I've maybe spent one hour in this city passing through so I'm looking forward to explore the place.
Record stores :
There is an abundance of record stores in Cologne, but most are hidden in non-tourist quarters.
For a mainstream record store, go to Saturn, which hosts the "world's largest CD collection", as they quote on their store windows. Always worth a visit. Subway and Regional Train from central station: Hansaring.
Independent record stores are spread around Saturn: Cross the street for 2nd hand and punk, follow the "Ring" (boulevard) north, and you will find Jazz, Electro and HipHop at Schallschock record store.
Famous alternative music-store Normal is south of Saturn, as well as Underdog Record Store (specialized in Alternative Rock, Emo, Garage and related matters) Subway and Regional Train from central station: Hansaring For electronic music, get off at Friesenplatz, and go to Groove Attack in Maastrichter street. Also famous is Kompakt record store. Both are connected to a label sharing the name, and putting out fine German electronic music. Subway: Friesenplatz
Skater Supplies (which I don't do but usually these kind of stores are located around other sorts of cool shops so it's a good start).
Made In in Hahnen street, close to Rudolfplatz. The interior of the shop is kept very classic with many tasteful details including artistic handpaintings on the walls. To this day Made In offers a wide variety of streetwear and skate goods as well as several exclusive labels and item , you will rarely find anywhere else.
Books
On "Ehrenstraße", you will find cheap and arty books, take a look at "Buchhandlung König" at the eastern end, buy art books at well known "Taschen" at the corner of Ehrenstraße and the Ring.
Books in English - "English Books and Tea", Auf dem Rothenberg 9a, in the old town, stocks a wide range of new and secondhand books in English. It also offers a choice of teas and conversation and invaluable tourist orientation - all in English.
Drinks, party and a bit of food
Typical Cologne beer is called "Kölsch" and served in bars around town in small glasses, called "Stangen". That way the beer is always fresh and cold. Don't worry, waiters will be fast to bring you a new one once your old one is (almost) finished. In more traditional bars and especially the breweries, the waiter (called "Köbes" in local language) will even hand you a fresh Kölsch without being asked, so it is easy to lose track of how much you drank. He will put a pencil line on your coaster for each beer that you drank, this will be the basis for your bill, so do not lose it! To stop the beer from coming, leave your glass almost half full until you have asked for the bill or put your coaster on top of your empty glass.
If you buy bottled Kölsch, take either "Reissdorf", "Früh", "Gaffel" or "Mühlen", which are rated highest by Cologne citizens. Those looking for a beer with a little more bitterness might like to try Küppers (there are about 30 more brands).
A really great bar is the Irish Pub, Flanagan's, in Altstadt located down below a building. Almost everybody speaks English in there if that's what you are looking for, and they have a really great Karaoke night on Sundays.
A secret Tip are the Bars of the alternative Szene in Cologne. Those you may find the most in Ehrenfeld, like the "Underground" on Vogelsanger Str. 200, metro station Venloer Str./Gürtel or the "Sonic Ballroom", and in the Südstadt, for instance the "Tsunami Club" and the little pub "Lotta", but also in the famous Kwartier Lateng, which is near the University of Cologne, around the Barbarossaplatz, at the Zülpicher Straße and the Kyffhäuser Straße.
Sasan, Hohenstaufenring 25-27 (U-Bahn Zülpicher Platz) is an awesome Italian restaurant that has a long running special of cheap cocktails after 5PM most nights, and pizza / pasta dishes for €3-4 daily before 6PM. Great place for lunch or an early dinner, and also a good base to kick off a night out. Staff are very friendly and generally speak English, and the food is excellent, as are the cocktails.
I'm going to get myself a shitload of this stuff, it would be criminal not to bring some home.
And we need to go here of course.
<3
I found out that The Rockin´Lafayettes are playing the Sonic Ballroom on Saturday and after the show they have a very cool sixties club night so I must pack my dancing shoes too so I can dance like nobody's watching. Which they all will do but I couldn't care less... ah, the beauty of being in a strange in a big city!
LOOKING FRIGGING FORWARD!!!!
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