DISCOVER COLOGNE

From the Excelsior Hotel Ernst

COLOGNE: AN URBAN KALEIDOSCOPE

CATHEDRAL CITY, RHINE METROPOLIS, MEDIA HUB AND SO MUCH MORE

With a population of well over a million, Cologne is Germany’s fourth largest city. And yet the locals like to call their home the biggest village in the world. That’s probably because of all the many neighbourhoods, or “Veedel”, that developed their own special character over the course of the city’s 2,000-year history. Which means that Cologne never feels overwhelming – but always fresh and new. A designer boutique here, a luxury flagship store there. Opera here, improvised jazz concert there. Lively bar scene here, high-powered business lunch there. And the best place to start discovering the city on the Rhine is the Excelsior Hotel Ernst, right in the very heart of Cologne.

First Stop: Concierge

Whether it’s luxury shopping, museum visits, art exhibitions or exploring the city, our concierges have all the best insider tips. They know everything worth knowing about our city. They’ll book tickets for you, and hire a limousine to take you there.

CULTURE IN COLOGNE HAS MANY DIMENSIONS

ONE OF THEM IS A DRINK

Cologne was founded over 2,000 years ago as a Roman colony. Caesar himself hailed the Ubii people who lived here as “cultured” folk. And culture is exactly what you find around every corner in Cologne. Our 40-plus museums and galleries, our opera, theatre, Musical-Dome and world-famous Philharmonia have made the city on the Rhine one of the cultural hotspots of Europe.

But Cologne’s definition of culture is even wider. The carnival, the brewery, our hip new clubs and vibrant young art scene… all this and more makes up Cologne’s cultural landscape. And what better way to round off the culture than a freshly tapped Kölsch, our sacred beer that’s still brewed in the old traditional way. Do you know where this tradition got its official seal? In the Excelsior, of course.

La Dolce Vita

People joke that Cologne is Italy’s northernmost city. But as with all jokes, there’s a kernel of truth in it. Cologne is all about openness and joie de vivre. When the day ends and the night begins, it’s not just the cathedral that lights up – it’s the whole town. As the bars, restaurants and concert halls come alive, everyone is out having fun, with good food and drink centre-stage. No matter whether you’re out with friends or with total strangers – in Cologne it’s all the same to us.