The town and the gay areas
Cologne comes to mind above all for its carnival. But as Germany's fourth city, and with a history of more than 2000 years, Cologne offers much more than that! It has, for example, a vast architectural heritage ranging from romanesque buildings to contemporary and modern architecture, including monuments dating from the Middle Ages. Cologne not only offers an abundance of cultural opportunities but also has a prominent place in the world of fine art. The town is in fact one of the world centres for the art trade, on a par with New York. The German carnival capital is also a media metropolis, with the headquarters of numerous television channels, music and literary publishers.
Finally, Cologne is home to what is probably the largest gay community in Germany. The range of cultural and leisure opportunities aimed at the community is HUGE.
Gay Addresses
The list is endless, a very small selection follows of cafés and bars:
Anno Pief
Im Stavenhof 8 (near Eigelsteintor), 50668 Köln - ( underground - U-Bahn - Ebertplatz )
Tuesday to Sunday, from 18.00 hrs to 01.00 hrs, Friday and Saturday till 03.00 hrs
Bar/bistro with live music, simple dishes.
Atelier Theater / Kaffee
Roonstr.78, 50674 Köln - ( U-Bahn Zülpicher Platz or Moltkestraße )
Tel : 0221/242485
On performance days from 18.00 hrs to 01.00 hrs
Small cabaret stage presenting many gay and lesbian artists, with a café.
www.ateliertheater.de
Besser Bar & Lounge
Luxemburger Str. 20, 50674 Köln - ( U-Bahn Barbarossa-Platz )
Monday to Thursday from 18.00 hrs to 01.00 hrs, Friday and Saturday from 20.00 hrs-05.00 hrs
Lesbian bar right on Barbarossaplatz.
www.besser-koeln.de
Bilderschreck
Königswinterstr.1/Gottesweg, 50939 Köln - ( U-Bahn Klettenberg )
Daily 18.00 hrs to 05.00 hrs
Excentric bar with a mixed clientèle.
www.bilderschreck.sportkneipe.de
Café Barflo
Friesenwall 24 d / Kettengasse, 50672 Köln - ( U-Bahn Rudolfplatz )
Monday to Friday from 11.00 hrs till midnight, Saturday and Sunday from 10.00 hrs to 01.00 hrs
Gay café with terrace from March to November. Cake of the day and a wide choice of different teas and coffees. Pizza. Free wifi internet access.
www.cafe-barflo.de, www.kettengasse.de
Paris-Nord
Severinswall 35, 50678 Köln - ( U-Bahn Chlodwigplatz )
Monday to Saturday from 11.00 hrs to 01.00 hrs, Sunday and public holidays from 12.00 hrs to 01.00 hrs
Café/bar for gays and lesbians.
www.paris-nord.de
Nightclubs
Blue Lounge (Club)
Mathiasstr.4-6, 50676 Köln - ( U-Bahn Heumarkt )
Wednesday to Sunday 21.00 -03.00 hrs
Dance bar for lesbians and gays.
www.blue-lounge.com
Clip
Marsilstein 29, 50676 Köln - ( U-Bahn Rudolfplatz )
Sunday to Thursday from 21.00 hrs to 03.00 hrs, Friday and Saturday from 21.00 hrs to 05.00 hrs
Gay bar, young clientele. Karaoke party every Tuesday and Thursday from 23.00 hrs
Mini-Disco
Pipinstraße 9, 50667 Köln - ( U-Bahn Heumarkt )
Friday and Saturday from 20.00 hrs to 06.00 hrs, Sunday to Thursday from 18.00 hrs to 06.00 hrs
Small discotheque, lounge, cocktail-bar.
www.foryoucologne.de
Neuschwanstein
Mittelstr.12-14 / entrance Bushido, 50672 Köln - ( U-Bahn Neumarkt )
Every Wednesday from 22.00 hrs to 05.00 hrs
www.pink-triangle.de
Organisations
Checkpoint
Health advice, information centre, shop for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and those interested, in Cologne.
www.checkpoint-cologne.de
Beaches and parks
Volksgarten
Night-long bbq parties and meeting place for musicians and street artists. Mixed clientèle.
Museums
Museum Ludwig
Modern and contemporary art immediately behind Cologne Cathedral.
Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.00 hrs to 18.00 hrs ; the first Friday of the month from 10.00 hrs to 22.00 hrs
The collection runs from American Pop Art (Andy Warhol) to Pablo Picasso, including the Russian Avant-Garde of the 1920's and German Expressionism.
www.museenkoeln.de/museum-ludwig
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum
Obenmarspforten (near Cologne Town Hall, the 'Kölner Rathaus')
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 10.00 hrs to 18.00 hrs, Thursday from 10.00 hrs to 22.00 hrs, Saturday and Sunday from 11.00 hrs to 18.00 hrs
Art from the Middle Ages to the 19th century: one of Germany's great classical galleries.
www.museenkoeln.de/wallraf-richartz-museum
Museum für Angewandte Kunst (Museum of Applied Art):
An der Rechtschule - 50667 Köln
Tuesday to Sunday, from 11.00 hrs to 17.00 hrs
Applied art from the Middle Ages to the present day.
www.museenkoeln.de/museum-fuer-angewandte-kunst
Monuments
Cologne Cathedral
Near the central station (Hauptbahnhof).
World heritage site and the third tallest gothic church in the world.
In the centre of town, numerous sacred buildings and remains of the roman walls.
