EXPLORING COLOGNE
by Rich Rubin


If cities fall into two categories, “love at first sight” and “grow on you slowly,” Cologne is of the second type. While the cathedral—a Gothic wonder spanning six centuries of building—is immediately impressive, the city itself takes a little time to work its magic. You know it’s going to happen, though, even as you walk along with some doubts creeping into your mind. As I stroll through the modern streets of this German gay mecca, I think: “I’m going to love this city. I don’t yet, but I’m going to.”

That’s because much of what’s wonderful about Cologne (Köln in German) is a matter of experiencing, not SEEING. There really aren’t many “sights” in the city. Well, there are some amazing museums, quite a few in fact, but except for the cathedral there are no “must see” tourist attractions. Actually, the best parts of the city lie away from the established tourist zones, and the more time you spend simply strolling, discovering a little café here, a fun bar there, a fabulous restaurant, or a unique little shop, the more you become enamored of this appealing town.

For gay visitors, there couldn’t be a more welcoming city on earth—how many other places offer a “pink card,” designed especially for GLBT travelers that provides free public transit and gives discounts everywhere from gay bars to boat tours to fetish shops? Annual gay festivals range from July’s Christopher Street Day to November’s Bear Pride. The city’s famous Carnival with a noticeable gay contingent is usually held in February and is one of the most prominent in Europe. While a metropolis like Berlin might have greater numbers of bars, Cologne is the unofficial “Gay Capital” of Germany.

This will be particularly true next year, when the city hosts the Gay Games, which run from July 31 to August 7, 2010, enabling an immensely gay-welcoming city (and one devoted to gay sports, with the largest GLBT sports club in Europe) to celebrate its gay-friendliness. Notes Ingo Schneider, volunteer media coordinator for the Games, “I want to engage myself in showing the world how easy it can be to be out, and here in Cologne it’s totally easy.” For the Gay Games (Germany’s first and Europe’s second, after Amsterdam) they’re expecting 12,000 sporting/cultural participants which will make it, Schneider proudly points out, larger than the Beijing Olympics, and an additional million spectators. With 34 sports in 28 venues, there will be no lack of events to watch (most of them free), and none more than fifteen minutes from the city center.

It will be hard not to know the Gay Games are happening, with a “Gay Games Village” in the heart of town and bridges over the Rhine hung with Gay Games flags. Cultural aspects will include everything from international marching bands and choral groups to a dance competition and the Games’ first cheerleading contest (get those pom poms ready). The International Rainbow Memorial Run will pay tribute to those lost to AIDS, and a GLBT history exhibit will add an educational element. Even the Cologne Zoo is getting in the spirit with a display on gay tendencies in the animal kingdom!

There will also be huge opening and closing events (the former in Cologne’s soccer stadium, the latter in the city center), and a variety of parties in between. The city’s tourist board and official hotel reservation service are fully backing the Games, offering a Gay Games discount, and just about every hotel in Cologne is participating.

Speaking of hotels, let’s check in. The city’s luxury leader is the Excelsior Hotel Ernst, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. I could rave forever about the gorgeous, individually-designed rooms, the fabulous dining, the amazingly attentive staff, and the perfect location right in the shadow of the cathedral (it’s also a two-minute walk from the train station).

Another luxurious choice is the Hotel Im Wasserturm, a Small Luxury Hotel of the World member that’s actually inside a former water tower. Large, high-design rooms and a solicitious staff make this spot another winner. For non-Rockefellers, the Maritim has a lovely Rhineside location and is well known for its GLBT-friendliness (the dance competition of the Gay Games will be in their ballroom), while Schlosshotel Lerbach, about twenty minutes outside town in the suburb of Bergisch Gladbach, offers true luxury in a former private castle.

From my hotel, I set out with excellent guide Stefan Rath. Our first stop is, of course, the cathedral. It’s one of the few remaining buildings to survive World War II bombings, which destroyed 90% of the city center. Parts date to the 13th century, the rest was built between 1842 and 1880. The highlight is the coffin of the Magi, acquired (okay, stolen) from Italy and displayed here with great pomp. The golden coffin in which the remains are housed is one of the best-preserved in Europe, and the cathedral itself is impressive in a massive, Gothic way, with stone arches, cross-shaped design, and imposing structure.

From here we head to the “Old Town,” where a vast open plaza along the Rhine holds sidewalk cafés for locals and tourists alike to gather for meals or drinks. At one end of the riverside promenade, a pink triangle-shaped monument stands, memorializing gay Holocaust victims. “Beaten to Death, Silenced to Death,” it reads in stark tribute.

It’s amazing to see this in the most touristy part of town, where boats line up along the river to take visitors on tours and souvenir shops proliferate. On a few of the winding streets, you’ll find a collection of gay bars (though they’re largely of the dark room/leather/fetish variety). The more modern and comfortable pubs lie about ten minutes’ walk away, in the streets surrounding the Rudolfplatz. We walk past the ornate town hall, whose elaborate portico at the center dates to the 1500s, with the flanking buildings being reconstructions. This is the civil registry for weddings, and it has seen more than a few same-sex weddings.

You could easily spend a day museum-hopping, seeing displays devoted to everything from the ancient Romans to modern art to chocolate and, of course, perfume. Why perfume? Ummm…look at the city’s name. Yes, the substance known as eau de cologne, “water of Cologne,” originated here. The Farina House Perfume Museum occupies the locale where it’s said the first eau de cologne was made, and there’s an interesting display of perfume esoterica from elaborate bottles to historic perfume labels.

You’ll also want to check out the Wallraf-Richartz for its great collection of art from medieval to early 20th-century greats Rodin, Van Gogh, Monet, and Gauguin; Museum Ludwig for a more contemporary display (great Picasso and pop art collections); and the Applied Arts Museum for fabulous furniture, tapestries, china, glass, and other “practical” arts and design. Meanwhile, the Römisch-Germanisches Museum is devoted to Roman life in the region, and includes the spectacular Dionysian mosaics and the largest collection of Roman glass in the world. The Diocesan Museum is interesting not only for its holdings but for the building itself, a modern construction around a preserved church ruin-museum and archaeological site in one. Chocaholics won’t want to miss the Chocolate Museum, right on the Rhine banks. The museum celebrates this “food of the gods” with displays on cultivation and history and even a working chocolate factory. If you can pass up the chocolates in the gift shop or the cakes beckoning from the café counter, you have more will power than I do!

Determined to walk off my indulgence, I head away from the more touristed areas into the Belgian Quarter, just fifteen minutes’ walk from the heart of town. As I arrive in this quickly-gentrifying area, the shops turn smaller and more individualistic/alternative, hair gets multi-colored, faces younger, the feeling edgier. There’s the occasional burst of graffiti, and the one thing that’s totally lacking is tourists (well, except me). Many of Cologne’s little boutiques are here—so many that they’ve put out a little brochure, “Chic Belgique,” outlining some of the pleasures of the quarter.

In Marius Götten’s Goldschmeid, right on shady/seedy Brüsselerplatz, I admire the wonderful twisting rings and luminescent earrings. On Antwerpenstrasse (yes, they’re all named after Belgian towns), I admire sleek and brightly-hued women’s fashions in Claudia Heller, on Brüsselerstrasse the earthy and elegant men’s/women’s fashions of Kleidung. There’s more gorgeous jewelry design at Form-werk, and some very stylish tote bags (and some nice clothing) at Hack leatherware.

Having done my walking duty, it’s time for coffee and amazing cakes. Under Stefan Raths’ expert guidance, I end up at Café Jansen, a perfect relic of 1950s style: gold, green, and orange brocade covers the walls of this round room filled with pale green velvet chairs. The cases out front hold a delectable assortment of pastries, from citron or strawberry/rhubarb tarts to chocolate confections and nutty little clusters. It’s kind of an old lady spot, but then, I’m kind of an old lady in my taste sometimes, and sure enough, as Stefan and I take a seat and the sweet waitress brings us our coffee and cake, we’re the only two under 65 in the joint. There’s something very pleasing about that.

Perhaps sensing my gluttonous nature, Stefan also takes me to Fromme, a sleek coffeehouse where a row of modern paintings hangs above black leather couches. The cakes here are spectacular: a “Senator’s cake” of buttercream, cherries, Cointreau, and marzipan that looks like a modern art sculpture, a champagne/chocolate buttercream cake, and other fattening-but-who-cares concoctions. It’s the perfect spot for a sinfully delicious afternoon pick-me-up.

If you prefer sipping your coffee with a gayer crowd, the area around Rudolfplatz has much to offer. Right across the street from each other, Café Era and Café Flaneur are the lynchpins of the neighborhood’s gay caffeination. In summer both spots feature tables on the sidewalk, while wintertime points up their differences, from the deeply-hued and modern/stark look of Era to the French-themed Flaneur with its map of Paris scrawled across the wall. More coffee? More sweets? Just a short walk away is lovely Café Rico, with a chic black and white look, lots of orchids, and black tables. They’re only open till 8 P.M. so they’re definitely a daytime place, a true gay coffeehouse. Join the local community for a sweet indulgence, or try their breakfast. As in most of Germany’s cities, breakfast is a big thing far into the afternoon, especially among the dance all night and nap away the morning crowd.

I love that there are gay places that aren’t just bars and clubs. As Ingo Schneider notes, it’s a gay scene that’s about quality, not quantity. While the number of gay spots here is impressive, you don’t find the overwhelming numbers that other cities boast. Still, he comments, “you’re able to get whatever you would like, whether you’re looking for older boys, younger boys, leather, ladies…whatever you would like.”

For an efficient introduction to Cologne’s nightlife, head to Mauritiuswall and Schaafenstrasse, two intersecting streets with quite a collection of bars. X Corner is one of the leading ones. With its ceiling festooned with sunflowers and bees, this long, narrow room at the intersection of the two streets fills with a mainly younger, mixed crowd that gets even younger as the evening wears on. Across the street, Schampanja is one of the oldest gay bars in Cologne, and one of the few that appeals to a somewhat more mature crowd that packs into its Lilliputian interior. X Bar (a different place from X Corner) has these odd sofa unit things with purple cushions, vinyl tan stools, a stylish look, and a stylish thirtyish crowd, while Mumu, around the corner on Schaafenstrasse, boasts a somewhat campier look of pink walls, black benches, and a mixed gay/lesbian crowd. Down the street, Iron is stylish and pleasant, its orange walls glowing in the light of chandeliers, and the best thing about it is that the music is played at a level where you can actually hear your friends when they speak to you (now there’s a concept). All in all, it’s a diverse and winning collection of bars, all within a block, and if you’re looking for a way to experience Cologne’s gay nightlife in a nutshell, I suggest you head to this “Bermuda Triangle” of cafés and pubs.

From here it’s a very short walk to Rudolfplatz and two popular dance venues: Triple A, where you’ll find electro/house music on Fridays and the “Diva” night of various chart-toppers on Saturday, and next-door O, which is mixed and gay-friendly, offering such parties as “Heroes” on Friday nights. Those who like to dance should also hit the Pink Party on Wednesday nights at Neuschwanstein, which attracts a young crowd that’s about 90% male and has been one of the biggest and most successful ongoing dance nights. Kings and Queens is another popular dance party, a little more mixed gender-wise. If you’re into the fetish scene visit Station 2B, where weekly parties carry names like “Juicy Friday” and “Naked Mask.”

When it comes to the dining scene in Cologne, you’ll find restaurants of all stripes. Start, perhaps, with the typical brew pub atmosphere of Peters Brauhaus, where carnivores will be in heaven and beer drinkers will love the original brews and pubby atmosphere. Try the traditional German specialties at Em Krützche, a lovely spot next to the Philharmonic, open late so you can indulge in some post-concert German cookery.

For something a little more modern, try Chez Chef, right outside the Media Park complex, with a chic wine bar look and international cuisine with touches of the Mediterranean and Asia. The staff is incredibly friendly, the setting trendy without going overboard, the location out of the tourist crush but easily reachable. Basilicum, on the south end of the city center, has a creative menu that melds Europe and Asia in intriguing combinations (salmon/lobster lasagna, anyone?). Gay-owned Limbourg, a prime choice in the Belgian Quarter, has a cozy feel with lots of brick, and a simple but inventive menu that veers toward the Mediterranean. There’s just a handful of choices here for each course, but what the chef does each night, he does right.

Vintage features the large wine selection its name implies, but also has a stunning menu to go with it. You might start with stuffed trout in a crispy wine leaf before moving on to such mains as rack of lamb with chili/red wine sauce, ginger spinach, and passionfruit polenta. Meanwhile, Weinamrhein has a high-design interior and creatively updated German cuisine, from cuttlefish with bread salad to mullet with artichoke and tomato-pepper stock, or braised beef with dumplings and cabbage.

For Turkish food, you can’t beat Bosporus, the best of several Turkish establishments lined up on Weidengasse, which presents Turkish cuisine in a refined and lovely atmosphere. To travel further into Asia, Taku, in the Exclesior Hotel Ernst, has some of the best Asian food in the city, in a refined atmosphere that’s at once soothing and impressive. La Vision, at the top of Hotel Im Wassertum, gives diners an astounding view as well as Michelin-starred cookery from grilled sepia with asparagus foam to Madeira-glazed pork cheeks. Dieter Müller, the three-Michelin-star restaurant at Schlosshtoel Lerbach, about twenty minutes from town on easy-to-use local rail, is a must-do for a meal that’s absolute perfection, even if you’re not staying at this gorgeous property.

Right in town, you also must try Hanse Stube. My meal there is honestly one of the best I’ve had in years. I savor a salad surrounded by perfectly-done scallops and little arrows of asparagus, dig into an amazing duo of melon soups, sweet/tart, many-layered, and heady, with a tiny lobster medallion in the center, and absolutely perfect turbot, lightly crusted with parsley, cylinders of polenta surrounding it, and a little frizzle of fried parsley atop. I finish with a square tower alternating thin sheets of dark chocolate with raspberries and raspberry sherbet. The room, in rich gleaming wood, is a beauty, and the service is attentive and delightful.

Enjoyment: that’s the key word to experiencing Cologne. Tellingly, I didn’t go home with a ton of photographs, my time was far too occupied with eating and drinking, strolling, and people watching. This isn’t the place for those who want to run from monument to statue to column to historic home. It’s the place for those who want to enjoy and indulge.

As I write those words, I realize that I’ve finally “gotten” Cologne. Cologne has won me over, as I knew it would. As Ingo Schneider of the Gay Games aptly puts it: “In Cologne there’s a warm and welcoming atmosphere. It’s a special atmosphere you feel.”

When a stranger smiles at you without expecting anything in return, the city finally “clicks” and you realize just what it is that draws people here. It might happen after your first Champagne cream cake or your thirteenth coffee, your first stroll along the Rhine or your final glimpse of the cathedral, its twin spires illuminated against the benign midnight sky. Cologne is a feeling, not a monument. It’s as sweet and entrancing as the substance that bears its name, and every bit as seductive.

[Published: November, 2009]

Forrás: http://www.passportmagazine.com/destinations/Cologne767.php?rand=1