Who has been to Cologne, Germany ?

[CheeseRolls]

I'd give the beer a miss... it's terrible

Have to agree with the other posters on this one. Kolsch is a world classic beer and I would recommend PJ Fruh

Cölner Hofbräu P. Josef Früh KG
Am Hof 12-18
50667 Köln

Best description is like a top english bitter but served chilled. This works as the beer comes straight from the barrel and is served in small glasses, which are regularly swapped full for empty by the table waiters. Typically the waiters just keep a tally on your beermat and you settle up at the end of the session.

The old town and the river are also worth a look around, as is the surrounding area.

 

[sussexadz121]

thanks to all for the reply. I shall try most of the things mentioned. especially the beer

 

[Chamberpot]

Koln, is really good. not a very good football team. They got Beers, Bratswursts, currywursts, beer again. Loads to do and nice hot weather. Enjoy yourself oh and Spätzle, its so nice. I love the stuff.

 

[Simster]

My cousin lives there. I loved it when I was last there for the World Cup. Fantastic city, and the kölsch is delightful.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Been there loads, ever since I was a kid. Used to go skipping up the cathedral tower without a care in the world; now it needs at least one rest break at the bells on the way up and loads more when I used to smoke.

Find a pub called the Walfisch; it's not far from the Rhine, between the Hohe Strasse and the river. Order the Jaegerschnitzel, washed down with copious amounts of the fabulous and unique creation that is Koelsch. Then come back on here and THANK me for recommending that Jaegerschnitzel, which is clearly sent to Cologne via the cathedral directly from heaven above, incredible stuff.

FACT: the brewing process to make Koelsch predates the process of brewing lager, which is clearer and fizzier.
FACT: in order to call your beer Koelsch, they reckon you used to have to brew it within sight of the towers of the cathedral.
FACT: During going to a world cup game there in 2006 (Ghana vs Czechs), I drank nothing other than Koelsch on a boiling hot day from 11am until 12am in the evening and yet woke up the next morning with NO hangover.

 

[sams dad]

I worked in Cologne between 1995 and 1997, and would agree with other posters that it is a great city with lots to see and do. The only thing I didn't like was the Kolsch beer, I preferred Bitburger.

 

[fataddick]

Cologne is ace. The cathedral is fab and I got an hotel room with a balcony that directly faced it (Dom Hotel, spendy but worth it). The best place for beer is the Bier Museum on Buttermarkt by the river. It's just a bar rather than a museum, but has a good range of stuff on draft which is usually all the same price (3.50 Euro, I think). They had a 21% ABV icebock on when I was there, for the same price as the other beers. hic. As regards Kolsch, I think it's a bit boring. It's a top fermented lager, essentially, and because it's top fermented it goes flat in around 10-15 minutes, which is why they serve it in really small measures (less than a third of a pint) so you can drink it before it goes flat. Fruh is probably the best, but there around six different kolsch breweries, and they have their own beer halls similar to Munich (but without the nice beer or the huge jugs - both in drink measure and barmaid outfit terms). There are a couple of Munich brewery-owned places in Cologne old town, where you'll get better beer and food than the kolsch places. And there are places in Germany where the beer is far worse than that in Cologne (the whole of the North West - Hamburg, Dortmund, etc, for starters). The choclit museum is aces, especially the shop where you can buy all kinds of weird shit (eg bars of curry, banana and wasabi white choclit, etc).

 

[Pat McCrotch]

Pascha || Grsstes Laufhaus in Europa || Bordell-Erlebnis auf 7 Etagen

 

[7:18]

I've been, got family living there too! Loved every minute of it.

 

[Spun Cuppa]

Never been there tbh, BUT have 'splashed it all over...'

 

[Gwylan]

I can only echo what other people have said, it's a fantastic city, not quite Berlin but on par with Hamburg as a brilliant place to visit. The Dom is fantastic and, as others have pointed out, the beer is first class.

The only downside is that I left an expensive Aquascutum raincoat on a bench at the station for 10 minutes and when I got back, someone had whizzed it. Hope he choked on his Wurst

 

[Muzzy]

Just about to embark on a 4 day tour of Cologne with my rugby team. Whos been ? any must Do's or Dont's for me to share with the lads?

The choccy factory is in cologne not koblenz. Right next to the river not to far from the cathedral!

IMO the city is a dump and yes i have been there many times due to my job...

If i was you i would take advantage of the excellant rail system and travel away to places such as Bonn or Koblenz

 

[ofco8]

Cologne is a great city. Found Bonn very boring.
As said Dom is a must and Lindt chocolate factory.
Food, beer and trip on the Rhine add to the experience.

 

[Daddies_Sauce]

Cologne is brilliant, worked just outside at Kerpen (a short train ride form Cologne) for a while. Kerpen is where the Schumacher boys come from, and opposite the office was one of Michael’s ventures- Michael Schumacher - Kart & Event-Center

 

[Grendel]

Love and hate Cologne in equal measures. To be fair, the hate is primarily to do with us flattening the place in World War 2 and it having to be rebuilt. Everything else is great, and the Metronom is one of the best boozers I've been to.

 

[Scotty Mac]

Kölsch is one of Germany's finest beer styles. There are several different brands but all are good. Don't be a crass tourist and try and order it in a pint. Accept it in the 20cl glass (a "Stange") that it will be offered in. And don't worry about getting thirsty: the waiters in Cologne are some of the most attentive anywhere and will be ready with a fresh one to chuck down your neck before you've finished the first one...

the way they bring a fresh beer over as soon as you have finished is a fantastic wexcuse to consume far too much if you claim you dont know how to make them stop doing it

 

[Return of the Rev]

Just about to embark on a 4 day tour of Cologne with my rugby team. Whos been ? any must Do's or Dont's for me to share with the lads?

don't share a room with the cardinal

 

[olliwarne]

Kölsch is one of Germany's finest beer styles. There are several different brands but all are good. Don't be a crass tourist and try and order it in a pint. Accept it in the 20cl glass (a "Stange") that it will be offered in. And don't worry about getting thirsty: the waiters in Cologne are some of the most attentive anywhere and will be ready with a fresh one to chuck down your neck before you've finished the first one...

agree entirely, 0.2 is a must in cologne and you won't get thirsty.

@sussexadz121: I suggest ''Froh'' near the dom,and are you playing in Bonn aswell, they play next to ourcricket pitch.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I've been, lovely place. It houses one of my favourite pieces of art, go see Gerhard Richter's stained glass window in the cathedral.

 

[cannedheat]

Girlfriends great uncle bombed Cologne and that is true, he was a pilot in bomber command but he might have missed and hit the place over the border.