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Heading to Cologne, the city of culture? Eating, drinking, sightseeing, history...any top places to go and see or advice on things - this is the place to swap tips and do's and don'ts. Make the whole experience a better one by knowing all the short cuts and things only locals do!

FC Koln's RheinEnergieStadion ground will host four group matches and one second-round knockout meeting.

More details here…

news.bbc.co.uk/sport...

hairy cataract:

That was a stinker!

This posting has been hidden during moderation because it broke the House Rules in some way.

Why do you keep posting new City Guide thread starters, and taking away the old ones? Is there the slightest evidence that anybody wants them?

OK - so one person might have wanted them, but then finds them to be totally useless.

That just about proves my point......remove the whole sorry job-lot of 'em.

We do not want blogs or travelogues. Clear enough for you, hosts? - and Chris R.........

Welcome to Cologne, home of a lousy soccer club.

For those who don't own tickets for the game, there will be two huge video screens in the centre of our city.
One is directly in front of the cathedral, opposite the main station, you can't miss it.
This place contains a stage, and live music is played between the games.

You find the next one, if you go directly from the cathedral, towards the old part of the city, probably a three minute walk, the place is called "Heumarkt".

In between there are many pubs, where there serve our local beer "Kölsch", which are served in tiny glasses, looking like test tubes.
But be carefull it's stronger then you might think, we had some Gloucesterboys over here for carneval, had a great time, but they had to capitulate on late sunday (carneval festivities take place from thursday till tuesday, i guess we won this one )

In the old part of the city are several irish pubs.
I'm used to going to the Corkonian at the "Altermarkt" to watch rugby games and drink Guiness, on the opposite side there is an irisch pub as well, but i haven't tested it yet.

There are several Camping sites in the south part of the city on both sides of the river in "Cologne Poll" and "Cologne Rodenkirchen".
Poll ist just a fifteen minute walk from the centre, opposite the chocolate museum.

In Poll there are also wider meadows, where you can probably camp for free.

Don't have the crazy idea to cross the river swimming, the stream is overhelming, every year there are several tourist missing, who were a bit overconfident.

I hope you enjoy the world cup, and that we meet each other in the finals.

I recently went to Kingsholm for the Gloucester-Wasps match, i hope you will experience a similar warm hospitality in my city.

If there are special question left, i will try to research and answer in time.

Come on England

I have managed to win myself two tickets for the swedish game stopping in a place called koln-frechen
do you know how far is it from centre /football ground any other good pubs around and about cheers

Went to Koln last year and managed to catch a game, which was the local derby between Koln and Aachen in Bundesliga's Second Division. We stayed at the Station Hostel, which i'd recommend to anyone. The Best Pubs were the Corkonian and Flannagan's over the road.

Don't want to argue about the irish pubs, but they are not comparable to the free pubs i know in the Cotswolds, but they serve Fosters and irish beers, strongbow (i prefer the stuff of Westons) etc.
Cologne is famous for their kind auf "Brauhäuser", hwre they serve food for a reasonable price and brew their own beer and it's served directly out of a barrel, not drafted.
My favourite the "Päffgen" at Friesenstarße will be closed at game day, because they are afraid of hools.

But their is a Päffgen in the Altstadt as well, close to the screen at Heumarkt, Gaffel Brauhaus opposite the Corkonian, "Früh Brauhaus" near the cathedral, "Max Stark" Klever Str./Türmchenswall, Schreckenskammer Ursulagartenstr. 11-15, Malzmühle opposite the Maritim Hotel.
If You are staying at the camping place in my area "Rodenkirchen", their are many houseboats on the river Rhine and beergardens directly at the river, were they serve bear and food some are a little overpriced.
The last thing i heard is, that they will open a fouth screen in Deutz, on the opposite side of the centre, just a small footwalk over the Deutzer Bridge or the Hohenzollernbridge, five minutes from the cathedral.

Foodtips

"Halve Hahn" translated it means half chicken is just a roll wit middle aged netherland cheese.

Hachse is a grilled pork leg with sauerkraut an mashed potatoes, it certainly stops your hunger and prepares yourself for another 15 Kölschs.

Cold Roastbeef with fried potatoes is always good.

Tartar - is minced, rare oxfilet with a yolk and serveral spices on top which you have to blend, one of my favourites.

Reibekuchen is also very nice, that are fried potatoe pancakes, the absolute favourite of my beloved friend Martin from Gloucester Mr Reibekuchen himself, he once had a dozen.

Reibekuchen mix up very well with Tartar or salmon.

I will watch the game with my brother probably a the chocolate museum, wearing my Gloucester rugby shirt.

Come on england

Take S13 from either Koeln Hauptbahnhoff, the main station (or Koeln Deutz). It's 4 (or 3) stops to the airport (Flughafen).