Gay Grand Tour Germany • Munich - Frankfurt - Cologne - Berl | Ignas Tour LGBT

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• 11 THGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE VISG COLOGNE COLOGNE OLD TOWN | © ED WEBSTER/FLICKR MARN KUTTER 11 SEPTEMBER 2017 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT GERMANY’S FOURTH-LARGT AND ARGUABLY MOST CHEERFUL CY HAS SOME GREAT SIGHTS TO OFFER. BUT SOME TRADNS AND CTOMS ARE QUE PECULIAR. IF COLOGNE IS ON YOUR MT-VIS LIST – AND SHOULD BE – HERE ARE SOME THGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU VIS. VIEW ALL TRIPS THE PEOPLE LOVE THEIR CY THE PEOPLE OF COLOGNE ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR LOL PATRTISM, WH FOOTBALL PLAYER LAS PODOLSKI LEADG THE WAY. THEIR EP-ROOTED AFFECTN MANIFTS THEIR LOYALTY TOWARDS THEIR MEDCRE FOOTBALL TEAM, KöLSCH BEER, AND UNTLS RNIVAL SONGS THAT CELEBRATE THE CY. TOURISTS AND THOSE NEW TO COLOGNE ARE OFTEN PUZZLED IF NOT SPIC WHEN TEARY-EYED LOLS ENTHIASTILLY SWOON OVER EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR HOMETOWN. IT’S PRETTY HARD TO EXPLA. THE CHOS OF A TCHY RNIVAL SONG SEEMS TO SUM UP. TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP TURKEY SOUTH AI CROATIA BALI JAPAN ICELAND MEXI THAILAND GREECE ECUADOR SPA INDIA MOROC EGYPT ET GT KEI WOOD, DAT SAGE KüNNT, WAT ICH FöHL, WANN ICH AN KöLLE NK WANN ICH AN MG HEIMAT NK! (NO WORD N SCRIBE, WHAT I FEEL, WHEN I THK ABOUT COLOGNE WHEN I THK ABOUT MY HOMETOWN!) EPIC MOROCCO FROM ANCIENT CI TO THE SAHARA, EMBRACE CULTURAL RICH AND ENCHANTG LANDSP NORTH AI. VIEW TRIP - EMBED - DON’T MENTN DüSSELDORF AS MUCH AS COLOGNE LOLS LOVE THEIR CY, THEY HATE DüSSELDORF WH A PASSN. THE RIVALRY BETWEEN THE TWO CI GO BACK TO THE 13TH CENTURY AND TO LIGHT DURG FOOTBALL MATCH, THE CHOICE OF BEER, AND GENERAL DISURSE. IT’S WISE NOT EVEN TO MENTN DüSSELDORF NVERSATN. YOU WON’T BE TEMPTED TO ORR DüSSELDORF’S ALTBIER RATHER THAN KöLSCH (’S HARDLY SERVED ANYWHERE) AND NEVER SHOUT ‘HEL!’ DURG RNIVAL COLOGNE. THE OFFICIAL BATTLE CRY IS ‘ALAAF’, AND YOU SHOULD STICK TO THAT IF YOU DON’T WANT TO AFONT LOLS. - AME - THE CY IS AN ARCHECTURAL EYORE COLOGNE ISN’T THE PRETTIT OF CI, ARCHECTURALLY SPEAKG. SOME EVEN CLAIM ’S THE UGLIT CY GERMANY. DURG WORLD WAR II, THE CY WAS HEAVILY BOMBED AND MOST OF S HISTORIC BUILDGS WERE STROYED. IN THE 1960S, THE FOC WAS ON REBUILDG THE CY QUICKLY, AND URBAN PLANNERS TURNED TOWARDS NCRETE BLOCKS, WHICH THEY LTERED ACROSS THE TOWN. THE ARCHECTURAL MONSTROSI FAIL TO BLEND WH THE REMAS OF THE EARLY ROMAN SETTLEMENT. TODAY, THE MOTLEY CYSPE IS BT SCRIBED AS CHAOTIC WH A DYSTOPIAN TWIST. BUT THE IMPOSG COLOGNE CATHEDRAL MAK UP FOR . BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. THE PHILOSOPHY FACULTY OF COLOGNE UNIVERSY | © HOWI/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS PEOPLE TAKE FANCY DRS TO THE NEXT LEVEL EVERY YEAR, THE ENTIRE CY JUMPS HEAD FIRST TO A STATE OF MADNS. DURG THE RNIVAL SEASON, CLOWNS, UNIRNS, WCH, AND WBOYS TAKE OVER THE CY AND VOTE THEMSELV TO LR OF KöLSCH, SG-ALONGS, AND CHEERFULNS. AND ’S NTAG. A STUME IS SENTIAL IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE, BUT NOTE THAT THE PEOPLE OF COLOGNE TAKE DRSG UP SERLY. TOURISTS THEIR PRIMARK OVERALLS OFTEN GAPE AT THE CREATIVE STUM OF THE LOL POPULATN. THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT OUTF STARTS MONTHS BEFORE, AND PEOPLE SPEND A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME, EFFORT, AND MONEY ON A STUME, AND SOME EVEN HAVE THEM PROFSNALLY TAILORED. COLOGNE CARNIVAL PARA | © MAR VERCH/FLICKR DON’T SWIM THE RHE THE RIVER BANKS HAVE PLENTY OF SPOTS THAT APPEAR VG FOR A SWIM, BUT DON’T BE MISTAKEN. THE RIVER IS NOTOR FOR TREACHERO CURRENTS AND THE WAKE OF PASSG RGO SHIPS PULLS SWIMMERS TO THE EPER WATERS. NO-SWIM ZON ARE PLACE FOR LARGE STRETCH OF THE COLOGNE WATERONT, AND SIGNS WARN OF THE DANGERS. IF YOU STILL WANT TO TAKE THE RISK, MAKE SURE ’S LEGAL TO ENTER THE WATER BEFOREHAND AND STAY THE SHALLOWS. THE SANDY BEACH RONKIRCHEN ARE A GREAT SPOT FOR THAT. PEOPLE AT THE RHE RIVERONT | © 13. STOCK ONLE RELATNS/WIKICOMMONS COLOGNE IS A SHOPPG PARADISE THE MA SHOPPG DISTRICT ALONG HOHE STRASSE AND SCHILRGASSE ARE THE TOP 10 OF GERMANY’S MOST EQUENTED SHOPPG STREETS. HERE YOU’LL FD ALL THE MA FASHN BRANDS OM ADIDAS TO ZARA. IF YOU’RE AFTER HIGH-END FASHN BOUTIQU AND SIGNER STOR, MTELSTRASSE IS WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, AND IF YOU ARE LOOKG FOR THE LATT TRENDS, YOUR BT BET IS EHRENSTRASSE WHERE HIP BRANDS SUCH AS COS, LIEBKD, BEN SHERMAN, AND FRED PERRY ARE LOTED. IN RECENT YEARS, PENNT BOUTIQU HAVE POPPED UP THE BELGIAN QUARTER AND THE SüDSTADT. CHECK OUT MAGAS POPULAIRE, KEEP LOVG, AND BOUTIQUE BELGIQUE FOR REFULLY SELECTED FASHN EMS. THE PESTRIAN AREA COLOGNE | © RAIMOND SPEKKG/WIKICOMMONS IT’S GOOD TO KNOW HOW TO SAY NO VISG ONE OF COLOGNE’S MANY BREWHO IS A MT, BUT THERE ARE A FEW L YOU SHOULD FOLLOW. DON’T TRY TO ORR LEMONA; THE CHANC ARE THAT YOU’LL BE SERVED BEER, BUT THAT’S WHY YOU ME HERE THE FIRST PLACE. THE DISGNTLED MAN SERVG YOU IS NOT A WAER BUT A KöB, AND HE TAK GREAT PRI HIS JOB. AS SOON AS YOU’VE FISHED YOUR KöLSCH, HE’LL GET YOU ANOTHER ONE, WHETHER YOU ASKED FOR OR NOT. IF YOU WANT TO PUT A HALT TO THE ENDLS REFILLS, JT PLACE YOUR BEERMAT ON TOP OF YOUR GLASS. A COLOGNE BREWHOE | © EIJE WERK/WIKICOMMONS COLOGNE IS THE GAY PAL OF GERMANY AS WE KNOW, COLOGNE LOV A GOOD PARA. AND THE GENERAL LIBERAL, TOLERANT, AND LIFE-AFFIRMG ATTU BURSTS OUT OF LOLS ON THE FIRST WEEKEND OF JULY WHEN THE CHRISTOPHER STREET DAY, OR GAY PRI PARA ROLLS THROUGH THE CY. COLOGNE EMBRAC THE LOUD, LOURFUL PROCSN, AND HAS BEEN SECRETLY KNOWN TO BE GERMANY’S LGBT PAL FOR S. THE ‘BERMUDA TRIANGLE’ AROUND SCHAAFENSTRASSE HAS THE HIGHT NCENTRATN OF GAY BARS, FéS, AND NIGHTCLUBS, BUT THE HMARKT AREA IS ALSO POPULAR. PEOPLE AT COLOGNE GAY PRI | © CEPHOTO, UWE ARANAS/WIKICOMMONS PEOPLE LIVE VEELS, NOT DISTRICTS COLOGNE IS POSED OF 86 OFFICIAL DISTRICTS, BUT THE VEEL IS WHERE PEOPLE FEEL AT HOME. RATHER THAN A GEOGRAPHIL AREA, THE WORD VEEL SCRIB THE PART OF A NEIGHBOURHOOD WHERE LOLS ARE ROOTED AND HAVE EVERYTHG THEY NEED. THEY BUY THEIR NEWSPAPER AT THEIR BüDCHEN (KSK), CHAT OVER A GLASS OF KöLSCH THEIR FAVOURE WEETSCHAFT (PUB) ON THE RNER, AND SHOP AT THE GROCERY STORE, BAKERY, AND FARMERS’ MARKET. TO THE NFN OF NON-LOLS, THERE ARE OFTEN SEVERAL NAM THAT SCRIBE THE SAME VEEL – RATHENVIERTEL, KWARTIER LATäNG, AND UNIVIERTEL ARE ALL NAM FOR ROUGHLY THE SAME AREA – OR THE BORRS OVERLAP WH THE NEXT NEIGHBOURHOOD. A KSK COLOGNE | © BGEISSL/FLICKR BEER PORTNS ARE MEASLY… …BUT NOT BEE THE WAER, OR KöB, IS STGY. THE LOL BREW, KöLSCH, TALL, 200-LILRE GLASS LLED STANGE (POLE). IT MIGHT SEEM ODD AT FIRST, BUT LOL BREWERS HAVE PUT SOME THOUGHT TO THE AGREEMENT ONLY TO SERVE KöLSCH TALL, NARROW GLASS. KöLSCH IS TRADNALLY SERVED WH A BEER HEAD, BUT, BY NATURE, THE RBON DXI NTENT OF THE BEER IS RELATIVELY LOW, WHICH MEANS THAT THE OTHY FOAM LLAPS EASILY AND KöLSCH QUICKLY TAST STALE. SERVG STANGEN ENSUR THAT YOU ALWAYS HAVE A H BEER ONT OF YOU. GAFFEL KöLSCH | © PRIVATBREREI GAFFEL BECKER & CO/WIKICOMMONS THE THEDRAL WILL MAKE YOUR JAW DROP AT 157 METR (515 FEET), COLOGNE CATHEDRAL IS THE WORLD’S THIRD-TALLT CHURCH. THE IMPOSG THEDRAL WAS SPARED DURG WORLD WAR II BOMBGS, WHICH STROYED 95 PERCENT OF THE CY, AND THE TW SPIR STOOD TOWERG ABOVE THE BBLE. IN 1996 THE BUILDG WAS ADD TO THE UNESCO WORLD HERAGE LIST. CONSTCTN BEGAN 1248 TO HOE THE RELIQUARI OF THE BIBLIL THREE WISE MEN, BUT THE SHRE IS ONLY ONE REASON TO PEEK SI: THE ABSTRACT GLASS WDOW SIGNED BY GERHARD RICHTER AND A WALK UP 291 STEPS TO THE BELY ARE WORTH ADDG TO THE LIST. FOR A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE THEDRAL, CROSS THE RHE AND TAKE THE ELEVATOR UP THE KöLN TRIANGLE TOWER. COLOGNE CATHEDRAL © | PEXELS/PIXABAY VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
• GAY PAL OF GERMANY?
• 9 REASONS TO VIS COLOGNE OVER DüSSELDORF COLOGNE | © MAXWAIDHAS / PIXABAY ANWHA RAY 06 FEBARY 2018 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT COLOGNE AND DüSSELDORF, TWO VERY TERTG CI ON THE RIVER RHE THAT ARE ONLY 25 (40 KILOMETERS) APART OM EACH OTHER, ARE FOREVER AT LOGGERHEADS. BOTH CI, WH THEIR UNIQUE OFFERGS AND ATTRACTNS, ARE UNDOUBTEDLY WORTH EXPLORG. HOWEVER, IF YOU MT CHOOSE, READ ON TO FD OUT WHY COLOGNE SR OVER DüSSELDORF FOR MANY TOURISTS. VIEW ALL TRIPS COLOGNE CATHEDRAL THE COLOGNE CATHEDRAL SELF IS REASON ENOUGH TO CHOOSE TO VIS COLOGNE OVER DüSSELDORF. THE JAW-DROPPG ARCHECTURE OF THIS TERNATNALLY FAMO UNESCO WORLD HERAGE SE HAS FEW NTENRS GERMANY, AND FELY NONE DüSSELDORF. THIS GRAND STCTURE IS UNRSTANDABLY THE MOST VISED SE THE UNTRY. TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP THAILAND ICELAND TURKEY BALI SOUTH AI SPA CROATIA GREECE EGYPT MOROC JAPAN ECUADOR INDIA MEXI COLOGNE CATHEDRAL | © ANDI_GRAF / PIXABAY RHE CIS WHILE ’S POSSIBLE TO SIGN UP FOR SHORTER PANORAMIC RHE CIS DüSSELDORF, COLOGNE HAPPENS TO BE THE NORTHERNMOST STARTG POT FOR THE INIC RHE CASTLE CISE. CISE BOATS OM COLOGNE TAKE VISORS ALL THE WAY TO MAZ ALONG A FASCATG ROUTE, DOTTED WH A SERI OF HILLTOP STL, ROLLG VEYARDS, AND STORYBOOK TOWNS. CISE BOATS COLOGNE | © PIXEL2013 / PIXABAY THE CHOLATE FACTORY FOR VISORS WH A SWEET TOOTH, THE CHOLATE FACTORY COLOGNE WOULD SEAL THE AL. THE FACTORY–MM WALKS VISORS THROUGH 5,000 YEARS OF THIS GUILTY PLEASURE’S HISTORY THROUGH TERTG EXHIBS, SNIFF BOX, AND MULTIMEDIA STALLATNS. ADDNALLY, YOU GET THE CHANCE TO GRAB HLY MA CHOLATE PIEC RIGHT OFF THE ASSEMBLY LE, AND DIP A WAFER A CHOLATE FOUNTA. CARIBBEAN COLOMBIA DISVER COLOMBIA’S CARIBBEAN AST, OM CARTAGENA TO PALOMO VIA JUNGL, RIVERS AND ISLANDS. VIEW TRIP KöLSCH BEER REPEAT AFTER : ALTBIER DüSSELDORF AND KöLSCH BEER COLOGNE. ASKG FOR THE WRONG BEER EHER CY N LEAD TO A FULL-ON RT, OR SEVERE OWNG AT THE LEAST. IF YOU PREFER COLOGNE’S LOL BREW, THE YELLOW, LIGHT, TOP-FERMENTED KöLSCH, YOU MT HEAD TO COLOGNE, AS NO SELF-RPECTG BAR DüSSELDORF STOCKS . GAFFEL KöLSCH | © PRIVATBREREI GAFFEL BECKER & CO / WIKICOMMONS THE BIGGT RNIVAL THE UNTRY COME FEBARY, ALMOST THE ENTIRE UNTRY BURSTS AT THE SEAMS WH THE LORS AND FUN OF CARNIVAL. BUT THE BIGGT, SNAZZIT, AND MOST CHEERFUL RNIVAL PARTI AND PARAS GERMANY TAKE PLACE COLOGNE. EXPECT HILAR STUM, WORK-OF-ART FLOATS, LOUD MIC, MERRY DANCG, THOANDS OF REVELERS, AND UTTER MADNS THE CY’S STREETS. BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. COLOGNE RNIVAL | © MAR VERCH / FLICKR THE BIT SHOPPG STREET GERMANY WHILE DüSSELDORF’S KONIGSALLEE IS SEND TO NONE GERMANY TERMS OF HIGH-END, LUXURY SHOPPG AND GLAMOR, COLOGNE’S SCHILRGASSE RERDS THE MAXIMUM FOOTFALL THE UNTRY. WHILE MOST VISORS HAVE TO BE SATISFIED WH WDOW-SHOPPG THE EXORBANTLY EXPENSIVE KONIGSALLEE, SCHILRGASSE HAS A MIX OF HIGH-END BRANDS AND AFFORDABLE SHOPPG OPTNS, MAKG A FAVORE HNT AMONG SHOPPERS. A COLOGNE SHOPPG STREET | © RAIMOND SPEKKG / WIKICOMMONS LGBT IENDLS WHILE DüSSELDORF IS LGBT-IENDLY, COLOGNE IS THE LGBT PAL OF GERMANY. THE PEOPLE OF COLOGNE ARE KNOWN TO BE CHATTY, IENDLY, AND TOLERANT, MAKG A GREAT, SAFE CY FOR LGBTS. THIS ALL-EMBRACG ATTU IS PROVEN BY HUGE CROWDS CHEERG AT THE GAY PRI PARA ON THE FIRST WEEKEND OF JULY EVERY YEAR. ADDNALLY, COLOGNE BOASTS A LARGE NUMBER OF GAY BARS, FéS, AND NIGHTCLUBS. NEAR THE HOHENZOLLERN BRIDGE, THERE IS A MEMORIAL FOR GAY AND LBIAN VICTIMS OF NAZISM, WHERE THE VICTIMS ARE REMEMBERED AND HONORED SEVERAL TIM A YEAR. GAY PRI PARA COLOGNE | © CEPHOTO, UWE ARANAS / WIKICOMMONS CABLE R RIS IT’S TE THAT YOU N TREAT YOURSELF TO SOME PRETTY SPECTACULAR VIEWS OM DüSSELDORF’S RHETURM, BUT MOST WOULD AGREE THAT RIDG A BLE R OVER A BETIFUL LANDSPE IS MORE FUN. THE COLOGNE BLE R (SEILBAHN) CIS HIGH OVER THE RIVER RHE, ALLOWG YOU A 360-GREE BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF COLOGNE’S IMPRSIVE SKYLE. BONE CHURCH SURE, DüSSELDORF HAS SEVERAL PRETTY CHURCH, BUT IF YOU WISH TO EXPERIENCE AN OFFBEAT, QUIRKY CHURCH WH A RATHER CREEPY HISTORY, THE BASILI CHURCH OF ST. URSULA, BUILT ON THE SE OF A ROMAN CEMETERY COLOGNE, IS FOR YOU. THE TERR OF THE CHURCH IS RATED WH HUMAN BON AND SKULLS, ARRANGED PATTERNS, SHAP, AND WORDS. AS THE STORY GO, THE BON BELONGED TO ST. URSULA AND 11,000 (OR 11 – ’S A MATTER OF SOME BATE) VIRGS, WHO WERE KILLED BY THE HUNS AND THEIR BON LATER EXVATED OM A MASS GRAVE THIS REGN. ST. URSULA CHURCH | © AXEL KIRCH / CC BY-SA 4.0 / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS WHERE WILL YOU FD THE MOST LORFUL STREETS EUROPE? VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
• COLOGNE GAY PRI (CSD)
• 11 REASONS WHY COLOGNE MIGHT JT BE GERMANY'S COOLT CY | © TELNI / SHUTTERSTOCK MARN KUTTER 22 DECEMBER 2017 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT COLOGNE IS NOT EXACTLY NSIRED TO BE A BETIFUL CY, BUT S UNIQUE VIBE MAK ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR GERMANY – IF NOT THE OLT OF ALL. FROM GRAND SIGHTS, A VIBRANT NIGHTLIFE AND THE LOLS’ UNSWERVG POSIVE, TOLERANT AND LIFE-AFFIRMG MDSET, HERE ARE 11 REASONS WHY COLOGNE MIGHT BE THE OLT CY GERMANY. VIEW ALL TRIPS COLOGNE CATHEDRAL DPE HEAVY BOMB RAIDS, COLOGNE CATHEDRAL SURVIVED BOTH WORLD WARS NEARLY UNSTHED, AND IS THE CY’S BIGGT DRAW AND MOST PROMENT LANDMARK. COLOGNE CATHEDRAL IS NSIRED A MASTERPIECE OF GOTHIC ARCHECTURE AND 1996 WAS ADD TO THE LISTED OF UNESCO WORLD HERAGE S. FILIGREE STAED GLASS WDOWS, ECCLIASTIL TREASUR AND THE SHRE OF THE BIBLIL THREE WISE MEN ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS. ITS TW SPIR PUNCTUATE THE SKY BETWEEN THE CENTRAL TRA STATN AND COLOGNE’S OLD TOWN AND A VIEWG PLATFORM UP TOP OFFER PANORAMIC VIEWS OF THE CY. TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP INDIA ECUADOR THAILAND ICELAND TURKEY GREECE MOROC SPA EGYPT SOUTH AI BALI CROATIA MEXI JAPAN | © OFFSCREEN / SHUTTERSTOCK THE MENTALY OF COLOGNERS COLOGNERS HAVE A PENCHANT FOR PLACIDY AND ARE KNOWN NOT TO TAKE LIFE TOO SERLY. THE ‘KöLSCHE GNDGETZ‘, A SET OF 11 GROUND L, GUIS LOLS THROUGH LIFE AND HAS SHAPED THEIR NONCHALANT MENTALY. THE LIST OF WISDOM RANG OM ‘FACE UP TO THE FACTS’, ‘DON’T REGRET BYGONE TIM’ AND ‘KEEP A SENSE OF HUMOUR’. | © SAHACHATZ / SHUTTERSTOCK COLOGNE CARNIVAL EVERY YEAR, COLOGNE HOSTS ONE OF GERMANY’S LARGT FTIVALS. THE CARNIVAL SEASON IS NG ON NOVEMBER 11TH, THOUGH THE MA FTIVI KICK OFF ON FAT THURSDAY. MORE THAN 1.5 LN PEOPLE FLOCK TO THE CY FOR THE WEEK BEFORE LENT TO JO THE CELEBRATNS. FUELED BY KöLSCH AND JOVIAL SONGS AND DRSED LOURFUL STUM, CROWDS OF REVELLERS TAKE OVER THE ENTIRE CY. MAJESTIC TURKEY TRAVEL OM THE BAZAARS OF ISTANBUL TO THE BETIFUL BEACH OF ANTALYA. VIEW TRIP | © CHRISTIAN MUELLER / SHUTTERSTOCK THE LOL FOOTBALL TEAM COLOGNE’S FOOTBALL TEAM ARGUABLY HAS THE MOST LOYAL FANBASE THE BUNSLIGA. WHETHER THEIR TEAM WS OR LOS, FANS HAVE ALWAYS TIRELSLY SUPPORTED THEIR TEAM AND CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE THE STADIUM WHICH IS OFTEN UNPARALLELED. LONDONERS RECENTLY HAD THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE THE BOUNDLS LOYALTY AND PASSN FOR THE SPORT THAT THE FC COLOGNE FANS ARE KNOWN FOR. WHEN THEIR TEAM TRAVELLED TO LONDON TO PLAY ARSENAL THEIR FIRST TERNATNAL GAME 25 YEARS, SOME 10,000 CHANTG FC COLOGNE FANS PEACEFULLY MARCHED THROUGH LONDON ON THEIR WAY TO WEMBLEY. FOOTBALL FANS ACTN I | © MART TERBER / FLICKR IT’S WELL NNECTED EVEN THOUGH THERE ENOUGH REASONS TO STAY COLOGNE, THE CY IS WELL-NNECTED AND OFFERS ENDLS OPPORTUNI TO EXPLORE THE REGN AND NEIGHBOURG UNTRI. BOTH COLOGNE/BONN AND DSELDORF AIRPORT ARE WH EASY REACH; FAST TRAS BRG YOU TO AMSTERDAM, BSSELS, PARIS A FEW HOURS, WHILE A GROWG WORK OF LONG-DISTANCE ACH NNECTS COLOGNE WH GERMAN AND TERNATNAL HUBS. BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. | © SHUTTEROK / SHUTTERSTOCK ROMAN REMAS AS ONE OF GERMANY’S OLST CI, COLOGNE’S CY CENTRE IS DOTTED WH REMAS OF THE EARLY ROMAN SETTLEMENT, DATG AS FAR BACK AS 2,000 YEARS. ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE UNEARTHED A MYRIAD OF TREASUR OM WEAPONRY, CERAMICS AND THE FAMO DNYS MOSAIC THAT ONCE RATED THE DG ROOM OF A ROMAN VILLA. MOST FDS ARE ON DISPLAY AT THE ROMANO-GERMANIC MM. ANCIENT ROMAN DNYS MOSAIC FLOOR, ROMAN0-GERMANIC MM, COLOGNE I | © STEVE TVANIK / SHUTTERSTOCK THE LOL BREW COLOGNE’S LOL BEER, KöLSCH, IS AN TEGRAL PART OF THE CY’S CULTURE. SOME 25 BREWERI PRODUCE THE PALE TOP-FERMENTED BEER THAT IS TRADNALLY SERVED 200ML (6.7 FL OZ) GLASS KNOWN AS STANGEN. BOTH LOLS AND PUBS ARE UALLY LOYAL TO THEIR FAVOURE BRAND, AND DISCSNS ABOUT WHICH ONE IS THE BT ARE PASSNATELY LED AT THE BAR. | © BJOERN WYLEZICH / SHUTTERSTOCK IT’S THE GAY PAL OF GERMANY NATNWI, COLOGNE’S LOLS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR LIBERAL, TOLERANT AND LIFE-AFFIRMG ATTU WHICH DO NOT ONLY SHOW DURG THE CARNIVAL CELEBRATNS, BUT ALSO WHEN THE GAY PRI FTIVAL ROLLS ON JULY. COLOGNE HAS LONG BEEN GERMANY’S SELF-PROCLAIMED GAY PAL WH HUNDREDS OF GAY BARS AND CLUBS CLTERED THE CY AND CENTRE, AND LOLS WHOLEHEARTEDLY EMBRACE THE LOURFUL FTIVAL. YOU’LL SEE THOANDS RRYG RABOW FLAGS AND CHEERG FOR THEIR LGBTQ PEERS WHEN THE PARA MARCH THROUGH THE CY. | © YULIA REZNIKOV / SHUTTERSTOCK THE RHE RIVER COLOGNE IS SET ON THE RHE RIVER, AND THROUGHOUT THE CY, THERE ARE SEVERAL PICTURQUE SPOTS THAT ARE GREAT FOR A SUMMER BBQ OR PIIC. THOUGH SWIMMG IS PROHIBED MOST PLAC, THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF STAFFED BEACH WHERE YOU N OL DOWN ON A HOT DAY. IF YOU WANT TO ENJOY GERMANY’S MOST ROMANTIC RIVER BUT STAY ON THE SAFE SI, A DAY-LONG CISE DOWN THE STREAM MIGHT BE YOUR THG. OR YOU SCHLE YOUR VIS FOR THE ANNUAL RHE FLAMMEN FTIVAL WHEN AN ELABORATE RIVERSI FIREWORK DISPLAY ILLUMAT THE CY. | © R.CLASSEN / SHUTTERSTOCK IT’S A MEDIA CY COLOGNE IS ONE OF THE MAJOR MEDIA HUBS OF THE UNTRY – A THIRD OF GERMAN TV PROGRAMM ARE PRODUCED HERE. SEVERAL NOTABLE TV AND RAD STATNS, MORE THAN 70 PRT AND DIGAL PUBLISHG PANI AND DOZENS OF NOTABLE MIC, FILM AND TV PRODUCTN PANI ARE BASED THE CY AND DRAW A CREATIVE AND ARTISTIC CROWD TO THE CY. MEDIAPARK COLOGNE | © CHRISTIAN MUELLER / SHUTTERSTOCK THE NIGHTLIFE COLOGNE HAS A BUZZG AND DIVERSE NIGHTLIFE SCENE. MILLY, THE CY’S NIGHTCLUBS TER FOR ALL TAST, WHETHER YOU WANT TO DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY TO 90S PARTY ANTHEMS OR ELECTRONIC DJ SETS. THE LOTNS ARE JT AS VARIED, AND YOU’LL FD BASEMENT TECHNO AND ELECTRO CLUBS, PUNK-ROCK SHACKS, LOW-KEY CKTAIL BARS AND IRISH PUBS. ODONIEN BEER GARN | © MAR VERCH / FLICKR VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
• THE 5 BEST COLOGNE GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS COLOGNE

11 THGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE VISG COLOGNE COLOGNE OLD TOWN | © ED WEBSTER/FLICKR MARN KUTTER 11 SEPTEMBER 2017 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT GERMANY’S FOURTH-LARGT AND ARGUABLY MOST CHEERFUL CY HAS SOME GREAT SIGHTS TO OFFER. BUT SOME TRADNS AND CTOMS ARE QUE PECULIAR. IF COLOGNE IS ON YOUR MT-VIS LIST – AND SHOULD BE – HERE ARE SOME THGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU VIS. VIEW ALL TRIPS THE PEOPLE LOVE THEIR CY THE PEOPLE OF COLOGNE ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR LOL PATRTISM, WH FOOTBALL PLAYER LAS PODOLSKI LEADG THE WAY. THEIR EP-ROOTED AFFECTN MANIFTS THEIR LOYALTY TOWARDS THEIR MEDCRE FOOTBALL TEAM, KöLSCH BEER, AND UNTLS RNIVAL SONGS THAT CELEBRATE THE CY. TOURISTS AND THOSE NEW TO COLOGNE ARE OFTEN PUZZLED IF NOT SPIC WHEN TEARY-EYED LOLS ENTHIASTILLY SWOON OVER EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR HOMETOWN. IT’S PRETTY HARD TO EXPLA. THE CHOS OF A TCHY RNIVAL SONG SEEMS TO SUM UP. TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP TURKEY SOUTH AI CROATIA BALI JAPAN ICELAND MEXI THAILAND GREECE ECUADOR SPA INDIA MOROC EGYPT ET GT KEI WOOD, DAT SAGE KüNNT, WAT ICH FöHL, WANN ICH AN KöLLE NK WANN ICH AN MG HEIMAT NK! (NO WORD N SCRIBE, WHAT I FEEL, WHEN I THK ABOUT COLOGNE WHEN I THK ABOUT MY HOMETOWN!) EPIC MOROCCO FROM ANCIENT CI TO THE SAHARA, EMBRACE CULTURAL RICH AND ENCHANTG LANDSP NORTH AI. VIEW TRIP - EMBED - DON’T MENTN DüSSELDORF AS MUCH AS COLOGNE LOLS LOVE THEIR CY, THEY HATE DüSSELDORF WH A PASSN. THE RIVALRY BETWEEN THE TWO CI GO BACK TO THE 13TH CENTURY AND TO LIGHT DURG FOOTBALL MATCH, THE CHOICE OF BEER, AND GENERAL DISURSE. IT’S WISE NOT EVEN TO MENTN DüSSELDORF NVERSATN. YOU WON’T BE TEMPTED TO ORR DüSSELDORF’S ALTBIER RATHER THAN KöLSCH (’S HARDLY SERVED ANYWHERE) AND NEVER SHOUT ‘HEL!’ DURG RNIVAL COLOGNE. THE OFFICIAL BATTLE CRY IS ‘ALAAF’, AND YOU SHOULD STICK TO THAT IF YOU DON’T WANT TO AFONT LOLS. - AME - THE CY IS AN ARCHECTURAL EYORE COLOGNE ISN’T THE PRETTIT OF CI, ARCHECTURALLY SPEAKG. SOME EVEN CLAIM ’S THE UGLIT CY GERMANY. DURG WORLD WAR II, THE CY WAS HEAVILY BOMBED AND MOST OF S HISTORIC BUILDGS WERE STROYED. IN THE 1960S, THE FOC WAS ON REBUILDG THE CY QUICKLY, AND URBAN PLANNERS TURNED TOWARDS NCRETE BLOCKS, WHICH THEY LTERED ACROSS THE TOWN. THE ARCHECTURAL MONSTROSI FAIL TO BLEND WH THE REMAS OF THE EARLY ROMAN SETTLEMENT. TODAY, THE MOTLEY CYSPE IS BT SCRIBED AS CHAOTIC WH A DYSTOPIAN TWIST. BUT THE IMPOSG COLOGNE CATHEDRAL MAK UP FOR . BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. THE PHILOSOPHY FACULTY OF COLOGNE UNIVERSY | © HOWI/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS PEOPLE TAKE FANCY DRS TO THE NEXT LEVEL EVERY YEAR, THE ENTIRE CY JUMPS HEAD FIRST TO A STATE OF MADNS. DURG THE RNIVAL SEASON, CLOWNS, UNIRNS, WCH, AND WBOYS TAKE OVER THE CY AND VOTE THEMSELV TO LR OF KöLSCH, SG-ALONGS, AND CHEERFULNS. AND ’S NTAG. A STUME IS SENTIAL IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE, BUT NOTE THAT THE PEOPLE OF COLOGNE TAKE DRSG UP SERLY. TOURISTS THEIR PRIMARK OVERALLS OFTEN GAPE AT THE CREATIVE STUM OF THE LOL POPULATN. THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT OUTF STARTS MONTHS BEFORE, AND PEOPLE SPEND A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME, EFFORT, AND MONEY ON A STUME, AND SOME EVEN HAVE THEM PROFSNALLY TAILORED. COLOGNE CARNIVAL PARA | © MAR VERCH/FLICKR DON’T SWIM THE RHE THE RIVER BANKS HAVE PLENTY OF SPOTS THAT APPEAR VG FOR A SWIM, BUT DON’T BE MISTAKEN. THE RIVER IS NOTOR FOR TREACHERO CURRENTS AND THE WAKE OF PASSG RGO SHIPS PULLS SWIMMERS TO THE EPER WATERS. NO-SWIM ZON ARE PLACE FOR LARGE STRETCH OF THE COLOGNE WATERONT, AND SIGNS WARN OF THE DANGERS. IF YOU STILL WANT TO TAKE THE RISK, MAKE SURE ’S LEGAL TO ENTER THE WATER BEFOREHAND AND STAY THE SHALLOWS. THE SANDY BEACH RONKIRCHEN ARE A GREAT SPOT FOR THAT. PEOPLE AT THE RHE RIVERONT | © 13. STOCK ONLE RELATNS/WIKICOMMONS COLOGNE IS A SHOPPG PARADISE THE MA SHOPPG DISTRICT ALONG HOHE STRASSE AND SCHILRGASSE ARE THE TOP 10 OF GERMANY’S MOST EQUENTED SHOPPG STREETS. HERE YOU’LL FD ALL THE MA FASHN BRANDS OM ADIDAS TO ZARA. IF YOU’RE AFTER HIGH-END FASHN BOUTIQU AND SIGNER STOR, MTELSTRASSE IS WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, AND IF YOU ARE LOOKG FOR THE LATT TRENDS, YOUR BT BET IS EHRENSTRASSE WHERE HIP BRANDS SUCH AS COS, LIEBKD, BEN SHERMAN, AND FRED PERRY ARE LOTED. IN RECENT YEARS, PENNT BOUTIQU HAVE POPPED UP THE BELGIAN QUARTER AND THE SüDSTADT. CHECK OUT MAGAS POPULAIRE, KEEP LOVG, AND BOUTIQUE BELGIQUE FOR REFULLY SELECTED FASHN EMS. THE PESTRIAN AREA COLOGNE | © RAIMOND SPEKKG/WIKICOMMONS IT’S GOOD TO KNOW HOW TO SAY NO VISG ONE OF COLOGNE’S MANY BREWHO IS A MT, BUT THERE ARE A FEW L YOU SHOULD FOLLOW. DON’T TRY TO ORR LEMONA; THE CHANC ARE THAT YOU’LL BE SERVED BEER, BUT THAT’S WHY YOU ME HERE THE FIRST PLACE. THE DISGNTLED MAN SERVG YOU IS NOT A WAER BUT A KöB, AND HE TAK GREAT PRI HIS JOB. AS SOON AS YOU’VE FISHED YOUR KöLSCH, HE’LL GET YOU ANOTHER ONE, WHETHER YOU ASKED FOR OR NOT. IF YOU WANT TO PUT A HALT TO THE ENDLS REFILLS, JT PLACE YOUR BEERMAT ON TOP OF YOUR GLASS. A COLOGNE BREWHOE | © EIJE WERK/WIKICOMMONS COLOGNE IS THE GAY PAL OF GERMANY AS WE KNOW, COLOGNE LOV A GOOD PARA. AND THE GENERAL LIBERAL, TOLERANT, AND LIFE-AFFIRMG ATTU BURSTS OUT OF LOLS ON THE FIRST WEEKEND OF JULY WHEN THE CHRISTOPHER STREET DAY, OR GAY PRI PARA ROLLS THROUGH THE CY. COLOGNE EMBRAC THE LOUD, LOURFUL PROCSN, AND HAS BEEN SECRETLY KNOWN TO BE GERMANY’S LGBT PAL FOR S. THE ‘BERMUDA TRIANGLE’ AROUND SCHAAFENSTRASSE HAS THE HIGHT NCENTRATN OF GAY BARS, FéS, AND NIGHTCLUBS, BUT THE HMARKT AREA IS ALSO POPULAR. PEOPLE AT COLOGNE GAY PRI | © CEPHOTO, UWE ARANAS/WIKICOMMONS PEOPLE LIVE VEELS, NOT DISTRICTS COLOGNE IS POSED OF 86 OFFICIAL DISTRICTS, BUT THE VEEL IS WHERE PEOPLE FEEL AT HOME. RATHER THAN A GEOGRAPHIL AREA, THE WORD VEEL SCRIB THE PART OF A NEIGHBOURHOOD WHERE LOLS ARE ROOTED AND HAVE EVERYTHG THEY NEED. THEY BUY THEIR NEWSPAPER AT THEIR BüDCHEN (KSK), CHAT OVER A GLASS OF KöLSCH THEIR FAVOURE WEETSCHAFT (PUB) ON THE RNER, AND SHOP AT THE GROCERY STORE, BAKERY, AND FARMERS’ MARKET. TO THE NFN OF NON-LOLS, THERE ARE OFTEN SEVERAL NAM THAT SCRIBE THE SAME VEEL – RATHENVIERTEL, KWARTIER LATäNG, AND UNIVIERTEL ARE ALL NAM FOR ROUGHLY THE SAME AREA – OR THE BORRS OVERLAP WH THE NEXT NEIGHBOURHOOD. A KSK COLOGNE | © BGEISSL/FLICKR BEER PORTNS ARE MEASLY… …BUT NOT BEE THE WAER, OR KöB, IS STGY. THE LOL BREW, KöLSCH, TALL, 200-LILRE GLASS LLED STANGE (POLE). IT MIGHT SEEM ODD AT FIRST, BUT LOL BREWERS HAVE PUT SOME THOUGHT TO THE AGREEMENT ONLY TO SERVE KöLSCH TALL, NARROW GLASS. KöLSCH IS TRADNALLY SERVED WH A BEER HEAD, BUT, BY NATURE, THE RBON DXI NTENT OF THE BEER IS RELATIVELY LOW, WHICH MEANS THAT THE OTHY FOAM LLAPS EASILY AND KöLSCH QUICKLY TAST STALE. SERVG STANGEN ENSUR THAT YOU ALWAYS HAVE A H BEER ONT OF YOU. GAFFEL KöLSCH | © PRIVATBREREI GAFFEL BECKER & CO/WIKICOMMONS THE THEDRAL WILL MAKE YOUR JAW DROP AT 157 METR (515 FEET), COLOGNE CATHEDRAL IS THE WORLD’S THIRD-TALLT CHURCH. THE IMPOSG THEDRAL WAS SPARED DURG WORLD WAR II BOMBGS, WHICH STROYED 95 PERCENT OF THE CY, AND THE TW SPIR STOOD TOWERG ABOVE THE BBLE. IN 1996 THE BUILDG WAS ADD TO THE UNESCO WORLD HERAGE LIST. CONSTCTN BEGAN 1248 TO HOE THE RELIQUARI OF THE BIBLIL THREE WISE MEN, BUT THE SHRE IS ONLY ONE REASON TO PEEK SI: THE ABSTRACT GLASS WDOW SIGNED BY GERHARD RICHTER AND A WALK UP 291 STEPS TO THE BELY ARE WORTH ADDG TO THE LIST. FOR A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE THEDRAL, CROSS THE RHE AND TAKE THE ELEVATOR UP THE KöLN TRIANGLE TOWER. COLOGNE CATHEDRAL © | PEXELS/PIXABAY VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Cologne is the gay pal of Germany As we know, Cologne lov a good para. And the general liberal, tolerant, and life-affirmg attu bursts out of lols on the first weekend of July when the Christopher Street Day, or gay pri para rolls through the cy. The ‘Bermuda Triangle’ around Schaafenstrasse has the hight ncentratn of gay bars, fés, and nightclubs, but the Hmarkt area is also popular.

Once a dreary post-WWII dtrial town along the Rhe, the thedral cy today is a vibrant center of subculture - strong on art and sign, rich gay life and one of the more important pals of cultural productn has tablished a balance between mosty s outward appearance and an exuberance tucked to s folds.

GAY PAL OF GERMANY?

Te believers claim Cologne as the gay pal of Germany and often tout the popular statistic that one 10 of s habants is so much attentn foced on the gargoyle-spangled behemoth at s center, the cy has grown slowly and strangely behd the scen wh ltle post-war exploatn om outsirs.

Gay pal of Germany? Are you aware that Cologne is also known as “The Gay pal of Germany”? Fally every year, Cologne aniz the Gay Pri March aka “Christopher Street Day” which celebrated July, is one of the largt European gay pri events that attracts more than a ln participants each year.

9 REASONS TO VIS COLOGNE OVER DüSSELDORF COLOGNE | © MAXWAIDHAS / PIXABAY ANWHA RAY 06 FEBARY 2018 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT COLOGNE AND DüSSELDORF, TWO VERY TERTG CI ON THE RIVER RHE THAT ARE ONLY 25 (40 KILOMETERS) APART OM EACH OTHER, ARE FOREVER AT LOGGERHEADS. BOTH CI, WH THEIR UNIQUE OFFERGS AND ATTRACTNS, ARE UNDOUBTEDLY WORTH EXPLORG. HOWEVER, IF YOU MT CHOOSE, READ ON TO FD OUT WHY COLOGNE SR OVER DüSSELDORF FOR MANY TOURISTS. VIEW ALL TRIPS COLOGNE CATHEDRAL THE COLOGNE CATHEDRAL SELF IS REASON ENOUGH TO CHOOSE TO VIS COLOGNE OVER DüSSELDORF. THE JAW-DROPPG ARCHECTURE OF THIS TERNATNALLY FAMO UNESCO WORLD HERAGE SE HAS FEW NTENRS GERMANY, AND FELY NONE DüSSELDORF. THIS GRAND STCTURE IS UNRSTANDABLY THE MOST VISED SE THE UNTRY. TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP THAILAND ICELAND TURKEY BALI SOUTH AI SPA CROATIA GREECE EGYPT MOROC JAPAN ECUADOR INDIA MEXI COLOGNE CATHEDRAL | © ANDI_GRAF / PIXABAY RHE CIS WHILE ’S POSSIBLE TO SIGN UP FOR SHORTER PANORAMIC RHE CIS DüSSELDORF, COLOGNE HAPPENS TO BE THE NORTHERNMOST STARTG POT FOR THE INIC RHE CASTLE CISE. CISE BOATS OM COLOGNE TAKE VISORS ALL THE WAY TO MAZ ALONG A FASCATG ROUTE, DOTTED WH A SERI OF HILLTOP STL, ROLLG VEYARDS, AND STORYBOOK TOWNS. CISE BOATS COLOGNE | © PIXEL2013 / PIXABAY THE CHOLATE FACTORY FOR VISORS WH A SWEET TOOTH, THE CHOLATE FACTORY COLOGNE WOULD SEAL THE AL. THE FACTORY–MM WALKS VISORS THROUGH 5,000 YEARS OF THIS GUILTY PLEASURE’S HISTORY THROUGH TERTG EXHIBS, SNIFF BOX, AND MULTIMEDIA STALLATNS. ADDNALLY, YOU GET THE CHANCE TO GRAB HLY MA CHOLATE PIEC RIGHT OFF THE ASSEMBLY LE, AND DIP A WAFER A CHOLATE FOUNTA. CARIBBEAN COLOMBIA DISVER COLOMBIA’S CARIBBEAN AST, OM CARTAGENA TO PALOMO VIA JUNGL, RIVERS AND ISLANDS. VIEW TRIP KöLSCH BEER REPEAT AFTER : ALTBIER DüSSELDORF AND KöLSCH BEER COLOGNE. ASKG FOR THE WRONG BEER EHER CY N LEAD TO A FULL-ON RT, OR SEVERE OWNG AT THE LEAST. IF YOU PREFER COLOGNE’S LOL BREW, THE YELLOW, LIGHT, TOP-FERMENTED KöLSCH, YOU MT HEAD TO COLOGNE, AS NO SELF-RPECTG BAR DüSSELDORF STOCKS . GAFFEL KöLSCH | © PRIVATBREREI GAFFEL BECKER & CO / WIKICOMMONS THE BIGGT RNIVAL THE UNTRY COME FEBARY, ALMOST THE ENTIRE UNTRY BURSTS AT THE SEAMS WH THE LORS AND FUN OF CARNIVAL. BUT THE BIGGT, SNAZZIT, AND MOST CHEERFUL RNIVAL PARTI AND PARAS GERMANY TAKE PLACE COLOGNE. EXPECT HILAR STUM, WORK-OF-ART FLOATS, LOUD MIC, MERRY DANCG, THOANDS OF REVELERS, AND UTTER MADNS THE CY’S STREETS. BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. COLOGNE RNIVAL | © MAR VERCH / FLICKR THE BIT SHOPPG STREET GERMANY WHILE DüSSELDORF’S KONIGSALLEE IS SEND TO NONE GERMANY TERMS OF HIGH-END, LUXURY SHOPPG AND GLAMOR, COLOGNE’S SCHILRGASSE RERDS THE MAXIMUM FOOTFALL THE UNTRY. WHILE MOST VISORS HAVE TO BE SATISFIED WH WDOW-SHOPPG THE EXORBANTLY EXPENSIVE KONIGSALLEE, SCHILRGASSE HAS A MIX OF HIGH-END BRANDS AND AFFORDABLE SHOPPG OPTNS, MAKG A FAVORE HNT AMONG SHOPPERS. A COLOGNE SHOPPG STREET | © RAIMOND SPEKKG / WIKICOMMONS LGBT IENDLS WHILE DüSSELDORF IS LGBT-IENDLY, COLOGNE IS THE LGBT PAL OF GERMANY. THE PEOPLE OF COLOGNE ARE KNOWN TO BE CHATTY, IENDLY, AND TOLERANT, MAKG A GREAT, SAFE CY FOR LGBTS. THIS ALL-EMBRACG ATTU IS PROVEN BY HUGE CROWDS CHEERG AT THE GAY PRI PARA ON THE FIRST WEEKEND OF JULY EVERY YEAR. ADDNALLY, COLOGNE BOASTS A LARGE NUMBER OF GAY BARS, FéS, AND NIGHTCLUBS. NEAR THE HOHENZOLLERN BRIDGE, THERE IS A MEMORIAL FOR GAY AND LBIAN VICTIMS OF NAZISM, WHERE THE VICTIMS ARE REMEMBERED AND HONORED SEVERAL TIM A YEAR. GAY PRI PARA COLOGNE | © CEPHOTO, UWE ARANAS / WIKICOMMONS CABLE R RIS IT’S TE THAT YOU N TREAT YOURSELF TO SOME PRETTY SPECTACULAR VIEWS OM DüSSELDORF’S RHETURM, BUT MOST WOULD AGREE THAT RIDG A BLE R OVER A BETIFUL LANDSPE IS MORE FUN. THE COLOGNE BLE R (SEILBAHN) CIS HIGH OVER THE RIVER RHE, ALLOWG YOU A 360-GREE BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF COLOGNE’S IMPRSIVE SKYLE. BONE CHURCH SURE, DüSSELDORF HAS SEVERAL PRETTY CHURCH, BUT IF YOU WISH TO EXPERIENCE AN OFFBEAT, QUIRKY CHURCH WH A RATHER CREEPY HISTORY, THE BASILI CHURCH OF ST. URSULA, BUILT ON THE SE OF A ROMAN CEMETERY COLOGNE, IS FOR YOU. THE TERR OF THE CHURCH IS RATED WH HUMAN BON AND SKULLS, ARRANGED PATTERNS, SHAP, AND WORDS. AS THE STORY GO, THE BON BELONGED TO ST. URSULA AND 11,000 (OR 11 – ’S A MATTER OF SOME BATE) VIRGS, WHO WERE KILLED BY THE HUNS AND THEIR BON LATER EXVATED OM A MASS GRAVE THIS REGN. ST. URSULA CHURCH | © AXEL KIRCH / CC BY-SA 4.0 / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS WHERE WILL YOU FD THE MOST LORFUL STREETS EUROPE? VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

The Cologne gay scene is spl two areas of cy.

Hmarkt\Mathiasstrasse the Old Town (Altstadt), is the cy’s origal gayborhood wh a leather, bear and olr guys vibe.

COLOGNE GAY PRI (CSD)

Rudolfpltaz\Schaafenstrasse is nsired the cy’s trendier, younger gay crowd's neighbourhood. Then durg pri month hosts the annual CSD (Gay Pri), also one of the biggt gay pris Europe. Sce 1991, ColognePri has advoted for the legal and social acceptance of lbian, gay, bisexual, tersexual and transgenr further rmatn check out the official ColognePri webse (English):.

11 REASONS WHY COLOGNE MIGHT JT BE GERMANY'S COOLT CY | © TELNI / SHUTTERSTOCK MARN KUTTER 22 DECEMBER 2017 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT COLOGNE IS NOT EXACTLY NSIRED TO BE A BETIFUL CY, BUT S UNIQUE VIBE MAK ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR GERMANY – IF NOT THE OLT OF ALL. FROM GRAND SIGHTS, A VIBRANT NIGHTLIFE AND THE LOLS’ UNSWERVG POSIVE, TOLERANT AND LIFE-AFFIRMG MDSET, HERE ARE 11 REASONS WHY COLOGNE MIGHT BE THE OLT CY GERMANY. VIEW ALL TRIPS COLOGNE CATHEDRAL DPE HEAVY BOMB RAIDS, COLOGNE CATHEDRAL SURVIVED BOTH WORLD WARS NEARLY UNSTHED, AND IS THE CY’S BIGGT DRAW AND MOST PROMENT LANDMARK. COLOGNE CATHEDRAL IS NSIRED A MASTERPIECE OF GOTHIC ARCHECTURE AND 1996 WAS ADD TO THE LISTED OF UNESCO WORLD HERAGE S. FILIGREE STAED GLASS WDOWS, ECCLIASTIL TREASUR AND THE SHRE OF THE BIBLIL THREE WISE MEN ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS. ITS TW SPIR PUNCTUATE THE SKY BETWEEN THE CENTRAL TRA STATN AND COLOGNE’S OLD TOWN AND A VIEWG PLATFORM UP TOP OFFER PANORAMIC VIEWS OF THE CY. TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP INDIA ECUADOR THAILAND ICELAND TURKEY GREECE MOROC SPA EGYPT SOUTH AI BALI CROATIA MEXI JAPAN | © OFFSCREEN / SHUTTERSTOCK THE MENTALY OF COLOGNERS COLOGNERS HAVE A PENCHANT FOR PLACIDY AND ARE KNOWN NOT TO TAKE LIFE TOO SERLY. THE ‘KöLSCHE GNDGETZ‘, A SET OF 11 GROUND L, GUIS LOLS THROUGH LIFE AND HAS SHAPED THEIR NONCHALANT MENTALY. THE LIST OF WISDOM RANG OM ‘FACE UP TO THE FACTS’, ‘DON’T REGRET BYGONE TIM’ AND ‘KEEP A SENSE OF HUMOUR’. | © SAHACHATZ / SHUTTERSTOCK COLOGNE CARNIVAL EVERY YEAR, COLOGNE HOSTS ONE OF GERMANY’S LARGT FTIVALS. THE CARNIVAL SEASON IS NG ON NOVEMBER 11TH, THOUGH THE MA FTIVI KICK OFF ON FAT THURSDAY. MORE THAN 1.5 LN PEOPLE FLOCK TO THE CY FOR THE WEEK BEFORE LENT TO JO THE CELEBRATNS. FUELED BY KöLSCH AND JOVIAL SONGS AND DRSED LOURFUL STUM, CROWDS OF REVELLERS TAKE OVER THE ENTIRE CY. MAJESTIC TURKEY TRAVEL OM THE BAZAARS OF ISTANBUL TO THE BETIFUL BEACH OF ANTALYA. VIEW TRIP | © CHRISTIAN MUELLER / SHUTTERSTOCK THE LOL FOOTBALL TEAM COLOGNE’S FOOTBALL TEAM ARGUABLY HAS THE MOST LOYAL FANBASE THE BUNSLIGA. WHETHER THEIR TEAM WS OR LOS, FANS HAVE ALWAYS TIRELSLY SUPPORTED THEIR TEAM AND CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE THE STADIUM WHICH IS OFTEN UNPARALLELED. LONDONERS RECENTLY HAD THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE THE BOUNDLS LOYALTY AND PASSN FOR THE SPORT THAT THE FC COLOGNE FANS ARE KNOWN FOR. WHEN THEIR TEAM TRAVELLED TO LONDON TO PLAY ARSENAL THEIR FIRST TERNATNAL GAME 25 YEARS, SOME 10,000 CHANTG FC COLOGNE FANS PEACEFULLY MARCHED THROUGH LONDON ON THEIR WAY TO WEMBLEY. FOOTBALL FANS ACTN I | © MART TERBER / FLICKR IT’S WELL NNECTED EVEN THOUGH THERE ENOUGH REASONS TO STAY COLOGNE, THE CY IS WELL-NNECTED AND OFFERS ENDLS OPPORTUNI TO EXPLORE THE REGN AND NEIGHBOURG UNTRI. BOTH COLOGNE/BONN AND DSELDORF AIRPORT ARE WH EASY REACH; FAST TRAS BRG YOU TO AMSTERDAM, BSSELS, PARIS A FEW HOURS, WHILE A GROWG WORK OF LONG-DISTANCE ACH NNECTS COLOGNE WH GERMAN AND TERNATNAL HUBS. BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. | © SHUTTEROK / SHUTTERSTOCK ROMAN REMAS AS ONE OF GERMANY’S OLST CI, COLOGNE’S CY CENTRE IS DOTTED WH REMAS OF THE EARLY ROMAN SETTLEMENT, DATG AS FAR BACK AS 2,000 YEARS. ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE UNEARTHED A MYRIAD OF TREASUR OM WEAPONRY, CERAMICS AND THE FAMO DNYS MOSAIC THAT ONCE RATED THE DG ROOM OF A ROMAN VILLA. MOST FDS ARE ON DISPLAY AT THE ROMANO-GERMANIC MM. ANCIENT ROMAN DNYS MOSAIC FLOOR, ROMAN0-GERMANIC MM, COLOGNE I | © STEVE TVANIK / SHUTTERSTOCK THE LOL BREW COLOGNE’S LOL BEER, KöLSCH, IS AN TEGRAL PART OF THE CY’S CULTURE. SOME 25 BREWERI PRODUCE THE PALE TOP-FERMENTED BEER THAT IS TRADNALLY SERVED 200ML (6.7 FL OZ) GLASS KNOWN AS STANGEN. BOTH LOLS AND PUBS ARE UALLY LOYAL TO THEIR FAVOURE BRAND, AND DISCSNS ABOUT WHICH ONE IS THE BT ARE PASSNATELY LED AT THE BAR. | © BJOERN WYLEZICH / SHUTTERSTOCK IT’S THE GAY PAL OF GERMANY NATNWI, COLOGNE’S LOLS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR LIBERAL, TOLERANT AND LIFE-AFFIRMG ATTU WHICH DO NOT ONLY SHOW DURG THE CARNIVAL CELEBRATNS, BUT ALSO WHEN THE GAY PRI FTIVAL ROLLS ON JULY. COLOGNE HAS LONG BEEN GERMANY’S SELF-PROCLAIMED GAY PAL WH HUNDREDS OF GAY BARS AND CLUBS CLTERED THE CY AND CENTRE, AND LOLS WHOLEHEARTEDLY EMBRACE THE LOURFUL FTIVAL. YOU’LL SEE THOANDS RRYG RABOW FLAGS AND CHEERG FOR THEIR LGBTQ PEERS WHEN THE PARA MARCH THROUGH THE CY. | © YULIA REZNIKOV / SHUTTERSTOCK THE RHE RIVER COLOGNE IS SET ON THE RHE RIVER, AND THROUGHOUT THE CY, THERE ARE SEVERAL PICTURQUE SPOTS THAT ARE GREAT FOR A SUMMER BBQ OR PIIC. THOUGH SWIMMG IS PROHIBED MOST PLAC, THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF STAFFED BEACH WHERE YOU N OL DOWN ON A HOT DAY. IF YOU WANT TO ENJOY GERMANY’S MOST ROMANTIC RIVER BUT STAY ON THE SAFE SI, A DAY-LONG CISE DOWN THE STREAM MIGHT BE YOUR THG. OR YOU SCHLE YOUR VIS FOR THE ANNUAL RHE FLAMMEN FTIVAL WHEN AN ELABORATE RIVERSI FIREWORK DISPLAY ILLUMAT THE CY. | © R.CLASSEN / SHUTTERSTOCK IT’S A MEDIA CY COLOGNE IS ONE OF THE MAJOR MEDIA HUBS OF THE UNTRY – A THIRD OF GERMAN TV PROGRAMM ARE PRODUCED HERE. SEVERAL NOTABLE TV AND RAD STATNS, MORE THAN 70 PRT AND DIGAL PUBLISHG PANI AND DOZENS OF NOTABLE MIC, FILM AND TV PRODUCTN PANI ARE BASED THE CY AND DRAW A CREATIVE AND ARTISTIC CROWD TO THE CY. MEDIAPARK COLOGNE | © CHRISTIAN MUELLER / SHUTTERSTOCK THE NIGHTLIFE COLOGNE HAS A BUZZG AND DIVERSE NIGHTLIFE SCENE. MILLY, THE CY’S NIGHTCLUBS TER FOR ALL TAST, WHETHER YOU WANT TO DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY TO 90S PARTY ANTHEMS OR ELECTRONIC DJ SETS. THE LOTNS ARE JT AS VARIED, AND YOU’LL FD BASEMENT TECHNO AND ELECTRO CLUBS, PUNK-ROCK SHACKS, LOW-KEY CKTAIL BARS AND IRISH PUBS. ODONIEN BEER GARN | © MAR VERCH / FLICKR VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

This all-embracg attu is proven by huge crowds cheerg at the gay pri para on the first weekend of July every year. Addnally, Cologne boasts a large number of gay bars, fés, and nightclubs. Near the Hohenzollern Bridge, there is a memorial for gay and lbian victims of Nazism, where the victims are remembered and honored several tim a year.

As the regnal pal of LGBTQ nightlife, there is plenty of gay nightlife wh a variety of bars, clubs and all-night parti, but most of the actn is centered around Schaafenstrasse, the so-lled Bermuda Triangle. When the bar was taken over by two women and remoled to a sleek lounge wh creative cktails, there was hope for a (much need) migratn of gay ladi to...

THE 5 BEST COLOGNE GAY CLUBS & BARSSEE ALL THGS TO DOGAY CLUBS & BARS COLOGNE

Schaafenstraße is Cologne's gay street, a pact but by stretch between Am Rkenpfuhl and Habsburgerrg. Schampanja draws an edgier kd of queer than the neighborg nightlife Cologne's gay district. One of the largt and well-vised gay snas Cologne, the Bahs Babylon is relatively chic and tasteful, wh multiple levels and bathg optns.

Homoriental.

Polil rrectns be damned: an "oriental-party" for gays, lbians and iends Venue. This trendy weekend dance club hosts a slew of gay parti cludg Poptastic, Secret Loverz and a gay stunts night. Cologne Gay Pri (CSD).