Where the Locals Go In Cologne

Cologne has plenty of beer gardens and outdoor drinking locations, but this one’s local Marcel’s favorite. Leafy Rathenauplatz is mainly used as a neighborhood park and meeting point, and even when it gets crowded in summer (it’s a popular public viewing spot for international football events), it never feels hectic or unpleasant. That’s mainly because the community takes care of it itself -- they operate the beer garden and there’s even a book-swap shelf and a boules field. Get a snack from one of the surrounding shops & restaurants and have a seat on a bench or on the grass!

Germany’s biggest treasure trove for postcards is right in Cologne! Around 50,000 postcards are said to be stored in W. Königs Postkartenladen (or postcard shop). It has two floors, and on the first floor you’ll find a modern gift and souvenir shop, but it’s on the second floor where it’s truly at. Take your time and browse through the vintage cardboards with yellowed hand-written index cards that are somehow reminiscent of old videoclubs and you’re bound to find something a card you just won’t be able to leave behind.

Wohngemeinschaft literally means shared apartment, and this hostel bar is modeled after an international common living area complete with 16 different rooms. With its fair prices, cool ambience, live music nights, travel presentations and language exchange evenings, it not only attracts open-minded and social travelers, but also a lot of locals!

The kiosk, or büdchen, located at the corner of Remigiusstrasse and Lotharstrasse in Sülz is the “Büdchen” of local Julia’s childhood. As she grew older, the kiosk was getting shabbier, until one days it closed down. However, it was taken up by  the neighborhood, including Julia, and now they’re running it together and organising small concerts, art exhibitions and of course always selling coffee, ice cream and sweets with a smile. It has brought together neighbors and created new bonds -- a true gem in this overly commercialised and impersonal age.

When local Stephan feels hungrier  than usual, he heads out to Bei Oma Kleinmann (Granny Kleinmann’s). Here they specialise in schnitzel in all its shapes and forms, and they even have a few vegetarian varieties! They also have weekly seasonal specials like chanterelles, asparagus or roast goose. You can either make a reservation or do a walk-in and wait in line at the homely old beer bar with a Kölsch (or two) in hand.

Ehrenfeld has gained a reputation for being the coolest, punk-est (or, let’s face it, more Berlin-like) of Cologne’s neighborhoods. The Sonic Ballroom is one of the staples in the rock’n’roll topography of the district, and whereas other nearby venues take more of a pop-rock approach, this one’s remains firmly in the hand of the (true) underground. Punters range from punks with mohawks to metalheads -- and a concert schedule to match. Come here for your fix of electric guitars, sweat and cheap beer.

While we’re still in Ehrenfeld, you can find murals and memorial plaques next to the train station dedicated to the Edelweißpiraten, a loosely knit youth-group that had been organised to oppose the predominance of the Hitler Youth. Thirteen of them, including several teenagers and Hans Steinbrück, their leader, were executed without trial in a public hanging in the very same area where the memorials stand today on November 10, 1944. Another annual tribute to them is the Edelweißpiratenfestival, a music and culture festival held in the Friedenspark in the south of the city.

If you’re in Cologne, chances are that at some point you’ll try to take a shot of the beautiful Rhine and its riverside promenade together with the Dom (the Cathedral) and the rest of the cityscape. There’s no better place to do that than from somewhere up high, and more specifically the KölnTriangle, a skyscraper on the other side of the Rhine. From the viewing platform, not only do you get a 360° view of the Dom, the old city and the other areas of Cologne, but there’s also information on what you’re seeing.