LGBTIQ* initiatives deserve attention

Demask

The queer community is as diverse as society itself, but not all of its groups are catered for. The Demask collective is one of many attempts to rectify this in Cologne. It consists of around a dozen people who identify as BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Colour) and trans*, genderqueer or non-binary. They organise public talks and invite artists for performances that redefine the boundaries of ethnicity and gender. But a large part of Demask’s work is dedicated to the BIPOC community itself, ranging from tips about tattoos for non-white skin to existential questions about therapy for LGBTIQ* people who have experienced racism.

Instagram: @demask_clgn

Out in the o ice

Ford was the first to lead the way. More than 25 years ago, it established GLOBE (the Gay Lesbian Or Bisexual Employees network), which was recently renamed Ford Pride and helps queer Ford employees in the workplace by supporting them in coming out at work or finding likeminded companions. The company is now reaping the rewards for this, especially when it comes to the amount of job applications they receive. And many other companies have followed suit: media group WDR, supermarket chain REWE and insurance company AXA have now also set up networks along the same lines. These companies are now also advertis-

ing with their LGBTIQ* employees. For instance, REWE employees fly the rainbow flag during Pride month. And AXA tells the story of a trans employee on its website. Oh yes, and these networks also take on the most important job of the year: organising and decorating a float for the CSD parade.

Schampanja

Sure, we all love glitter, Eurodisco and singing along to the Kölsch hits of the season with a beer in hand at Cologne’s late-night hotspot ExCorner. But sometimes a little conversation at the bar wouldn’t go amiss either. And Schampanja in Cologne’s gay Bermuda triangle is the best place for that. Host Frank Wazinski has a penchant for the 80s, including everything from New Wave music, art, kitsch and nostalgia for life in the old East Germany. In 1985 he opened the bar with his then boyfriend to finance his university studies and has amassed a whole host of stories to tell over the years. When the Pet Shop Boys dropped by for a drink, he didn’t even recognise them and he refused to serve gay director Rosa von Praunheim because he outed popular TV stars Alfred Biolek and Hape Kerkeling against their will. As you can see, Schampanja is a very important part of Cologne’s queer history.

Mauritiuswall 43, 50676 Cologne schampanja-koeln.de

LGBTIQ* initiatives have become as diverse as the scene

For the morning a er the night before: Café Rico

ExCorner: Where everyone meets after midnight

visit köln go your own way and

of Economic A airs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of

Rhine-Westphalia

Urbanana Köln© Tourismus NRW e.V.

Johannes Höhn

Shopping tips for cooking enthusiasts

Käsehaus Wingenfeld

This traditional purveyor of culinary specialities (est. 1896) has now set up shop on Severinstrasse in the south of the city. And it’s not only attracting attention with its colourful façade design – depicting cheese, a cow and a sheep in front of a meadow under a blue sky – but also its impressive range of products. As well as the finest cheeses, you will find other specialities such as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages that provide the ideal accompaniment to the shop’s exquisite selection of French and Swiss raw milk cheese and goat’s cheese. Although the premises are small, there is still room for the most popular varieties and other delicacies such as mustards, chutneys and jams. And seminars are regularly held on the first floor, with a view of the bustling Severinstrasse below.

Valeria Scalerandi

Severinstr. 117, 50678 Cologne

tagnacht — the Germanlanguage gastro guide to eating out and drinking in Cologne

shop.stadtrevue.de

BioSam

Just a few minutes’ walk from Rudolfplatz, sandwiched in between copy shops and discount supermarkets, is a little gem of an organic grocery store. Here you will find everything from jams and spreads to organic muesli, rice, pasta and pulses, as well as meat, cold cuts and dairy products, all of which have been produced with the welfare of the animals in mind. And they also stock a decent range of vegan products. Fruit and vegetables are mainly sourced regionally – except for the tropical and exotic fruits, of course, and maybe the odd courgette from Italy. In any case, the family-owned shop – one of a chain of three – flies the flag for organic produce and also has a kosher section at the back.

Sophia Schillik

Habsburgerring 1, 50674 Cologne

Salumeria Lucia

This Italian delicatessen opened for business at the beginning of the year on the vibrant Körnerstrasse in the premises of a former wire-weaving store. The proud owner is Lucia Ledda, an Ehrenfeld local who ran a pizzeria together with her husband for several years before fulfilling her dream of opening her own shop. In addition to wine, a fine selection of cheese, cold cuts and antipasti, she sells pasta from Rustichiella d’Abruzzo, a producer from the Abruzzo region. You can also buy Caffe Piansa coffee beans from Florence, or for an instant ca eine hit, order a cup to go or enjoy it in the store. To top it all o , Lucia also sells filled panini and other sweet and savoury pastries.  Cosima Lorenz

Körnerstr. 56, 50823 Cologne

Hana Korea

Here, you will find plenty of tasty snacks for an ideal introduction to Korean food. Or if you want to get adventurous, you can also browse their ingredients and cook your own Korean cuisine at home. Mandu dumplings are best served with home-made kimchi or pickled rad ish. If you lose your way among the enormous range of sauces, pastes and oils for barbecuing and stews, the staff are always on hand with friendly advice. As well as roundgrain rice, they stock japgokbap multigrain rice with pulses and bar ley flakes for porridge. In the chilled section you will find chapssaltteok rice cakes for dessert. Among the snacks on o er are gim seaweed with sesame and healthy products made of Korean ginseng, flanked by clay pots for fermenting, tabletop grills with accessories and a wide range of bowls and cups.

Esther Helena Arens

Höninger Weg 164, 50969 Cologne

Emporio Milos

Greek cuisine is currently enjoying something of a revival here in Co logne. Anyone who also enjoys a few mezedes at home will be de lighted to hear that this popular delicatessen has now opened up a new store not far from Cologne Cathedral. This is the perfect place to pick up authentic ingredients such as pulses, spices, honey, Greek yoghurt, kritharaki and other noo dles, and typical Greek pastries and chocolate. As well as olive oils, you can also stock up on fresh olives and a wide range of homemade dips, pickled vegetables, delicates sen salads and pastes, not to men tion excellent cheese specialities from the various regions. And what would a Greek evening be without Greek wine? There is certainly plen ty to choose from here, along with selections from Germany, France, Italy, Spain and other countries.  Sophia Schillik

Eigelstein 137–141, 50668 Cologne

Cheese heaven: Käsehaus Wingenfeld

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

From traditional cheese to Greek and Korean specialities –embrace your inner gourmet

A day in the life of …

Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

…

Daniel Gottschlich

I’m not just a passionate chef, but also a passionate musician. If I do have some time o from my restaurant Ox & Klee, which is very rare, I like to make mu sic. My father was a musician and I pretty much grew up in the rehearsal room. I also play the drums in my best mate’s band, Wonderful Bones. We had to cancel a lot of appearances during the pandemic but we’re getting back on track now!

I also love going to concerts – usually it’s smaller gigs by niche punk, rock or metal bands. Cologne really has a lot to o er in that respect and is one of the best concert cities in Germany: I like Gebäude 9 and also Carlswerk-Victoria, a relatively new location on Schanzenstrasse. That whole area – with the Schauspiel theatre, the urban gardening project and the res taurants and bars – has this great, urban vibe about it. But you can o en find me at smaller venues like MTC on Zülpicher Strasse, Blue Shell on Luxemburger Strasse, Sonic Ballroom in Ehrenfeld and progressive metal festival Euroblast at Essigfabrik.

Three years ago, I had a guest appear ance with the WDR Symphony Orchestra: the piece was about a chef, which is why I had to play the drums using kitchen utensils! It was a great experience that gave me a better understanding of classical music.

And of course I also love eating out and discovering new places. I o en travel around Europe to visit fellow chefs who also have Michelin-starred restaurants.

But I’m also a fan of normal, everyday res taurants: Tanica in the Rathenauviertel part of town is a great choice, with fantas tic food and a really good selection of wines. And Marcellino Pane e Vino on Krefelder Strasse is a really authentic Sar

dinian restaurant that I love going to. In general, Krefelder Strasse is worth a visit if you really want to get to know Cologne. The buildings there aren’t particularly at tractive. You mainly have small corner shops (or ‘kiosks’, as they’re known in Co logne) and amusement arcades and right in the middle of it all, the Michelin-starred restaurant Le Moisonnier. That’s Cologne in a nutshell for me, and precisely the rea son why so many people love this city.

If I have time, I like to take a stroll around the Aachener Weiher park, stop ping o at the Museum of East-Asian Art. From there you can walk along the Rautenstrauch canals in Lindenthal all the way to the Stadtwald forest. Of course, the Rheinauhafen with its trio of buildings known as the Kranhäuser is also a very special place for me as my restaurant is located there. The international flair there is hard to find anywhere else in Cologne. I love the views over the yacht harbour from our restaurant – sitting there and celebrating our 15-course menu is a real experience.

For me, the Old Town should also be high up on every Cologne to-do list. With its historic artefacts like the Limes fron tier fortifications, the Via Culturalis, the Praetorium (once the seat of the Imperial Governor of Cologne), the future MiQua museum, small, narrow alleyways and sheer density of museums and proximity to Cologne Cathedral, there’s nowhere else like it! And a great place to visit as everything is within easy reach. In early summer, right on the Alter Markt opposite the tower of Cologne Town Hall, we opened our new restaurant Pvls – which is the historical name for a thick grain porridge that the Romans used to eat, similar to today’s polenta.

Krefelder Strasse is Cologne in a nutshell for me

Daniel Gottschlich is the owner of Ox & Klee in the middle up side-down ‘L’ shaped building, or Kranhaus (Crane Building), in the waterfront Rhein auhafen complex. He was awarded his first Michelin star in 2015, followed by the second in 2019. In May, he opened his new restaurant Pvls on the Alter Markt in the heart of Cologne’s Old Town.

Rediscovering that Cologne ‘jeföhl’

A bicycle tour on the western outskirts of the city is the perfect antidote to inner-city urbanisation

Text Christian Werthschulte

Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

As a time-honoured local song has it, Cologne is a jeföhl – a feeling. A feeling of tolerance, conviviality and friendship. And one of the most important reasons why we live here. Yet sometimes the city can triggr the very opposite in us – a feel ing of annoyance or frustration, when bi cycle lanes suddenly come to an end when you least expect them to, or the most basic of apartments costs an arm and a leg. But it doesn’t always have to be like that. Take it from us: the best way to rediscover your love for Cologne is to hop on your bike.

We kick o our tour at the S-Bahn train station Nippes, where an association called KLuG has opened a neighbourhood meeting place. This is where residents can reflect on how to bring about the ur gently needed socio-ecological change in Cologne – or just kick back and relax on the comfy old sofas.

Up until the end of 2021, the associa tion was based in a former car dealership just a few hundred metres away. But this site has fallen prey to market forces: property developers want to build a new urban quarter here with some 140 apart-

ments and 37 townhouses in the fauxBauhaus style so typical of big investors.

Three and half kilometres to the west of the association’s new base, we see how things can be done better. In the 1920s, architect Walter Riphahn built the Rosen hof settlement here. Even just pedalling past the houses renovated in the New Objectivity architectural style is a pleas ure in itself. There is a spacious square in the middle where residents can bask in the summer sun. City life can be good, it seems.

A wonderfully wide cycle lane north of the Westfriedhof cemetery takes us to the next settlement. The foundations for the satellite town of Bocklemünd were laid in 1967. With around 3,000 apartments and 12,000 new residents, the village quickly grew into a small town. This was the handiwork of architect Henrik Busch, whose spaceship-esque terraced houses on Hindemithweg capture the unswerv ing belief in progress that held sway in

ithe 1960s. This is because the rest of Bocklemünd experienced the same fate as many settlements at the time. Its pe ripheral location and a lack of su icient investment caused its housing stock to deteriorate. Some years ago, the city de clared the district a redevelopment area, a er which the housing companies began to renovate the buildings and the city started investing in public areas, turning it into a suburban success story.

We leave Bocklemünd to the north and take a le towards the A1. The city ends abruptly just before the motorway. In stead of cramped streets and shabby buildings, we see woods with boundless parking areas and no end of allotment gardens. Just behind the motorway is the start of nature reserve Stöckheimer Hof, which is chock-full of little lakes. Alexan drine parakeets, swans and many other di erent types of birds have settled on the densely vegetated banks. It’s worth spending a little time cycling around the

When you’re feeling weary of Cologne, hop on your bike!

Exploring the streets of Bickendorf by bike

Photo: Christian Werthschulte

Bocklemünd: A symbol of the 1960s belief in progress

Photo: Christian Werthschulte

lakes looking for a good spot to take a breather. But beware: flora and fauna rule the roost in this nature reserve. As proven by the swan that drove your author from his comfortable lakeside resting place while taking a break from his research!

We head west over the fields towards the outskirts of the nearby town of Pul heim. Nothing here suggests that down town Cologne is a mere ten kilometres away. Just what the doctor ordered! At the Gut Pletschmühle stables we turn into the canal-side promenade and cycling route on the borders of Pulheim. At week ends, the entire spectrum of suburban life can be found here: teenage girls on their smartphones, people walking their dogs, pensioners with or without e-bikes. On the other side of this canal, which chan nels wastewater from the Hambach sur face mine, the gables of terraced houses peep out over hedges and there are plenty

Photo: Christian Werthschulte

of opportunities to cruise through the labyrinthine tra ic-calmed zones on the outskirts of Pulheim.

But we head on towards Sinnersdorf. Near the football field, we keep le to wards a farm shop that actually turns out to be a kind of market stall, only slightly larger. The perfect place to buy cheese, fruit and lemonade for an extended break. Keen ornithologists might be in terested in the avian biotope in the north of Sinnersdorf, but we continue through the town centre to the Heinenhof farm shop, where we pack our saddle bags with a few bottles of beer from the local microbrewery. On the way there, Coloni us, the Media Park Tower and the Cathe dral all appear on the horizon and that is exactly where we are headed. Cycling across fields and the outskirts of Pesch, we end up on Cologne’s secret city limits: the Militärring.

Once we cross this ring road, we are greeted by a supermarket and the back end of the MMC Studios. We pass by these

as we continue in the direction of Longer ich and, right before the roundabout, take a right onto Heckhofweg, where there is no through tra ic, meaning that kids are free to practise rollerskating and seniors can stroll to their heart’s content.

Our love for Cologne resurfaces once we reach Blücherpark, which truly em bodies the diversity of the local people who gather here to chat, play games and sip co ee. And now that the pandemic is over, there is music in the Kahnstation beer garden once again. An oasis of green that kind of makes up for the fact that the rent in the surrounding apartment blocks is probably a little on the high side. But as long as we have the Cologne jeföhl again, we can live with that.

Nature and a nostalgic belief in progress meet in the outskirts

The Kahnstation beer garden in Blücherpark

Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

Experience art and culture in the Ruhr area. You will love it!

James Turrell „Floater 99“, © Frank Vinken

A commitment for the future

Cologne has started coming to terms with Europe’s colonial past

Peju Layiwola is visibly moved. For the very first time, she is standing in the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum (RJM), touching a feminine, magnificently em bellished Benin Bronze with huge eyes and multiple neck rings. The memorial bust of the Benin King’s mother, from the early 19th century, is thought to be just one of more than a thousand treasures that the British army plundered from the Nigerian royal court in 1897 and distribut ed throughout the museums of the Global North. “An amazing experience”, she says: “I also feel the symbolic weight: the ex propriation, the violence, the trauma.” Layiwola, an artist and professor of Art History at the University of Lagos, is visit ing Cologne for just under three weeks, where she is presenting the treasures of her forefathers to groups of museum goers. As she explained to a visitor: “Imagine you had to go to Lagos to see Cologne Cathedral – this is how we feel when we have to travel to European mu seums to see what belongs to us.”

An important part of the absurd and disreputable history of looted colonial art is that 90 percent of stolen art in Western museums is actually stored in deposito ries rather than being on display. First it was stolen, then it was locked away.

Thanks to Layiwola’s initiative, the 96 items in the RJM exhibition ‘Resist!’ were shown in public for the first time in 2021. “They should be back where they belong –not in the glass showcases or cellars of Western museums”, she says.

Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum Direc tor Nanette Snoep has her sights on noth ing less than a revolution in the German museum landscape. Cologne’s Rauten strauch-Joest-Museum is the only ethno logical museum in North Rhine-West phalia and its collection – which dates back over 120 years and consists of more than 65,000 items from Oceania, Africa, Asia and the Americas – is one of the larg est in Germany. With Nanette Snoep, this might even end up spearheading the de colonisation discussion in the German cultural landscape. The decision by Co logne city council in March 2022 to return 96 Benin treasures to Nigeria is instru mental in this regard. “As a museum, we are happy to provide expert advice to speed up this process”, says Nanette Snoep. She says that it will only be possi ble to discuss loaning, circulating and re turning items once all of the objects are back in Nigerian hands. Nanette Snoep does not see this as a threat to the exist ence of the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum.

It is vital to address not only the colonial past, but how it has shaped the present

Text Dorothea Marcus, Christian Werthschulte | Photography Thomas Schäkel

Visibly moved by the past: Nigerian art historian Peju Layiwola examines a Benin Bronze statue in Cologne

On the contrary, she feels that it is “an incredible honour and a challenge to rethink an ethnological museum at this point in time in particular”.

Snoep is not the only person in Co logne currently concerning herself with Europe’s colonial past. Many BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Colour) initi atives would like to have Mohrenstrasse – a street in the Gereonsviertel district –renamed, given that Mohr is an outdated and o ensive colonial word. But unlike other racial epithets or slurs, its usage is still tolerated by many Germans. Accord ingly, the initiatives want to have the street renamed a er the black Cologne Social Democrat politician Theodor Won ja Michael, who survived the German Em

pire and Nazi eras as a colonial migrant and had a successful career in the BND, Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service. The city began confronting Germany’s colonial past back in the 1990s with the Afrikaviertel (Africa District) in Nippes. A street that had been named a er Adolf Lüderitz – who established German colo nies in modern-day Namibia by deceiving the Nama people – was renamed, as was a street honouring Carl Peters, the Impe rial Commissioner who ruled as a brutal despot in what is now Tanzania.

“To this day, the colonial era has been neglected in schools and universities. This needs to change. But a street can also be a good place to learn and also serve as a constant reminder”, says Bebero

The 96 Benin Bronze statues were hardly ever on display in Cologne

An archive of resistance: The exhibition at the Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum

The Benin Bronze statues on display at the RJM

Lehmann, a historian and researcher of colonial history. Lehmann is Afro-Ger man, a native of Cologne and part of the Decolonize Cologne initiative that aims to remind people of colonialism with pres entations and guided tours in Cologne. With her tours around the Afrikaviertel district, Bebero Lehmann is focusing on the black resistance to colonialism. On Usambarastrasse, formerly Lüderitzstrasse, she gives an account of the life of Cornelius Fredericks, one of the leaders of the Nama rebellion, who died in a prison camp. “Knowledge about colo nial history can be empowering when we tell it as the history of the Black Presence and the Black Resistance”, says Lehmann. On a personal level, this insight into histo ry helped to understand her own experi ences with racism and to take a stand against it. A project like the Theodor Won ja Michael Library, which opened in Co logne recently, could do the same for younger black Germans.

Fabian Stangier is an Islamicist and works at the O ice for Integration and Di versity, a platform he wants to use to al low people to come to terms with Co logne’s colonial heritage. As he explains: “It’s not so much about the colonial era itself but rather its e ects: everyday rac ism, how we describe people and how we view regions and religions.” The city council will support an advisory body of initiatives and, during a process lasting two years, launch a dialogue and address fears among local people, which even ex ist in liberal-minded Cologne. As Berbero Lehmann puts it: “It is always a good thing when liberal-mindedness and tolerance are seen as positive values.” However, this should not lead to a situation where people think that they don’t need to talk about racism because they could not possibly be racist. “A er all, we have all been so cialised in a racist system. But I still think we can safely expect a lot more of main stream society in this regard.”

Art Museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne Kolumbastraße 4 | D-50667 Cologne

The »living museum« makes no distinction between permanent collection and temporary exhibition. Instead, it utilizes the flowing quality of the architecture, working with possibilities afforded by the concurrence and juxtaposition that characterize Peter Zumthor’s building.

Wednesday to Monday 12 to 5 p.m. closed on Tuesdays | www.kolumba.de

Eating out in Cologne: Co�fee and cake

Café Rotkehlchen

Vegan

Rotkehlchen (the German word for robin redbreast) is located in a former butcher’s shop. The counter and the tiled floor haven’t changed since those days; the only new addition is vintage furniture. The café is also well known for its vegan cakes, which is why we order a slice of the aptly named ‘Schoko Bombe’ (Chocolate Bomb) – layers of vegan chocolate cream and chocolate cake with chocolate icing on the top – which lives up to its name without being too sweet or heavy.

The fruits of the forest cake has a satisfyingly sour taste of berries, a crunchy crumble and a light base.

And the beans used to make our latte – with oat milk at no extra charge – come from the local Schamong roastery in Ehrenfeld.

There’s so much to choose from here, we would have loved to sample our way through the whole menu!

Merowingerstr. 34, 50667 Cologne, outside seating

Café de Kok

De Kok, which means ‘The Cook’, is not only the surname of owner Leon, but also his profession – as is plain to see from the food o ered in this lovely corner café. All ingredients are sourced regionally and everything is prepared with loving attention to detail. The mandarin and chocolate cake is made up of a deliciously light and perfectly sweet mandarin orange cream on a thin layer reminiscent of mousse au chocolat and an equally light base with a nutty crunch. It comes perfectly presented with dollops of berry, fruit and other sauces. To accompany it, we opt for a latte made with beans from popular Cologne co ee roastery Van Dyck, before making sure we ask the friendly service sta what we should try on our next visit.

Irmgardstr. 19, 50969 Cologne, outside seating

Café Impact

This pretty café, which serves up co ee from Plastic2Beans, is half hidden behind a beautiful blooming wisteria. The Cologne start-up o ers Impact Co ee, which is traded directly from Ethiopia and cultivated without the use of pesticides and artificial irrigation. The co ee growers receive a price that is two to three times higher than the norm. To do our bit, we try a latte. Oat milk comes as standard here, but they also have organic fullcream milk. All of the food served here is vegan, including the homemade cake, brownies and cinnamon pastries. The carrot cake with frosting is lovely and moist, just like the cinnamon swirl, which is deliciously cinnamony and buttery, despite being completely vegan. You can also top up your tea at no extra cost.

Luxemburger Str. 190, 50937 Cologne, outside seating

Text Cosima Lorenz

tagnacht — the Germanlanguage gastro guide to eating out and drinking in Cologne shop.stadtrevue.de

Bambule

This cosy café in a former kiosk is small but perfectly charming. The friendly owner and her team bake and cook fresh every day, serving up everything from chocolate cheesecake and gluten-free chocolate tart to vegan cinnamon swirls. When we drop by on a Tuesday morning, we are greeted by a group of women sitting outside, all holding a child in one hand and a co ee in the other. Almost all tables inside are occupied and through the window we can see the brisk trade between the adjoining school yard and the café’s window hatch. As the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls fills the air, we enjoy a slice of the pleasantly sweet chocolate cheesecake and sip a latte macchiato with milk from the Hielscher Hof farm in nearby Leichlingen.

Wiersbergstr. 32, 51103 Cologne, outside seating

Ka eebud

Every neighbourhood, or Veedel as they’re known in Cologne, has its own café. And Ehrenfeld has Kaf feebud, a tiny establishment with a cosy, industrial look and vintage wooden furniture. At the counter you will find two well-stocked cake display cabinets full of tasty options such as carrot cake with a thick lay er of frosting, chocolate cake with chocolate drops and plenty of icing, rhubarb crumble cake, blueberry cheesecake and zucchini and wal nut chocolate cake – all homemade. We are particularly tempted by the latter, with its chocolate icing and visible zucchini pieces. And, take it from us, the creamy and juicy cake with large walnut pieces and firm chocolate glaze tastes every bit as good as it looks! We wash it down with an iced co ee and a chai latte prepared with homemade syrup.

Glasstr. 62, 50823 Cologne, no outside seating

From a kiosk to a cosy café: Bambule

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

From cinnamon rolls to chocolate tart and blueberry cheesecake; it’s always time for coffee and cake in Cologne

A day in the life of …

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

…

Christina Bacher

People who know me may find this hard to believe, but when I’m not writing children’s books or crime novels, editing street magazine DRAUSSENSEITER, organising writing workshops or running around a er my two teenage kids, I’m usually looking for peace and quiet when ever I have some time o . A quiet oasis in the heart of the city? Is there such a thing in Cologne? I always prefer to spend my leisure time in my own neighbourhood, probably because I have to travel so much for my work. Mauenheim, Cologne’s smallest district – or Veedel, as we call them here – has just turned 100 years old.

Even though it spawned famous songs by the likes of Marie-Luise Nikuta and Hans Knipp and is home to one of the city’s most active carnival societies, the Mauenheimer Muschele, Mauenheim is still very much a well-kept secret. When leading architect Wilhelm Riphahn was planning the settlement in the north of Cologne in the early 1920s, he set out to provide its residents with “light, air and trees”. Said to be colour-blind himself, he commissioned artists Heinrich Hoerle and Franz Wilhelm Seiwert to paint the little houses in vibrant colours. A er these houses were largely destroyed in World War II, the predominantly grey buildings that were swi ly built to replace them are increasingly being decked out in bright colours, as befits the Papageiensiedlung –the ‘parrot district’, as it is also known.

It’s a great place to go walking, par ticularly in April when the cherry blossom trees on Nibelungenplatz are in full bloom.

On a stroll through the stately Nordfried hof cemetery, you can visit the grave of German actress and singer Trude Herr or

take in the diverse flora and fauna in the nearby nature reserve Am Ginsterpfad. On the way there, you will pass by the Pallen berg Settlement, which was financed over a hundred years ago by a foundation set up by furniture manufacturer Jakob Pal lenberg, and which has been preserved in its original form to this day. I o en cycle or go for long walks there. Back in Mauen heim, I usually seek out the giant sundial in the Grüner Hof residential complex, which has reliably served local people for more than a hundred years – even back then, it was described by time-honoured real estate company GAG as “building art”. Many local people have never no ticed it, even though it’s right under their noses. There’s plenty more art to be found on the way to the nearby Blücher park, home to Cologne’s longest street art gallery – next to the Geldernstrasse/Park gürtel tram stop. Since 2013, this street has been given a new look daily thanks to the MittwochsMaler (Wednesday Paint ers) and other groups of spray paint art ists – you can even come along and watch them at work!

For me, walking or cycling around my neighbourhood is a constant source of inspiration and new energy. It reinvigor ates me and gets me ready to face the big wide world again – or the pulsating city just a stone’s throw away, which, of course, has many charms of its own. Such as the Odonien club with its beer garden, con certs and penchant for art and culture, or Morio on Schillplatz, Cologne’s first wine bar serving up wines from Germany’s Palatinate wine-growing region. Both are within walking distance and my favourite places outside my Veedel.

Mauenheim is a constant source of inspiration and new energy

Christina Bacher is a children’s author, journalist and editorin-chief of Germany’s oldest street maga zine DRAUSSEN SEITER, which is sold by homeless street vendors. Together with historian Martin Stankowski, she also initiated the ‘Bürger und Berber’ city tours in Cologne.

Cologne is green

The city is on its way to becoming a green metropolis

Text Jan Lüke | Photography Thomas Schäkel

Cologne is getting a whole lot greener, especially from a political per spective. In the last four elections, the Greens achieved the best result of all par ties in the city. A department for climate and the environment was established by the city management committee in 2021 with the aim of transforming Cologne into a sustainable city. Back in 2019, the City Council declared a ‘climate emer gency’: since then, they have had to as sess the impact of all political decisions on the climate and the environment.

Thanks to the pioneering groundwork,

environmental compatibility, green lifestyle and sustainability have now reached the highest level of municipal policy. With community gardens on in dustrial wasteland, public petitions re garding the turnaround in energy policy and innovative retail concepts, these ini tiatives and entrepreneurs are showing the people of Cologne that a sustainable lifestyle is still possible in big cities. As well as influencing life in the city, they are doing their bit to ensure that Cologne is well on the way to becoming a green metropolis.

If trees could walk: Wanderbaumallee

Wanderbaumallee

It’s di icult for locals to imagine how dif ferent their cities would be if they were greener, but Wanderbaumallee (Wander ing Trees) aims to change all that. Since 2019, the initiative has planted several dozen trees – not at fixed locations in parks or on streets, but in self-built mod ules on wheels. Wanderbaumallee rolls out the mobile trees (which also incorpo rate a bench around them) to di erent parking spaces around the city. Their message: in areas where cars are parked, city trees could provide shade, improve the climate and become a place for local people to meet up. The City of Cologne is now working together with the initiative. Before streets or squares are redesigned, the Wandering Trees are used to show city dwellers how much of an impact greenery can have. wanderbaumallee-koeln.de

Finkens Garten

On the grounds of a former nursery for trees and perennial plants in Rodenkirch en, you can now discover nature with all your senses. Within the five-hectare area of this ‘nature experience garden’, you will find, for example, a tree telephone, a barefoot trail and sound and scent gar dens. But their educational programme goes well beyond guided tours for preschool children; Finkens Garten is also a place for adults to escape from the pan demonium of big-city life for a while, sur rounded by beehives, a meadow orchard and natural ponds.

Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 49, 50996 Cologne; finkensgarten.org

Marktschwärmer

Some people want regional farm produce and others o er it. And the Marktschwär mer – meaning ‘market enthusiasts’ –bring both sides together. On fixed days during the week, farmers from Cologne’s surrounding area come to the city’s neighbourhoods to o er their wares. But

the idea of Schwärmereien – as the laidback evening markets are known – goes beyond the sale of sausages, yoghurt, fruit or veg. They also want to give a face to the people who grow food by allowing farmers and consumers to come into con tact at the market stalls. Why is the straw berry harvest so disappointing this year? Why has the price of cheese increased? In six of Cologne’s districts, farmers and cus tomers can meet up in person and discuss these questions and more at the Markt schwärmer events. marktschwaermer.de

Essbare Stadt

A fig tree on Brüsseler Platz, apple trees on Rathenauplatz – and maybe one day even potatoes and green beans along the city’s green belt. The Essbare Stadt (Edi ble City) initiative wants more food for people and animals to be grown in the city centre. Following the example of An dernach in Rhineland-Palatinate, more and more crop plants are being planted on Cologne’s squares or in parks. The City of Cologne supports the concept of the Edible City, which also includes public community gardens. For the initiative, it’s all about re-establishing a stronger con nection to the food that ends up on our plates. On regular guided tours, the initia tive shows where you can find these edi ble plants throughout the city. essbare-stadt.koeln

Unverpackt stores

Cologne is Germany’s zero-waste capital: nowhere else are there more Unverpackt (packaging-free) stores. You can now buy everyday items without packaging waste in almost all the city’s districts. As well as Veedelskrämer in Ehrenfeld (Körnerstr. 2-4, 50823 Cologne) and Migori in the Südstadt (Bonner Str. 66, 50677 Cologne), the oldest and best-known stores are the two Tante Olga shops run by Olga Witt in Sülz and Nippes. Witt is one of the pio

Green lifestyle has reached the highest level of municipal policy

Cologne is a hub of zero-waste, packagingfree stores

neers of the German zero-waste move ment. The author of countless guides to avoiding waste also o ers workshops on how to make your own cleaning products or cosmetics and the principle of Null Müll (zero waste) applied to life with a baby. Tante Olga Unverpackt, Berrenrather Str. 406, 50937 Cologne & Viersener Str. 6, 50733 Cologne

K.R.A.K.E.

The members of K.R.A.K.E. – the Kölner Rhein-Aufräum-Kommando-Einheit (Co logne Rhine Clean-Up Commando Unit) – are Cologne’s best-known rubbish col lectors. Actor Christian Stock established the initiative in 2016 with the simple aim of bringing people together to pick up rubbish. And that is still the idea behind K.R.A.K.E. to this day, although casual cleaning meet-ups have since evolved into an association that won the City of Cologne’s Award for Volunteer Work and has become something of an authority in political debates about waste prevention in Cologne. The Kraklinge, as the mem bers call themselves, are mainly deployed along the banks of the Rhine. One of their

highlights of the year is the Rhine CleanUp: for one whole day every September, people come together to pick up the pieces of litter strewn along the 1,200 kilometres of the river. krake.koeln

Vytal

Food takeaways inevitably cause a moun tain of packaging waste within minutes. A Cologne start-up wants to make sin gle-use packaging a thing of the past: with their idea of a multi-use system, which is free to use for the customers of restaurants, takeaways or bars, Vytal has developed into one of the best-known German sustainability start-ups since it was established in 2019. Almost 1,700 res taurants are now o ering their takeaways in the reusable Vytal containers, which can be borrowed via the app and then re turned to any partner afterwards. The denser the network of partner restau rants, the more convenient it will be to use Vytal. And the multi-use containers are proving particularly popular in the company’s founding city, where the com

Cleaning up the mess: K.R.A.K.E.

pany claims to have already prevented almost half a million items of single-use packaging. www.vytal.org

The Good Food

Customers at this grocery store on Venloer Strasse in Ehrenfeld don’t buy food, they rescue it. Nicole Klaski opened The Good Food in 2017 to sell groceries that aren’t good enough to make it to the shelves of conventional supermarkets. These in clude items that are past their best-before date, yesterday’s baked goods or fruit and vegetables that are too small or too out of shape to be sold in supermarkets. The Good Food calls it “love at second sight”. Most of the goods are sold at cost price –you just need to pay as much as you can or what you feel it’s worth. And Nicole Klaski’s aim is not only to supply her cus tomers with groceries, but also make them appreciate food more. A er all, a lot of what supposedly cannot be sold is actually really good food.

The Good Food, Venloer Str. 414, 50825 Cologne

MY CAMPER IS MY CASTLE

The campsites on the banks of the Rhine are like a home from home for many people. Jenny Rumbach visited the happy campers (and their pets) who have turned a temporary pitch into a more permanent place to settle down and enjoy life

Photography Jennifer Rumbach

Mary-Jo Kösters grew up on the Berger campsite in Cologne-Rodenkirchen and it feels like home for her and her family of five. They live in Cologne and love being able to visit their camper whenever they want as it o�fers them a change of scenery right next to the river, the forest and the city.

Most tiny houses on the Wiesenplatz site are inhabited by permanent residents. But two of them, including this one shown here, can be rented out to visitors.

The Wiesenhaus campsite between Poll and Westhoven is situated in an idyllic spot right next to the river. During the summer, both guests and permanent residents can find a comfortable pitch on the grass and soak up the front-row views of the Rhine.

The Meinerzhagen family lived in Cologne for many years before moving to the countryside. They have been staying at the Berger site for six years now.

The campsite is their weekend home, which allows them to be close to the big city and meet up with old friends. They love being so close to the river.

Spencer the dog and his family are regular visitors to the Berger campsite. They appreciate being so close to the water, the relaxed atmosphere and the friendliness of their fellow campers.

Café Wiesenhaus is the perfect place to enjoy food and drinks while watching the boats glide past on the Rhine.

As soon as the sun comes out during summer, the team at the Wiesenhaus campsite put up colourful bunting under the wine pergola.

Justus Schröder has been working at the Berger campsite for three and a half years now. He says it’s a magical place and he loves working there.

Cologne store guide

Text Katja Peglow

Cologne’s multitude of indie stores can be overwhelming at times, which is why we’ve put together a small selection of our top picks selling everything from vintage clothing to handmade bread and offbeat vinyl records

For exploring the world of film beyond the realms of streaming services, pay a visit to Trau mathek. Established in 1994 as a video rental store for movie bu s, the shop has been chal lenging mainstream viewing habits for more than 25 years now. The unique assortment of genre films, indie productions and forgotten classics is round ed o by a small but impressive selection of vinyl soundtracks, film books and posters, all of which are available to pur chase. A er renting your films of choice, it’s worth dropping by the adjoining Filmcafé for a cup of co ee or visiting the cosy Studio Argento cinema, whose line-up consists of evening film screenings, readings and panels.

Engelbertstrasse 45, 50674 Cologne. Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1 pm–10 pm

Prôt

Germans take their bread very seriously, and a particularly delicious recommendation is Prôt in Cologne’s Belgian Quarter. The selection of wonderfully rus tic-looking breads is small, but the quality is second to none. For master baker Alex Onasch, who can o en be seen kneading the dough himself in the mornings, quality comes before quantity. Here, behind the glass walls of the baking room, everything is still done by hand, which means that, at around €5 a loaf, it’s not the cheapest in the neighbourhood. Neverthe less, you’ll o en find people queuing outside for one of their extra-long proofed ‘Hausprôt’ loaves at the weekends.

Lütticher Strasse 6, 50933 Cologne. Opening hours: Tues-Fri 10 am–6:30 pm and Sat 10 am–2 pm

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

Traumathek

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

Vintage Emde

Colourful, sustainable and a little bit retro: anyone on the hunt for second-hand fashions from the 70s, 80s and 90s should check out Vintage Emde in the Belgian Quarter. The handpicked assortment for la dies (on the ground floor) and men (in the basement) covers everything from timeless basics to eye-catching second-hand designer pieces. And they also stock bags, shoes and other accessories. In the Red Room, an impressive selection of eyepopping sportswear from the 70s to the 2000s is waiting to be paraded by urban hipsters at their next party. There’s no such thing as bargain-bin prices here, but pretty much every thing is a ordable.

Bismarckstr. 56, 50672 Cologne. Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1 pm–7:30 pm and Sat 12 noon–6 pm

Buchhandlung Walther König

It might look unassuming from the outside, but a visit to the long-standing Walther König bookshop is a must for any art lover in Cologne. If this is your first time here, make sure you’re not in a rush as you’ll be hard pushed to find a wider va riety of books about art, design, architecture, fashion, photogra phy, film and pop culture any where else in Germany. Despite the sheer volume of titles on its shelves – including many in English – the store is extremely well organised. At the front, you will regularly find great photo books or exhibition catalogues on sale at a reduced price – just the thing for your co ee table at home.

Ehrenstrasse 4, 50672 Cologne. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 10 am–6 pm

Good Mood

Instead of new releases, Good Mood o ers a whole host of rar ities and other weird and won derful records from Michele Sander’s retro treasure trove. In 2017, the trained painter and varnisher fulfilled a lifelong dream by opening his own re cord store, which oozes nostal gia from every corner. Good Mood’s premises in Lindenthal promises the “largest and finest selection of 45s in town”. The store o ers almost exclusively music from the 1950s to the 80s over two floors. The selection is huge and ranges from soul to jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, doo wop, beat, blues and country. And in this nostalgic feel-good oasis, lovers of vinyl records can browse to their heart’s content – and are actively encouraged to do so!

Bachemer Str. 170, 50935 Cologne. Opening hours: Tues-Fri 12 noon-6 pm / Sat 11 am-4 pm

“We want to give something back to Cologne”

Local backpack label Fond Of has become a successful business by championing sustainability, ergonomics and fair trade

Interview: Anja Albert | Photography Jennifer Rumbach

This Cologne success story begins in the city’s Ehrenfeld district: it’s 2010 and Sven-Oliver Pink, Florian Michajlez ko, Oliver Steinki and Juliaan Cazin – the four founders of Ergobag – are working meticulously on the first ever ergonomic school rucksack. During the day they ne gotiate with suppliers and producers and at the weekend they pack 80,000 pens into the pencil cases of the first 6,000 school backpacks and go to ‘school bag parties’, where they can present their wares. Twelve years later, Fond Of GmbH – as their company is known today – is still based in Ehrenfeld. But these days their 280-strong workforce operates out of Cologne’s most state-of-the-art o ice building, The Ship, which has its own gym, restaurant, day-care facility, green ery-filled roo op terrace and bar with views of Cologne Cathedral. And the cam pus is still growing: one of the company’s founders, Oliver Steinki, is building an other fully digitalised “feel-good o ice”, the Vorum, next door. Fond of now distrib utes seven di erent brands (A enzahn, Ergobag, sfoli, satch, AEVOR, pinqponq and SALZEN) and generates an annual turnover of around €100 million.

Nils Eiteneyer set up xdeck and is now manager of baesiq GmbH with the Aevor and pinqponq brands.

Daniel Bergold has been the company’s Head of Corporate Communication for almost ten years now.

You’ve developed from a school bag start-up into a thriving medium-sized enterprise. How did you manage that? Nils Eiteneyer: Basically, there were three factors: we approached things with fresh eyes and without having the slight est clue. And we soon realised: “Hey, there’s a gap in the school bag market!” Secondly, there is our enthusiasm for products, which is also reflected in our name Fond Of. The third factor is fearless ness: having the courage to fall on our faces every now and again and the will ingness to learn from our mistakes.

Daniel Bergold: Every team player can do their best when they are doing something they are passionate about. We take the personal aspect seriously – we help our people to develop their full potential and try to see everyone as an individual.

How did the idea come about?

Daniel: We came up with the idea for Er gobag, the core of our brand, at a party

Ergobag was established after its founders met a physiotherapist at a party

The Ship in Ehrenfeld: An inspiring place to work

There are 35 recycled PET bottles in an Ergobag set

back in 2010 where a physiotherapist told us that a lot of children were coming to her with posture problems. To be honest, we were blown away by our success and other brands soon followed: Satch, the backpack for secondary school, A en zahn for kindergarten-aged kids. And as we wanted to carry cool bags our selves, we also came up with Pinqponq and Aevor.

Nils: We obviously struck a real chord with our four areas of focus: ergonomics, design, customisability and sustainabili ty. Last year we also started producing sustainable T-shirts, sweaters, rain jack ets and winter coats. For Aevor, we see a lot of potential in the bicycle segment: bikes are replacing cars in the city so people need decent equipment such as bags that they can hang on their handlebars.

Your bags are made from recycled PET bottles – how many does it take to make an Ergobag?

Daniel: So far, we have recycled 157 million PET bottles. There are 35 in an Ergobag set. The bottles are shredded, melted down, turned into nylon threads and then dyed.

Nils: Sustainability is a priority for us, par ticularly because we are more than aware that consumerism itself is not sustainable. That’s why we produce functional prod ucts that are as durable and sustainable as possible. Twelve years ago, our supplier explained to us that you can make fabrics from either crude oil or PET bottles. We decided to take the sustainable path, even if it’s the more expensive one.

What makes it sustainable exactly?

Daniel: We’ve been a climate-neutral company since 2022. That means we try

The Ship’s playground, complete with views of Cologne CathedralBuilding an empire – one bag at a time

to reduce our emissions wherever possi ble. Whatever we can’t reduce, we o set in projects. Our goal is to o set the envi ronmental impact of all our products. At the same time, we are planning to de velop a second-hand system for our on line shops.

Nils: We mainly produce in Turkey and Vietnam and work with external partners like Fair Wear, bluesign and GOTS, which monitor the ecological and social stand ards for us, such as the working condi tions in factories. They ensure that we are complying with our own standards. For many competitors, getting certified is their goal. But our sustainability team shows us every single day how we can do better.

You’ve also established a start-up centre. Why?

Nils: There are lots of start-up hubs, mostly set up by institutions or big com panies. We launched the first accelerator by founders for founders, the xdeck. Around 150 start-ups apply in every round and a panel of judges, in which our part ners are also represented, chooses six to eight of them. For four months, they re ceive a free workspace at The Ship and we give them access to experts.

Daniel: The city has always supported us. Now we want to give something back to Cologne. The guys from Vytal, the depos it-free reusable food packaging system, were in our first batch. And they are now tenants at The Ship, which I’m over the moon about.

Now that working from home has be come the norm, do we still need such big o ice buildings?

Nils: We regularly ask ourselves that question: but the answer is yes, we defi nitely do! A er two years of living with the pandemic, I strongly believe that it is det rimental to a company’s culture when its sta no longer come together in one

place. But it depends on the quality of the building itself. It has to o er flexible work ing, promote the work culture and, most importantly, people have to feel at home.

Do you have any recommendations for people visiting Cologne?

Nils: I love this city, simply because there is such an incredible amount of warmhearted people from di erent countries living here and everyone can be them selves. Dinner at Haus Scholzen is a must –we even used to hold our sta appraisal meetings there! Plus a bike ride along the Rhine and, of course, the obligatory visit to Cologne Cathedral!

Daniel: Kids love the zoo, and a ride back to the Rheinpark in the cable car. And I also really like the atmosphere at the weekly market in the Stadtwald forest on Saturdays.

Fond Of became carbon-neutral in 2022

The o ice of the future

A day in the life of …

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

…

Friedemann Weise

While the e-scooters slumber peacefully on the narrow pavements awaiting their ‘juicers’, we take a stroll through the streets of Ehrenfeld in search of our first coffee of the day. Since the pandemic, the number of ca eine providers in the area has actually increased, which means that you can now get a great doppio on pretty much every corner. We head to The Lemonade Stand on Klaras trasse, where Texan owner Craig serves up his homemade bagels and other vegan creations alongside co ee and the name sake homemade lemonade. As well as the window hatch, there are now also a few chairs in and in front of the café. If it’s too full there – or your sorry, hungover self is craving a cheat day – you can also walk one block further to the long-standing Café Goldmund and order yourself a full English breakfast. To keep you busy while you wait, you can leaf through one of the thousands of books on the shelves there.

While enjoying a post-breakfast caf feine boost, we take a seat on the little bench in front of Ka eebud to read our copy of local newspaper Express. On the way there we pass by Stacks, a lovely little fairtrade clothing store – which, as luck would have it, is already open.

But that’s enough consumerism for one day: let’s go to the beach! It’s only fair to point out that the water in Cologne –made famous in a song by local band Bläck Fööss – is actually something of a rarity. Apart from the Rhine and the surrounding lakes, which are far too far away, there aren’t really very many bod ies of water worth mentioning. So it’s worth knowing about the little Wasser mannsee, an excavation lake within easy reach. A er cycling for 10 minutes or rid ing one stop with the S-Bahn train, you’ll reach the newly built Triotop business

park. On the way there we pass by a huge and well-stocked art supplies store called Boesner. Even if you’re not a professional painter, illustrator or handicra s enthusi ast, it’s always fun to check out the latest colour palettes and paintbrushes, not to mention the various arty types who fre quent the place. They also have a great selection of art books and a small café for refreshments. Now that we’ve already given in to the temptation of consumer ism, we might as well make it sustainable: we head to the large flea market hall, where we snap up a designer chair from the 60s or – if that’s too expensive – at the very least a Fleetwood Mac LP.

But let’s not get side-tracked – didn’t we want to go to the lake? Once your smartphone has guided you there, you can admire it from above. There are ru mours that some people blatantly ignore the prohibitive signs and go down to the water for a splash around – but recom mending that would be encouraging a criminal o ence on my part! Selfies are definitely allowed, though, so we take one on the beautiful orange Belvedere bridge. If you cross over it, you’ll come to a lovely woodland area, which will take you to the stadium. From there we cycle through the Stadtwald forest and past the canals back to Ehrenfeld. Here we pass by the wonderful Melaten cemetery, which is always worth the journey – it doesn’t nec essarily have to be your last one! By now, it’s evening and we are hungry again, so we take a seat in the cosy beer garden of restaurant-bar Meer Sehen and order Tan nenzäpfle beer and tapas. And a er that, it should be late enough to enjoy a night cap at the Hängende Gärten von Ehren feld (Hanging Gardens of Ehrenfeld) bar and admire the (albeit fake) flowers hang ing down from the ceiling!

Despite being the subject of a song by local band Bläck Fööss, water is something of a rarity in Cologne

Humorist and satirist Friedemann Weise is well known from radio, TV, the internet and the last (but by no means least!) page of Stadtrevue

The scent of lavender in a pigsty

Text Philipp Haaser

Eigelstein quarter

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

A er starting out as a small mushroom farm in an empty car dealership in Ehrenfeld, the founders of Pilzling now have their sights set firmly on growth. At the time of writing, they are working on the next phase of their still young company in a vaulted cellar in the Eigelstein part of town. The start-up aims to produce 500 to 700 kilograms of mushrooms a week, ranging from oyster and king oyster to shiitake. “Compared to the market in countries like China, the potential for mushrooms in Germany is huge”, says Trevor Weiss, one of the founders. His team have 740 m2 over three floors at their disposal, two of which are underground. A crowdfunding campaign, grants and an accommodating landlady are making this growth possible. They even won the Hans Imho Start-Up Prize recently.

At Wandelwerk, a former car dealership used by start-ups, associations and activists in Ehrenfeld, they have already shown that their idea has what it takes to work. And now they are making room for the farm on an area of 100 m2. In the other rooms, the substrate will be innoculated (the term used to describe the insertion of the fungal spores) and the finished products stored and processed. They are giving themselves one year to reach full capacity. The three founders are all around 30 years old and Pilzling is their first venture. It’s the mushrooms themselves that fascinate them – mainly because they are neither animals nor plants. They also say that their manufacturing process can be controlled very precisely

based on just a small number of parameters. Light, oxygen, CO2 content and humidity all influence the growth of the mushrooms. They grow on substrate, which is made from waste – co ee grounds or brewer’s grain are ideal for this, for example. The distances between supply, production, sale and consumption are short. Mushrooms first grow through the substrate like threads before forming v isible fruiting bodies, representing a link between the living organisms.

Urban agriculture with manageable circular systems: proximity to the waste, the network and their customers’ keen interest in the production are all impor-

Technology and sustainability don’t have to be at odds

Preparing the soil

Foodforecast uses artificial intelligence to minimise food waste

tant factors. “We want to bring people in contact with the food they eat”, says Weiss. And it’s clearly working: their big gest customers include restaurants like Stadtgarten, the Johann Schäfer brewery, Tigermilch in the Belgian Quarter and the Olympia beer garden between Nippes and Ehrenfeld. And they often find it hard to keep up with demand. For them, there is no doubt that circular systems are the future.

Established in 2018, start-up Foodfore cast wants to make everyday life easier using artificial intelligence. For instance, they use an algorithm to help the employ ees of a Cologne bakery chain place their order for the following day. To do this, data from the till system is combined with data such as the current weather condi tions, public holidays and other empirical values. “The AI recognises patterns all on its own”, says Sophie Knipp, who is re sponsible for the start-up’s marketing. On cold, rainy days, customers tend to buy

chocolate cake, but when the sun is shin ing, they’re more likely to choose ba guettes for a barbecue. A sudden drop in sales could indicate that there is a build ing site nearby, blocking access to the bakery. The AI learns itself exactly what kind of an e ect that has. According to its founder Justus Lauten, it’s not only the customers who profit from this – the com panies and the planet do too. Bakeries are having to throw away far too many unsold baked goods. Foodforecast could help to reduce this quota: with 18 percent fewer unsold products and 4 percent more turnover, it is clear that this ap proach helps the bakeries to place more accurate orders. 500 bakery branches are set to sign up by the end of the year. For their employees, that means one less task on their to-do list because the AI prepares the order for them. Both Pilzling and Foodforecast show that technology can actually enhance sustainability.

The fruiting room at the Pilzling headquarters

Photo: Christian Vetter

One of Pilzling’s oyster mushrooms

Photo: Vanessa Michaelis

Best prospects for innovative ideas.

Eating out in Cologne: Dinner restaurants

Luis Dias

Mediterranean. This restaurant is all about the finest ingredients, intense flavours and unusual combinations. Burrata is served on a slightly sweet cucumber essence with a hint of mint, while the lightly seared quail comes on a bed of carpaccio with three di erent creams. The jet-black risotto with bright orange Breton lobster is a treat for the eyes and the taste buds alike. And the melt-in-the-mouth veal tenderloin is perfectly accompanied by a dark soy jus and crunchy vegetables. The restaurant’s very own cuvée from Portugal has a full-bodied taste and pairs well with many dishes, as does the intense Pinot Blanc Salwey. Julia Uehren Wilhelmstr. 35 a, 50996 Cologne, outside seating

Chum Chay

Vegan

South-East Asian. At this restaurant, Cologne feels a lot more metropolitan than it does elsewhere. The clientele seems quite young, the walls have a metallic sheen, diners sit at wooden tables and benches and the menu is completely meat-free. All dishes are light and digestible, which is why Chum Chay is also an ideal choice for lunch. As well as classic Vietnamese dishes like phô soup, the menu includes the glass noodle salad mien tron with organic tofu, soybean sprouts and fried onions, striking the perfect balance between sour and spicy. Their tangy homemade lime lemonade is a firm favourite among guests, but beer and wine are also served. But one aspect that takes away from the urban vibe is the fact that the restaurant doesn’t accept card payments. Fabian Elsäßer

Friesenwall 29, 50672 Cologne, outside seating

Rosendorn

Spanish. The sta are warm and welcoming, guests are always in the best of spirits and the murmur of chitchat fills the air. It’s best to visit this small, somewhat hidden restaurant in a larger group so you can sample as many di erent tapas as possible. From the list of around 20, you can choose three, five or seven, and you can also opt for larger portions, or “raciones” as they say in Spain. Some of the delicious options include the juicy and tender gambas with garlic and the boquerones en vinagre, which taste wonderfully fresh thanks to the marinated lemons. The octopus in a warm tomato sauce is buttery so and tender. And the wines also come from Spain, such as the barrel-aged, aromatic Mecenas Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the perfect accompaniment to many of the menu’s culinary delights. Julia Uehren Lintgasse 10–12, 50667 Cologne, outside seating

tagnacht — the Germanlanguage gastro guide to eating out and drinking in Cologne

shop.stadtrevue.de

Brewery. A whole new take on the Brauhaus (or beer hall) concept was unveiled in the south of Cologne five years ago. Even leaving aside the cool, modern interior, the menu concept isn’t exactly what you’d expect from a brewery either. You can put together your own dish as you prefer, which is why the menu is divided up into di erent categories, such as Am Knochen (On the Bone), Alte Schule (Old School) or Jemös (Vegetables). And the dishes they serve up never fail to hit the spot. The menu’s modular system makes the classic three-component dishes slightly more expensive, but this is more than justified by the higher quality of regional ingredients. As well as the local Kölsch beer, you can try Johann Schäfer’s own home brew, such as their unfiltered and extremely qua able Südstadt Pils.

Julia Uehren

Elsassstr. 6, 50667 Cologne, outside seating

Japanese. The vegan address for Japanese food on the right-hand side of the Rhine. Here the focus is on homemade udon noodles, which are thick, al dente and really soak up the sauce. Seaweed is used in many of the dishes. For the ultimate sea breeze, opt for the kitsune udon with wakame seaweed. Here, the bowl is garnished with thinly sliced fried tofu in a firm breadcrumb coating, providing a gentle umami experience. The green tea is served either cold or hot and can also be flavoured with toasted rice, which adds a smoky, nutty touch. But whatever you decide to order, make sure you leave some room for a slice of vegan cake from the delicious variety on o er at the cake counter.

Tobias Pastoors

Josephskirchstrasse 25, 51103 Cologne, outside seating

Metropolitan vibes, vegan Japanese food and a modern take on hearty beer hall fare –our top tips for dining out

Practising the cra : Handmade noodles at Nobiko Photo: Dörthe Boxberg

Nobiko

Johann Schäfer

Vegan

Knot again!

Step aside, knitting and crocheting: macramé is back! This age-old knotting technique has been enjoying a huge resurgence lately

Text Katja Peglow | Photography Thomas Schäkel

It all started with the hanging planter. And the macramé revival may even be responsible for the houseplant boom of recent years, now that a handknotted planter is the best way to show o your green fingers. Coinciding with the comeback of plants like the fiddle-leaf fig and rubber fig, this creative pastime that was last popular in the 1970s isn’t just taking the social networks by storm, but also our urban living spaces. Which isn’t really surprising, considering that the DIY trend is still going strong. And on plat forms like Etsy, a creatively woven, bo ho-look wall hanging can easily fetch four-figure sums. A er falling into oblivi on for many decades, the macramé trend is now making an Instagram and Pinter est-fuelled comeback. Whether in Oslo, Rio de Janeiro or Cologne, people all over the world are getting back into knotting, weaving and braiding. The results vary between decorative dust collectors and textile art that deserves to take pride of place in a museum.

Anyone interested in trying this new DIY interior trend for themselves should go for it! As well as being a welcome dis traction from our day-to-day routines and proving just as relaxing as yoga, no spe cial utensils or equipment are required. Basically, all you need for macramé are your own two hands, a bit of finesse and yarn or cord. Unlike knitting or crochet ing, you can create fantastic results – like colourful accessories for your own four walls – with very little material and in a relatively short time. But if you still need a helping hand to get started, you should pay a visit to Su Makramee in the district of Sülz. Since 2019, Susan Rostam’s cosy studio has been Cologne’s first port of call for high-quality materials and creative handicra workshops on the centuriesold weaving technique. Here, you can also buy recycled textile industry yarn remnants from a Portuguese ropemaker and useful accessories such as rings or wooden beads. Every first Friday in the month from 6 pm, the passionate cra ista with Persian roots o ers 45-minute taster

courses for beginners and gives an intro duction to the art of this oriental weaving cra . On her Instagram profile, Rostam provides her followers with a glimpse into her work and demonstrates the latest knotting techniques.

In Dellbrück, on the right-hand side of the Rhine, people have also been experi menting with di erent yarns and cords for a while now. Creative café Mapita (Dell brücker Hauptstrasse 139), which was opened during the pandemic by a mother and daughter duo, also o ers crash cours es in macramé by trained seamstress Katharina Drazek from BardoKat. In a re laxed, informal atmosphere, participants can learn the basic techniques of this dec orative knotting cra . And even if you don’t quite manage to get the hang of it, the store’s wide range of attractive prod ucts also includes a selection of readymade macramé creations. All lovingly handcra ed, of course.

Su Makramee –Macramé Art & Workshops

Luxemburger Str. 249, 50939 Cologne, Wednesday to Saturday: 2 pm–6 pm

Mapita

Dellbrücker

Hauptstrasse 139, 51069 Cologne, Monday: 11 am–3 pm, Tuesday to Friday: 11 am–6:30 pm, Saturday: 11 am–2 pm

BardoKat ardokat-designs.de Handmade in Cologne

Home sweet interior

Cologne is an undisputed design metropolis – here’s our pick of the city’s unique interior stores

Merowingerstrasse has become something of a shopping para dise over the past few years.

At Frau Schmitt, you’ll find everything from stylish interior accessories, prints, jewellery and ceramics to bags and back packs, eco fashion accessories, handmade soaps and shampoo bars, as well as bits and bobs for children. Always carefully curated, always unique – this is the place to come to find the ideal gi or even treat yourself. If you want to carry on explor ing, you’re already right in the heart of the vibrant Südstadt, where there are plenty of con cept and fashion stores, cute little cafés, bars and restaurants nearby. And the ever-popular Volksgarten park is just a few minutes’ walk away.

Merowingerstr. 35, 50677 Cologne, Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10 am-6:30 pm, Sat 10 am-4 pm

How We Live

Owner Nathalie Noell o ers a veritable smorgasbord of Scan dinavian furniture and interior design in her fantastic concept store on Beethovenstrasse. And there’s something new to dis cover around every corner: chairs, rugs and accessories by Hay, the Design Letters collec tion by Arne Jacobsen, wooden animal figures by Kay Bojesen, and of course String, a bona fide Scandinavian design clas sic. You’ll also find original items from design labels like Ferm Living and House Doctor. A erwards, it’s worth checking out the independent boutiques on nearby Engelbertstrasse.

Beethovenstr. 15, 50674 Cologne, Opening hours:  Mon-Sat 11 am-7 pm

How we live

Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

Text Anja Albert, Nina Reisdorf

Frau Schmitt

As soon as you set foot inside this little store, the scent of wood and fresh flowers will whisk you away from the hustle and bustle of Ehrenfeld, Co logne’s hippest neighbourhood. Whether on the lookout for something specific or just seek ing inspiration, design aficiona dos will be in their element here. With her sure feel for great design, owner Carolin Akstinat seeks out young labels and de signers and artists from all cor ners of the globe. Her range in cludes playful Hoy pottery from England, Slowdownstudio blan kets from Los Angeles and won derful prints by Cologne artist Parissa Charghi.

Venloer Str. 457, 50825 Cologne, Opening hours: Thurs-Fri

1 pm–7 pm, Sat noon-5 pm; Closed: Mon-Wed, by arrangement only

No 59 Conceptstore

A gorgeous dress, an out-of-theordinary perfume or a design classic? There’s something for everyone in this design oasis in the Agnesviertel quarter! In ad dition to well-known European design classics like Vitra and products by minimalist Scandi navian brands (Hay, Ferm Liv ing), they o er a handpicked selection of jewellery, shoes, cosmetics, gi s and lifestyle products. Owner Nicolette Rosin prides herself on also stocking items by unknown art ists. Her exquisite store, which is located right next to the Ag nes Church, also plays host to workshops, exhibitions and events such as gin tastings. Neusser Str. 59, 50670 Cologne, Opening hours: Mon-Fri

10 am–7 pm, Sat 10 am–6 pm

This newly opened store on the bustling Maastrichter Strasse in the heart of the Belgian Quarter is devoted to the little things that make life better. Such as exquisite wines from young wineries (most of which are cer tified organic and come from Germany) including the Hurra house variety, pretty plants and matching interior accessories. Right next door is concept store Schee, which is known well be yond the reaches of Cologne and definitely worth visiting for its stationery products, artist prints and beautiful ceramics.

Maastrichter Strasse 38, 50672 Cologne, Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11am–8pm

©

Hurra

© Thomas Schaekel

GrünBlauGrau Intérieur

Hurra

A day in the life of …

Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

…

Jan Lankisch

I have been a passionate cyclist for quite a few years now. Whenever I have a day o , I enjoy a lie-in and then hop on my racing bike. From Nippes, where I live, I head north on Neusser Strasse, through industrial estates and past fields until I cross the bridge at the Uedesheimer Rheinbogen, a green space on the left banks of the Rhine. That’s right, my day off takes me to Düsseldorf, Cologne’s northern neighbour and fiercest archrival! For me, one of the main attractions here is Japanese restaurant Takumi, which serves up fantastic ramen and broths. Duly fortified by a vegan karanegi miso ramen, I pedal my way back to Co logne. Depending on the wind and weath er, it usually takes me just under an hour to cycle the 33-odd kilometres there.

Back in Nippes, it’s time for co ee and cake, preferably at Café Eichhörnchen on Baudriplatz, which has been around for so long that it has its own patina. There are certainly more stylish cafés in Nippes, but you won’t find a cosier one. Or one that has such a good cherry crumble cake.

When I have a day o , I also want to clear my head. And what better place to do that than the Kolumba Museum, a modernist structure built by architect Peter Zumthor on the ruins of a late Gothic church? There is a reading room on the first floor with elegant 1950s-style leather armchairs. I like to take my laptop with me here to work uninterrupted on new design ideas – it’s an oasis of peace and quiet amid the hustle and bustle of down town Cologne.

At some point, I close my laptop and cycle to the Belgian Quarter to Groove Attack to buy some records from my friend Twit One. I’m really into Brazilian music and this is a great place to find a ordable reissues of old records that

would usually be out of my price range. And I always like getting his tips about which new arrivals are particularly worth checking out.

Once I’ve le the city centre behind me, I get o my bike and push it along the Lin denthal canal. Peaceful and surrounded by trees, this is one of my favourite places in Cologne – especially in the autumn months. Arriving at the end of the canal, I head into the Stadtwald forest. I was in Brazil for a month earlier this year and the concrete jungle that is São Paulo really brought it home to me how great it is to have an expansive green area that’s open to everyone. I like to pay a visit to the deer in the Stadtwald’s animal park. You can’t really pet them – I’ve only ever seen that in Japan – but sometimes you can get them to eat out of your hand. As someone who is generally a little wound up, I find it very calming to be around these shy, tim id animals.

Next on the list is the nearby Stadion bad, in my view the best outdoor swim ming pool in Cologne. A er swimming my 30 lengths, I usually treat myself to a por tion of chips. My earliest and happiest childhood memories are of my time spent at pools like this. The smell of chlorine and the taste of the chips really take me back and there’s nowhere else in the city where I can wallow in such happy nostal gia. In the evening, I head over to Ace phale for one of my friend Janosch’s Neu, kaputt (New, Broken) concerts. Acephale is a great venue and a real contrast to the trendy clubs that have been opening up in recent years. On closer inspection, the decor isn’t exactly tasteful, but the at mosphere more than makes up for it. As soon as you step inside, you feel right at home and meet good friends that you can spend a fun evening with.

I’m a passionate cyclist and hop on my bike whenever I can

Jan Lankisch works as a graphic designer and organises the acbty and Foggy Notion concerts and the Week-End Fest festival.

GOING URBANANA:

A PLACE TO DISCOVER, GROW AND CREATE

Welcome to the urban jungle of Cologne, Düsseldorf and the Ruhr Area! Aligned in the heart of North Rhine- Westphalia, in the shape of a perfect banana, these metropolitan areas provide fertile soil for makers of all kinds. A place to discover, a place to grow – and a place to create! See for yourself the eclectic facets of urbanana and its people.

urbanana.de

an initiative of co-funded by

Ministry of Economic A airs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia

URBANANA IS A ROCKSTAR

What makes urbanana so special?

Can Antarat was born in North-East Syria but now lives in Bochum, one of the many Ruhr metropolises in urbanana. There, he co-founded the music group, Karmakind. They write lyrics in five languages, have a spiritual sound and deliver a message for openness, love and integration.

All the di�ferent cultural groups create a lively environment and the big Arabic and urdish community in urbanana makes me feel at home. Also, there are so many inspiring events going on in all the di�ferent cities that are so close by. And, like the diverse and open-minded spirit here a lot.

As a musician, can you describe Karmakind and how it was conceived? Music has always been my way of self-therapy. met Ron a at the interna tional women’s day demonstration and she invited me to am with her and Mathis. We founded armakind and played our first concert at Materialverwaltung on tour , a pool for creatives in the Ruhr Area. That was three years ago. ur music is a mix between Downtempo und Dub, rganic House und psychedelic spheres. ur goal is to create a danceable and fanciful atmosphere where we can connect with the audience and go on a spiritual ourney together.

How is the music scene in urbanana?

urbanana has so many fantastic music events where love to play. atzensprung at Helios in Cologne is very close to my heart. Besides being a member of armakind, co-founded the collective, ne uture, in Bochum and am also spin ning records under the alias of Anta.Can we also organize an event series called reak uenz.

However, even though there are so many creative venues in urbanana, don’t feel like the music scene is well connected yet. There also needs to be more diversity on stage. We all should work on that.

Find Can on Instagram

If you have visitors – what would you show them during a day in urbanana? ’ll take them to the Hammerteich in Witten und emmnader Stausee in Bochum both are lakes . Then, ’d show them hrenfeld in Cologne and clubs like Drucklu t in berhausen, donien in Cologne, and ucy’s Sky in D sseldorf.

URBANANA IS A CHEF

Marny stands out like no other. She is full of joy, is colorful and cheeky. The born and raised Northern German has been a musical performer all her life. When she played in “Greece” at the Capitol Theater in Düsseldorf, she fell in love – with the city and a man. She then settled and opened her own café, “Marny’s Grünzeug & So” in the heart of Oberbilk.

Find Marny on Instagram @marnys_gruenzeug_und_so

What strikes you most about the food scene in urbanana?

The Asian food in D sseldorf is like nowhere else in ermany. And am not ust talking about Japanese cuisine, but also about Chinese, orean and others. f you walk along a side street, you’ll discover these seemingly unimpressive places which are not fancy, but are instead so warm and authentic with the best food also for a vegan. ike HotPot u or u by Meister Wang for example. The food scene is a bit like urbanana itself endearing, neighbourly and very international.

What can people expect at your café?

The students of berbilk call my caf the big W shared apartment of berbilk . t is a place to feel good There will always be some good azz music playing, my dogs, art and upcycling and, of course, soul food like my ayurvedic soups, cakes and sandwiches that make all by myself. Most people don’t even realize it is all vegan.

Your husband also runs an art gallery around the corner – tell us about it! My rench husband, abrice, was remind ed of the Paris punk vibes when he lived around iefernstra e in the s. He now runs an art gallery called artshows , showing paintings and sculptures by local and international tattoo artists the next exhibition focuses on female tattoo art ists. ten, they’ll stay in our neighbour’s holiday lat and come over to my caf to eat berbilk is one great community.

What do you wish for the future of urbanana?

hope for the city and its people to care for the places they love. et’s cherish and cultivate all the diverse urban uarters we have. et’s make a change and take con trol of our future With Marny’s, want to contribute my share to a more respectful, loveable and green planet.

URBANANA IS AN ENTREPRENEUR

Parul Madan is an entrepreneur from New Delhi and had stayed in Cologne before. The “city with the soul of a town” and especially its people left such an impression, she decided to move here permanently with her family.

What is one thing in urbanana that you can’t find anywhere else?

Historic and economically advanced cities and regions in proximity, presenting both local and international environment, offering connectivity to urope and the rest of the world at the same time. Despite that, each region in urbanana maintains its own character.

t’s a great place to visit as a tourist, live as an expat or even set up a business, depending upon what you want to do. There is a large international community with international schools and many cul tural activities. The di�ferent cities are well connected with railways and airports. f you like to get away from a hustle bustle of a big metropolitan area and still en oy the city life, urbanana can o�fer you that lifestyle, very easily.

You founded a company called DueDash – what is it about?

am a serial entrepreneur and a startup investor. uncovered many issues during this investing process and, furthermore, discovered that founders o ten spend far too much time fundraising instead of business building. Plus, investors spend too much time and money connecting separated systems.

The entrepreneur in me had to fix this for both founders and investors. have learnt that ualitative investor relations are the basis of fundraising success. And that is why built DueDash. We help start ups raise capital by sharing their story to relevant investors. And we enable investors to never miss out on the next big deal, ever again.

Can you tell us about some startup success stories from urbanana?

We have many good success stories from silent players like the online translator service, Deep and the so tware program, AdBlockPlus by eyeo mbH. Their global successes are great examples for early stage companies like DueDash and others to be inspired from.

What does urbanana mean to you? Where are the places you go to discover, grow and create? Who are the people there that inspire you the most? Show us on Instagram using #urbanana. Find out more on our Instagram-Account @goingurbanana.

Variety on tap

The new beer culture brewing in Cologne: start-ups by young brewers are mixing up the market

Text Jan Lüke | Photography Thomas Schäkel

If you order a beer in Cologne, the chances are you’ll get a Kölsch, the local tipple, placed down in front of you. Here the word Bier has been a synonym for the light, top-fermented variation in the small, narrow glasses for many years now. And not just in the brewery pubs, where the Köbesse (waiters) keep the beer flowing by replacing any empty glasses with full ones. But there’s more to Cologne’s beer than just Kölsch: in the past few years, a new beer culture has de veloped that is bringing a variety of beer styles back to the city. This is being driven by young brewing entrepreneurs who are setting up new beer brands and establish ing other styles of beer alongside Kölsch.

One of these is Paul Nolte, who is merging the past with the present. The 33-year-old comes from a long-standing Cologne family. At the beginning of the 19th century, his great-grandfather Wilhelm Sester founded one of the bestknown Cologne breweries. Sester was also popular because it was the last Kölsch to be delivered by horse-drawn carriage. The Sesterpääd – Kölsch dialect for Sester horse – defined the cityscape right up until the 1980s. Although Nolte followed in his ancestors’ footsteps, he has also broken with tradition. His own Nolte Bier, which he launched in 2020, is Cristall rather than Kölsch. “Cristall was available in Cologne until the 70s”, Nolte tells us. The Sester brewery made this bottom-fermented lager-beer in addition to Kölsch, the trademark rights of which now belong to the Raderberg Group. Cristall disappeared from the city’s pubs and taverns when Kölsch gradually as serted itself as the dominant beer style. Nolte has now brought it back to life, with the help of his ancestors’ historical brewing protocols.

Paul Nolte has set up his company HQ in a place that brings back memories of his family history: in the corner house on Vogelsanger Strasse in Ehrenfeld – a for mer pub where Sester used to flow from

the beer taps and the brewery was on the opposite side of the street. Although Nolte followed up his business studies degree with three years of training in Ba varia to become a master brewer, he still doesn’t have his own brewing kettle. “Our dream is to open our own brewery in Co logne one day”, says Nolte, who runs the small company with his wife Elisabeth. Nolte Bier can now be found in more and more places throughout the city – in supermarkets and kiosks but especially in bars and restaurants. It’s even on the menu at Le Moissonnier (Krefelder Str. 25, 50670 Cologne), which boasts two Miche lin stars and has been one of the city’s most popular fine dining spots for many years. Nolte isn’t surprised that his Cristall is a hit with beer drinkers. “It has some thing of a Helles (a traditional German pale lager beer mainly brewed in the south of Germany), because it’s really easy to drink, but also has the hoppy taste of a pilsener”, he says, “that’s what makes Cristall such a modern beer. I’m surprised that it disappeared from the market in the first place.”

There’s more to Cologne’s beer than just Kölsch

Bound by tradition: Paul Nolte comes from a family of brewers

Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

‘Köln kann Pils’ (Cologne can also do pils ner) is the slogan of Zappes Broi, a beer brand established in 2020 by Maximilian Koeser and Nicolas Lutz, who are both in their early 30s. They don’t brew Kölsch either, but pilsner, a type of lager-like beer. “Nico comes from the Bergisches Land and I’m from the Ruhr Region. That is pilsner country”, says Koeser. But whenever the two friends would meet up to drink a pilsner at one of Cologne’s many kiosks, the Zappes co-founders “would usually end up with a Czech beer –and eventually asked ourselves why there wasn’t a local alternative here in Cologne.” So Koeser and Lutz, who have a doctorate in civil engineering and a busi ness degree between them, decided to come up with their own. Zappes mainly

has the city’s kiosks to thank for the suc cess of their organic-quality pilsener, which is still a rarity on the beer market. As Lutz tells us: “There’s a high demand for Zappes in the kiosks – that’s both sales and marketing for us at the same time.” The founders are now also selling their beer on their own premises, having opened both a pub (Das Zappes: Roonstr. 71, 50674 Cologne) and a kiosk (Eine ART Büdchen: Schaafenstr. 53–55, 50676 Co logne) within a short space of time. Maxi milian Koeser has no doubt that there is plenty of room in the city for several styles of beer: “As a city, Cologne is col ourful, diverse and has many sides to it. And that should be reflected in its choice of beer too.” The founders are also ob serving a greater openness among con sumers. “The cra beer wave from a few years ago made it clear to younger people in particular that other beers do exist –especially in Cologne”, says Nicolas Lutz.

As recently as the first half of the 20th century, Cologne was known for its varie ty of beer styles. As well as Kölsch, which was given its name in 1906 by the Sünner brewery, other beers such as Export, la ger, Knupp, pilsner and even Alt (the local beer from Cologne’s rival city Düsseldorf) were also made in Cologne. In the second half of the century, industrial mass pro duction and the concentration on a small number of breweries resulted in Kölsch gradually pushing out the other beers. This development was propelled by the Kölsch Convention of 1985, which only permits a very small number of breweries to brew Kölsch. By rediscovering other brewing styles, Cologne is now going back to its roots.

But there’s one thing that the new generation of brewers is keen to make clear: although they want to bring more variety to Cologne’s beer o ering, they certainly have no wish to knock Kölsch from its throne. “It’s pretty cool for a city to have its own style of beer that’s known all over the world”, says Paul Nolte. And who would know that better than a fourthgeneration Cologne brewer?

Cologne is colourful and diverse. That should be reflected in its choice of beer

New kids on the tap: Maximilian Koeser and Nicolas Lutz, the owners of Zappes Broi

Düsseldorf

In Düsseldorf, international urban artists have created some exciting large murals. Klaus Rosskothen, owner of the urban art gallery Pretty Portal, takes you on a bike tour through the city’s most colourful districts. Discover and photograph the newly designed murals of Düsseltal, Flingern, Oberbilk, Friedrichstadt and Bilk. Book the Urban Art Ride now: www.visit-duesseldorf.de

Your organiser Klaus Rosskothen at Pretty Portal

Photo: Düsseldorf Tourismus GmbH Artwork by SKIO

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by

Under the bridge Ministry of Economic A airs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia

Cologne nightlife: Bar hopping

Spirits

Vegan option

With its laid-back loft vibes and easy-on-the-ear DJ sounds, this long bar is the perfect setting for a chilled start to the evening or relaxed drinks a er work. Its attentive bar crew have plenty of recommendations at the ready and can also whip up concoctions to suit your personal preferences. The Seasonal Inspired Pisco is a winning mix of muscat grape distillate and the fruity sweetness of cherry and apple – and as the bar uses an alternative egg white product, it’s also vegan. Made with a type of Caribbean rum in which banana skins are soaked, the Mai Tai Twist also packs a punch: the intense flavour of banana cake perfectly complements the cocktail’s almond and orange components. Cheers!

Engelbertstrasse 63, 50674 Cologne, outside seating

Seiberts

If you want to visit this timeless, classic cocktail establishment –which was singled out this year by a gourmet magazine as the Best American Bar in Germany – you have to ring the doorbell first. Once you’ve been ushered inside, you’ll find yourself in a historical townhouse with a gentlemen’s club atmosphere. In the summer months, we recommend bagging a table outside on the bar’s plant-filled patio. With the extensive menu and additional seasonal, you’ll be spoilt for choice. The Lemon Curd Daiquiri with lime and pineapple rum is topped with a heavenly espuma and tastes fresh and fruity. And in the Crown of Ginger Lemonade – concocted on the basis of London dry gin topped with ginger beer – the sweetness of the champagne and ginger jam is perfectly balanced out by the taste of Thai basil and lime.

Friesenwall 33, 50672 Cologne, outside seating

Toddy Tapper

Every evening, this cosy bar is packed to the ra ers – mainly with regulars, all sitting shoulder to shoulder at the high tables, the bar or in the tiny lounge area. Most of the drinks on the menu are made with arrack, a spirit distilled from palm wine (hence the ‘Toddy’ in the bar’s name). The intense flavours come from ingredients like ka ir, vanilla, cardamom or pimento, rounded o to perfection with fruity, citrus-like notes, honey, palm sugar or lemon curd. We recommend the classic Ceylon Mule and also the slightly stronger Amrita with Indian whiskey and arrack, spices from Ceylon and a finish that is both creamy and salty. If fruity is more your thing, why not order the Zen Garden with its interesting combination of matcha and plum, or the Jack & Jill with kalamansi and jackfruit?

Schillingstrasse 27, 50670 Cologne, outside seating

Text Marco Kramer

tagnacht — the Germanlanguage gastro guide to eating out and drinking in Cologne shop.stadtrevue.de

The crew of this bar, not far from the Rathenauplatz square, is very serious about providing its guests with drinks of the finest quality. Under their watch, you’re guaran teed fast service and a full glass –whether your tipple of choice is cocktails or chilled draught beer. And the laid-back vibe extends to either side of the bar. The menu is chock-full of interesting drinks, but our top recommendation is Le Toni – a twist on the Negroni with rose vermouth, bergamot and classic gin that hits all the right spots with its bitter sweetness. The vanilla and caramel notes of the bourbon in De Buhr Nuit provide a surprising com plement to its cocoa and orange flavours. If the weather gods are on your side, you can sit outside in the cosy courtyard – or, failing that, there are a few tables out front too.

Heinsbergstrasse 20, 50674 Cologne, outside seating

Cra beer Corner

This popular port of call for cra beer is slightly tucked away behind Cologne’s historical Gürzenich event venue in the Old Town. The 15 draught beers on o er change every week and are complemented by an exten sive selection of bottled beer. Dur ing the odd quiet moment, the bar sta are only too happy to give you recommendations and share their vast knowledge. For instance, a par ticularly refreshing recommenda tion is the fruity, slightly yeasty Veedels Wiess with a subtle acidity from the Ale-Mania brewery in Bonn. With its strong kick, the 8.5% Orca Bräu x CCC Escape to L.A. is a good call for later on in the night.

There are also regular tap takeovers, where smaller breweries proudly present their cra beers. Martinstr. 32, 50667 Cologne, outside seating

Classic cocktails, Sri Lankan specialities and craft beer – our recommendations for a night out

At Rosebud, you can taste the quality in every sip

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

Rosebud

Rapqueens win the battle

Multitalented and creative: Liser

Germany’s first everCologne is the scene for female battle rap league

Text Carla H. Bartels | Photography Jennifer Rumbach

Rap battles are as much a part of hip-hop history as DJs, gra iti and break dancing. Generally speaking, they feature two duelling performers taking it in turns to rap punchlines and disses at each oth er. These can be pre-written or impro vised ‘freestyle’. Depending on the league, the battles are broadcast online or take place in front of a live audience. The rap pers know beforehand who they will be up against and prepare themselves ac cordingly. The battle opponents set their boundaries amongst themselves, and these are usually universally respected. In German-speaking countries, there are nu merous leagues from which successful rappers regularly emerge.

Cologne plays host to the first ever rap battle league in Germany to feature pre dominantly women. It is called F.R.E.S.H. –which stands for Female Rap Extreme Savage Hitting – and is run by a man, Sebastian, who was active as a battle rapper himself until 2017.

However, he was fed up of men domi nating these events and also sick of hear ing the o en misogynistic punchlines in the battle raps. At the end of February 2020, he organised the first F.R.E.S.H. event with some 60 guests, having sought out the female rappers firstly through his personal network and later on Instagram too. As Sebastian explains: “The aim is for everyone to feel at ease and to have fun.” Mission accomplished, it would seem. For

this article, we spoke to three female rap pers who have taken to the stage at his event and all three describe F.R.E.S.H. as “a safe space”.

Liser is one of them. She works as a freelance editor, production manager and content creator at Cologne Custom Studi os, where she is the only woman on the team. But at least her male colleagues take care to use gender-neutral language, or at least when she is in the room, she tells us. Liser originally wanted to be an event manager but that never happened. One rejection letter inspired her to write her first song and when she heard a few pals rapping, she thought to herself: “That’s cool, I can do that too!” While some of these friends helped her to pro duce beats, others tried to keep her ‘in her lane’ with disparaging comments but “there was always someone who under stood me and had my back”. And because she wasn’t familiar with the female per spective in rap, she wrote her first texts from a male point of view: “The first three songs I wrote were awful, but then they started to get better.”

Liser has entered the ring at F.R.E.S.H. a few times – and last year, she made her debut at DLTLLY, currently the largest German-language battle rap league of them all. Her performance garnered plaudits in the form of whistling and cheering from the predominantly male crowd.

Battle rap queens are taking Cologne rap to the next level

Battle rap is a kind of sport, but the verbal punches aren’t meant personally

Dascha, on the other hand, came to battle rap via poetry slams and jam sessions.

Before her first battle, she didn’t know what to expect so she just wrote a text and learnt it o by heart. When her (male) opponent began to insult her on stage, she was taken aback, but still kept coming back for more: “I really overdid it back then – you could find me on stage four times a week.” In recent years, she has taught herself production, mixing and video editing. Her time at poetry slams helped to school her in writing and emphasis, skills that she passes on to others in workshops.

During her first F.R.E.S.H. battle, Dascha forgot her text and resorted to freestyling instead. Although, as she explains, this is seen as being disrespectful in the scene, she is still made to feel welcome. She has also performed in the nationwide battle rap league, but feels most at home at F.R.E.S.H. “These days, there are more women in battle rap”, she says –a welcome change from the earlier days.

Dascha encourages other female rappers to come to battles but many of them can’t seem to muster up the courage. So how

does she manage to hold her own on stage in such a male-dominated scene? “I come from a family of very strong women”, she says. Her father also encouraged his daughters to go into male-dominated sectors and help to restore the balance themselves.

Media and Fine

Leenjay was one of the first rappers at F.R.E.S.H. She says that she always enjoyed listening to German rap, especially with smart, humorous lyrics. When watching video battle tournament VBT on YouTube, she felt it was something she would like to do too. And now she is. In another league, she battled against a male rapper and had fun having a pop at ‘male clichés’: “A er all, I don’t want to diss my own people.” In her view, “guys deserve to get dissed by girls more than the other way around”.

Leenjay sees battle rap as a kind of sport, but the verbal punches aren’t meant personally: “It’s like when two boxers step into the ring.” Battle rapping boosts her creativity and – at least as rapper Leenjay – her self-confidence: “My rap persona has a lot more guts than I do!”. On the whole, her family and friends sup-

en.khm.de

Dishing out the disses: Leenjay

port her in this pursuit. Others have tried to ridicule her but “they don’t know shit anyway”. In her writing process, she notices that she sometimes doesn’t allow herself to be “too sentimental”. Raps like this are all too easily dismissed as “kitschy” and Leenjay has no wish to reinforce the stereotype that female rappers only concern themselves with emotional matters. In rap, credibility is everything, which means that rappers – regardless of their gender – should write and rap what is on their mind. She would like for the lines to be more blurred between ‘female rap’ and rap – or ‘male rap’, as it should be called – and for “more women to take the plunge”. She is currently working on an EP with her friend KDY, with one song also featuring Liser. They may sling barbed rhymes at each other on stage at F.R.E.S.H., but o the stage, the battle rap queens are joining forces to take the Cologne female rap scene to the next level.

Most female rappers were confronted with bias early on in their careers

Partying for Future

Climate change is also an issue for Cologne’s clubs, but the scene needs to up its game

Text Mattea Müller | Photography Jennifer Rumbach

Every week, thousands of people flock to the 90 or so clubs in Cologne. Few of them will be aware that the average club uses around 120,000 kWh of power every year, the equivalent of more than 30 three-person households. Refrigerators, lighting systems and water in the toilets all drive up the energy emissions signifi cantly. In the case of concerts, the prob lem starts with artists and audience trav elling to and from the events, o en by car or even by plane. And energy consump tion, waste and wastewater are major cli mate killers at large cultural events too.

So even if we are environmentally con scious in our everyday lives, does it all have to go out of the window when we visit clubs and concerts? No, says Heiko Rühl, managing director of Klubkomm, the association representing the interests of Cologne club owners. Climate protec tion is a major talking point in the sector, in Cologne and around the world.

Together with climate scientists, British band Massive Attack developed a Road

map to Super Low Carbon Live Music, which it is touring with for the first time in 2022. Here, the band always opts for the most climate-compatible option when selecting venues, routes and modes of transport. This gives the music industry a clear set of goals that can serve as an open resource for artists and bands.

Combatting climate change is also a priority on the German music scene. Kassel-based band Milky Chance has launched a project called Milky Change. As internationally recognised artists, the two musicians want to lead by example, by taking part in the Eden Reforestation Projects for example: for every concert ticket sold, a tree was planted –104,434 in total.

Climate activism seems to be all the rage among musicians but how can we be sure that they will keep their climate promises? Back in 2020, the German Green Touring Network published its Green Touring Guide to environmentally compatible touring that uses transparent communication between artists and fans

The 90 clubs in Cologne consume as much power annually as 30 households

Leading by example: Cologne club Gloria has significantly reduced its emissions

The club scene wants to be included in climate change initiatives

to prevent greenwashing. As well as this, transparency and working together with reputable partners is important. On the Milky Change project website, Milky Chance regularly report on the latest activities and introduce their partners.

However, Jacob Bilabel, founder of the Berlin-based Green Music Initiative, is not satisfied that the music scene is changing its ways. And when asked if there were any kind of o icial guide values for emis sions in the music sector, he can’t help but laugh. A carbon footprint for German clubs and concerts? You must be joking!

The slogan adopted by the coalition agreement between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP – to have 80 percent of pow er consumption come from renewable energies by 2030 – is “Mehr Fortschritt wagen”, which translates as ‘Dare to make more progress’. To achieve this, Jacob Bi label says that all sectors would need to be integrated into the programme, in cluding the cultural sector. As part of the Aktionsnetzwerk Nachhaltigkeit (Sustain

ability Action Network) initiative, a free CO2 calculator is to be introduced from summer 2022 that will make it possible to finally start collecting reliable emission data in the music sector. A er all, the first step towards taking sustainable counter measures is to identify the main causes of emissions.

One of the network’s partners is Ener gieAgentur.NRW, which also concerns it self with climate protection in the music, media and event sector. Michael Müller was involved in the pilot project Green Club Index in 2011. Here, six clubs in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia – including Gloria Theater and Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld in Cologne – received subsidised expert advice on how to increase their energy e iciency and reduce not only power but also costs. For instance, Gloria switched to green electricity and more energy-e icient refrigerators. Energy advi sors specialising in clubs are still active, providing expert advice to clubs upon request and awarding the Green Club label.

Energy-e icient refrigerators can make a big contribution to reducing a club’s emissions

Heiko Rühl of Klubkomm feels that this project helped to finally drive home the message among Cologne clubs. The City of Cologne wants to focus more on the cultural sector in its work in this area. Here, the club scene wants to have a support structure for climate protection that is geared towards clubs and event locations. Michael Müller says that club operators are very keen on the idea of stepping up climate protection measures. What’s still lacking at the moment is a general cooperation between the clubs and the City of Cologne – not to mention specific target agreements, designated contacts and, above all, funding budgets.

In Cologne, Klubkomm acts as the o icial contact for its members, while the club operators themselves are responsible for implementing the measures. Heiko Rühl can name many areas where climate-friendly wheels are now in motion:

for instance, green electricity provider Naturstrom is o ering a subsidised rate for clubs – and using local products also makes an important contribution towards sustainability. It is clear that, when it comes to climate protection measures, more is definitely more. However, the Cologne club scene would do well to draw on the experiences of its counterparts in Berlin, where a Green Club Guide was developed as part of cooperation project Clubtopia – this could be used for Cologne’s clubs as well.

It feels good to read through the Green Club Guide. As a regular partygoer myself, it gives me a detailed explanation of the usual energy guzzlers. And club operators can also find out about the wide range of climate-friendly alternatives available to them, from lighting to zero waste. Actions do speak louder than words, a er all.

The magazine for city life and culture in Cologne

Stadtrevue is Cologne’s very own German-language city magazine. On 130 pages, it gives you the lowdown on culture, politics and life in the city every month. With countless tips about places to go and things to do, along with the region’s most extensive event calendar, it’s your ultimate guide to the urban jungle.

As a clubgoer, it feels good to know about the emissions of my favourite pastime

A day in the life of …

Photo: Thomas Schäkel

… Gabriel Riquelme

When I have a day o , I usually try to have a lie-in – which is no mean feat when you have children! Once I’m out of bed, I start the day with some exercise at the new sports area in the Klingelpütz Park, which is near where we live. For breakfast we like to go to Café Schmitz at Hansaring, where I opt for the French toast. A er that, we pack up the kids and take a stroll to the banks of the Rhine, heading north. It’s great there because there are lots of trees and other vegeta tion; it’s not your typical riverside prome nade. You can o en spot a flock of sheep grazing – always a huge hit with my chil dren! We like to walk back over the Mül heim Bridge to the other side of the Rhine and then back through the Rheinpark for a round of mini golf. From there we take the cable car back over the Rhine, which is always so much fun for the kids.

But sometimes I get out and about on my own too! When I do, I love to browse old vinyl records at the flea market on the banks of the river – not something you can really do with kids in tow. I’m a huge Latin music nerd and for a long time I even had my own radio show on World Salsa Radio. Latin records aren’t easy to find, but you can o en get your hands on some real bargains because the dealers don’t really know what they are selling.

I’m also a huge ice cream fan. During the week I like to treat myself to a scoop or two from Eisfeld in Ehrenfeld because it’s on the way from our office to Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld. But when I’m out with the family, we prefer to go to Gelateria Porta Romana at Eigelstein. It’s a classic ice cream parlour and a family-run busi ness with the most delicious chocolate flavour.

I always used to think that cafés or restau rants had to be really fancy, but these days I prefer it when the decor is cosy and the atmosphere friendly and informal. That’s why you’ll o en find us at St. Ange lo, an Italian restaurant in our neighbour hood. I love Italian food and it’s perfect for kids there because the sta are so child-friendly. The food isn’t expensive but it’s of a really high quality. The steaks and pasta are my favourites.

Whenever we have something to cele brate or if we have guests staying with us, we like to go to El Inca, a Peruvian restau rant on Görresstrasse. The owners are friends of ours and they’ve just recently hired a new chef, the nephew of one of the owners. My family comes from Chile so eating there is always like a bit of a homecoming for me: these are my people who speak my language. Peruvian cuisine is very complex: there are lots of influenc es from the big indigenous and Afro-Peru vian communities, which are fused with the Asian, mainly Japanese migration his tory. This is reflected in the use of soy sauces, for example. Peruvian cuisine really came into its own in the 90s. The chef at El Inca has created a lot of his own dishes, but they are based on recipes from the community, which can also be cooked at home.

I don’t really go to concerts or clubs in my free time, mainly because it always feels like work to me! At the moment I’m trying to find more time for sports instead. Before my son was born, I used to do a lot of kung fu and I’d really like to get back into it. And I’d also like to dedicate more time to Buddhism again. I used to go to the Shambala Institute on Genter Strasse, which was so inspiring for me.

I used to think that cafés had to be fancy, but now I prefer them cosy and informal

Gabriel Riquelme is one of the team behind Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld.

Where to stay in Cologne

Text Katja Peglow

How about bedding down on the foundations of the Roman city walls? Or would you prefer a room with view of the Cathedral? Here’s our pick of five out-of-the-ordinary hotel tips to suit every taste and budget

Tante Alma

Ever fancied escaping the hum drum of daily life, nestled on so velvet sofas with embroi dered plush cushions and a glass of eggnog in hand? You can do all of that and more if you spend the night at Tante Alma! This retro kitsch hotel, where you can wallow in nostal gia to your heart’s content, opened in 2021 in the former Lasthaus am Ring hotel and is proving extremely popular among students. During the day, guests are welcomed by the wa of freshly brewed (and free!) filter co ee filling the air and on Sundays everyone sits down together to watch cult German crime show Tatort. Stu dents with a valid ID are enti tled to a 20% discount and can also rent rooms by the month.

Hohenzollernring 20, 50672 Cologne

the niu Mill

Located in Cologne’s Mülheim district, this urban design hotel might only have opened its doors in 2022 but it’s already one of the top addresses on the right-hand side of the Rhine. Just a hop, skip and a jump away from Wiener Platz, this brand-new getaway is perfect for a city trip. Natural colours and warm wood accents run through the modern yet cosy rooms. The brightly coloured murals are by up-and-coming graphic designers and add an individual touch. By the way, the ‘Mill’ in the hotel’s name is a reference to the mills that once lined the banks of the Strunde river, a tributary of the Rhine. Things are certainly looking up on the traditionally less fash ionable side of the river!

Genovevastrasse 26, 51065 Cologne

©

NOVUM Hospitality

©

Tante Alma

© Viola Epler

Legend Hotel

A er a long 17-year wait, this hotel finally opened its elegant doors next to the City Hall in mid-2022. Built on the founda tions of the Roman city walls, the ensemble is a very welcome addition to Cologne’s Old Town. The upscale decor of its 20 rooms oozes understated ele gance. A er a busy day of sight seeing, guests here can fall into a box-spring bed made special ly by Cologne-based family-run company Luiz. And Michelinstarred chef Daniel Gottschlich recently opened a new restaurant on the ground floor. Another bonus: the li inside the hotel takes you straight to the Rathaus underground tram stop – you can’t get much more conven ient than that!

Bürgerstrasse 2, 50667 Cologne

25hours Hotel The Circle

Retro vibes meet science-fiction in this hotel’s spectacular lob by: from a futuristic-looking re ception to a talking robot that welcomes guests on arrival, you’ll instantly feel like you’ve been beamed to another plan et! It’s hard to believe that this impressive post-war building was once home to an insurance company’s o ices. Since the building reopened as a hotel in 2018, guests can now stay in any of 207 stylishly designed rooms complete with panoram ic vistas. And on the ground floor, you can rent a bike for free. By the time evening comes around, make sure you drop by the Neni restaurant and Monkey Bar on the eighth floor to round o your day with unobstructed views of Cologne Cathedral and the city’s skyline.

Im Klapperhof 22–24, 50670 Cologne

The Qvest

Less is more at hideaway The Qvest. This privately managed boutique hotel in the Gerling Quarter is the ultimate city re treat and just so happens to be located on one of Cologne’s most beautiful squares. The list ed building was constructed in neo-Gothic style in 1867 and has been both a monastery and city archive in its former lives. These days it provides a welcome res pite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Its 34 minimally designed rooms are furnished with handpicked design classics from the Bauhaus and MidCentury eras and the walls are adorned with contemporary art and photography. In the evening, we recommend paying a visit to neighbouring Italian restaurant La Fonda.

Gereonskloster 12, 50670 Cologne

©

Ralph Baiker

Photo: Steve Herud

Good to know

Text Katja Peglow and Christian Werthschulte

How can I find out what’s going on?

Independent, informative and, despite having over 40 years under its belt, still very much in tune with the times: Cologne’s Stadtrevue (stadtrevue.de) magazine has stood out on the city’s monopolised press landscape since 1976.

A highlight is the daily events calendar that can also be viewed online and covers pretty much all club nights, readings, plays and concerts taking place in the region that day. Visit.koeln, on the other hand, will keep you updated on Cologne’s culinary o er and has detailed tips for shopping and arts and culture. And there’s also a good overview of the city’s museums and current exhibitions on museenkoeln.de. If you prefer your information as listicles, then Mit Vergnügen (koeln. mitvergnuegen.com) has you covered. Rausgegangen, (rausgegangen.de) on the other hand, prides itself on making an informed selection for their audience every day. And if you accidentally leave your copy of this hidden cologne guide at home, we’re also on the internet: hiddencologne.de

We also speak English

The English-speaking expat community in Cologne may be smaller than that of Berlin, but it still has a decent choice of activities. Starting with the o er of the city’s cinemas: Metropolis at Ebertplatz (metropolis-koeln.de) only shows films in English (some with subtitles), and O Broadway on Zülpicher Strasse makes a big e ort to screen films in their original language. Find out which films are showing in which language on the Stadtrevue’s cinema calendar (stadtrevue.de/kino).

You’ll find the best selection of English books at the Mayersche bookstore at Neumarkt. Check out the English-language website of the Cologne tourism board (cologne-tourism.com) for general information, including some very useful tips in case of a medical emergency. Generally, you’ll easily get by speaking English here — in German schools the subject is compulsory so most people speak it pretty well.

Photo: Jennifer Rumbach

Good to know

Book tickets in advance

Whether you want to see a sporting event at the Lanxess Arena or take in a classical concert at the Philharmonie, you’re pretty much guaranteed to find the best seats with the city’s regional ticket provider, Kölnticket. All of its approx. 100 booking o ices in Cologne and the surrounding area are listed on the internet under koelnticket.de/vorverkaufsstellen, and of course you can also order online. The central ticket collection point is the somewhat modest-looking box o ice in the underground tram station at Neumarkt.

Concert tickets can also o en be purchased directly from the organiser. For example, together with KölnMusik, the Philharmonie has its own booking o ice at Kurt-Hackenberg-Platz. Directly opposite Cologne Cathedral, the Cologne tourist information service is your one-stopshop for all bookings. Plus, they also have a small selection of Cologne-themed gi s.

Admission to museums

Most of the big museums in Cologne are run by the city. With the Museumscard (18 euros for one person, 30 euros for two adults and two children), you can enjoy two successive days of free admission. Students, trainees and handicapped visitor are entitled to the usual discounts, provided they can prove their eligibility. On the Langer Donnerstag (Late-Night Thursday), the first Thursday in the month, anyone whose primary place of residence is Cologne is entitled to free admission to the permanent collection of the municipal museums (with the exception of public holidays). And it’s also interesting for non-locals: from 5 pm, admission to the Museum Ludwig costs just 7 euros for the collection and the special exhibition(s). Extended opening times (until 10 pm), special lectures and guided tours round o the programme. You can also make additional savings if you buy your tickets online: in this case, tickets for the Museum Ludwig double up as a VRS ticket for public transport in and around the city. museenkoeln.de

Getting around Cologne’s di erent fare zones and tari s are a minefield. But the most important rule is: if you want to use the city’s public transport network, you’ll need a ticket from the KVB, Cologne’s transport operator. These are available for buses and over and underground trams from the stationary ticket machines or during your journey on the tram itself. But we recommend you always have enough small change with you as the machines accept no notes. For shorter routes, you’ll just need the short-distance Kurzstrecke ticket (covering the stop you get on at plus another four), which is also available as a cheaper four-trip ticket that can be used by multiple passengers at the same time. The only cheaper way to get around the city is by renting bikes from the KVB (Nextbike) at a cost of €1 for 15 minutes. They require you to register in advance. But if all that sounds too complicated: at the Radstation bicycle rental on Breslauer Platz at the back of the train station, a City-Bike costs €12/day and €10/day from the second day. If you prefer to be driven around, taxis are your best bet. If the yellow sign on the roof is lit, the taxi isn’t occupied and you can flag it down. Or you can hop on one of the ubiquitous electric rental scooters, which don’t exactly have the best reputation among locals because of the fact that they take up so much valuable space on the city’s streets. kvb-koeln.de

How to get to Cologne

If you’re arriving by plane, you can choose between two international airports within close proximity. Although Cologne/Bonn Airport, which is just 15 kilometres from the city centre, is a lot smaller than its rival in Düsseldorf, it does have a great claim to fame: it served as the original inspiration for Brian Eno’s ‘Music for Airports’. Feeling frustrated at being stuck there on a layover for several hours and forced to listen to its banal sounds, he was inspired to come up with something better. Whether the acoustic ambience at the airport has since improved remains to be seen. But at least the transport connections are nothing to grumble about. It takes just 15 minutes to get from Cologne/Bonn Airport to Cologne’s central train station by S-Bahn, the rapid transit railway. For trains, the Thalys is very popular among travellers from Paris or Brussels due to its frequent service. Cologne is also easy to reach from London thanks to the Eurostar connection via Brussels.

Photo: Dörthe Boxberg

Cologne for vegans

Surviving in Cologne as a vegan isn’t particularly di icult. As well as the obligatory soy, oat and almond milk, most cafés and lots of ice cream parlours meanwhile cater to vegans. We’ve also included some specialist vegan and vegetarian options in our guide. The best places to stock up on everyday vegan essentials, from soya drinks to toothpaste, are the branches of organic supermarkets Denn’s, SuperBioMarkt or Alnatura, but you’ll also find a small range of vegan products at many branches of drugstore DM and supermarket Rewe.

COVID-19 in Cologne

Although we seem to be coming out the other side of the pandemic, there are still regulations in place here in Germany (such as the mandatory wearing of masks on public transport) and future lockdowns are still a possibility, which is why it’s useful to have some information on how COVID might impact your stay. The best source for the most current information is the Robert Koch Institute (rki.de), which provides information in German and English and can tell you what rules apply. Since Germany is a federal republic, however, most regulations are decided individually by each federal state. But don’t despair, the Cologne Tourism Board is on hand to help: their website (cologne-tourism.com) is always up to date on Cologne’s latest COVID-19 guidelines. Stay healthy!

Contributors

Stadtrevue Verlag Maastrichter Str. 49, 50672 Cologne, stadtrevue.de Tel +49 (0) 221 95 15 41-0

Management Christoph Ganslmeier, Sandra Renz, Britta Schönefeld, Christian Werthschulte

Special editor Hi-Jong Kim Advertising sales Hi-Jong Kim, Michael Meiger, Nina Reisdorf

Editors Anja Albert, Christian Werthschulte (liable for editorial content)

Photo editors / Photography

Dörthe Boxberg, Jennifer Rumbach, Thomas Schäkel

Cover photo Thomas Schäkel

Illustration Ælfleda Clackson

Art direction Daniel Poštrak / Stadtrevue graphic design

Texts Anja Albert, Esther Helena Arens, Carla Bartels, Jan Lüke, Philipp Haaser, Karoline Jagodzinski, Marco Kramer, Cosima Lorenz, Dorothea Marcus, Mattea Müller, Tobias Pastoors, Katja Peglow, Nina Reisdorf, Valeria Scalerandi, Sophia Schillik, Julia Uehren, Christian Werthschulte

Translation

Paula Hedley, Ian Winick

Advertising design

Elke Schwirtheim, Michael Kluth Printer medienzentrum süd

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