I am in Cologne, the oldest and largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia.
It is winter in Germany.
So you need travel destinations that cheer you up.
A metropolis like Cologne is a good choice.
The Rhine is the city's lifeline.
Only from here, the east side of the Rhine, do you have a clear view of the city's landmark...
...Cologne Cathedral!
Anyone planning a sightseeing tour in Cologne should pace themselves very well.
In addition to the cathedral, there are 12 Romanesque churches, about 70 theaters, many musical venues,
over 40 breweries, an opera, 9 city museums - and of course carnival.
So I would say winter blues don’t stand a chance in Cologne.
The Cologne Cathedral towers 157 meters over my head.
Construction began in 1248 - almost 800 years ago.
All of Europe at that time was building churches.
Every self-respecting bishop wanted his own Gothic cathedral.
But in Cologne there was another reason...
This golden shrine.
The bones of the three Magi are kept there.
In 1164, Cologne's Archbishop Rainald von Dassel brought the precious relics here from Milan.
The cathedral was built to preserve the bones in the best way.
It took - believe it or not - 600 years for his dream to come true.
The cathedral was only inaugurated in 1880.
And it is still a construction site.
Something is always being repaired and refurbished.
And sometimes something new is added.
Like the windows in the south transept, which the world-famous painter Gerhard Richter designed.
Whether you're interested in seeing churches, contemplating art or savoring good food,
here's a tour for everyone in Cologne.
I'm interested in the Brauhaus culture and the cult of Cologne's Kölsch beer.
There he is! Hi!
Hi, I'm Lukas.
Hello, I'm Matthäa. Good to have you here
First, we'll be going to the Früh, one of the largest breweries here and, by the way,
the second biggest gastronomic establishment in Germany.
Who'd you say is number one? Any idea?
Munich's Hofbräuhaus?
Right! The Hofbräuhaus in Munich. Very good!
In second place is the Früh here in Cologne.
How many seats would you guess we have here?
1200.
Close, a good estimate.
1500?
Perfect!
Cologne's Brauhauses have their very own rules. And we need a crash course.
The most important rule for the Brauhaus: you always set your own table.
Everyone take a coaster - very important.
Alright, now right off, you'll see that the Kölsch appears by itself.
This is the Köbes, the most important man in the place.
OK, people, first off, cheers!
You always clink a Kölsch glass at the bottom.
Why?
If you just look at the glass, you'll be able to figure it out for yourself.
Nope!
The glass is narrower at the top than the bottom.
After you've downed a few Kölsch and give the glasses a proper clink, the glass will break,
so you should always touch glasses at the bottom.
Remember that forever - it's very important.
The beer coaster itself has an extremely important function.
Of course, it goes under the Kölsch and serves as our tab. They make marks on it.
Also very important here in Cologne: when you get to where you don't want any more Kölsch,
you have to put the coaster on top of the glass. Then you won't get a new one.
Very interesting: in Cologne's Brauhauses, you have to UN-order your beer.
That's good to know!
Cologne is well known for its incredible variety of museums.
From Roman history through the Middle Ages to classical and modern art.
Museum Ludwig is one of the top art museums in Europe.
It has one of the largest Picasso collections worldwide.
The museum everybody here's talking about most of all is the Instagram Supercandy Pop-Up Museum.
After its viral success in 2018, it has opened once again for another six-month stint.
The 2000 square meters of exhibition space hold 25 brightly colored backdrops to pose in front of.
It's a hotspot for influencers, bloggers and anyone looking for a bit of selfie fun.
This tower on the east side of the Rhine is another highly Instagrammable place.
It's called the Triangel.
It's viewing platform offers a 360-degree panoramic view of Cologne.
Time to get a little exercise.
In the Lentpark, skaters make their rounds on an elevated ice track with a circumference of
260 meters all the way around the building.
Down below is the ice-skating rink where professional skaters practice.
And right next door is a swimming pool - a cool combination!
Energy consumption is well balanced.
The heat generated by cooling the ice-skating rink goes to warm up the pool -
the only system of its kind in Europe.
You can go from one extreme to another with a good conscience all the way.
Cologne famously has a fifth season in its year: the carnival.
And it certainly isn't limited to Shrove Monday.
The season begins on November 11th and ends on Ash Wednesday.
Every night, somewhere, there's a party.
I'm at a Stunksitzung, a carnival celebration which enjoys cult status.
Three hours of sketches and music - 2000 merrymakers celebrating.
A concentrated sample of Cologne lifestyle - you have to experience it!
I think carnival is a great way to round off my sightseeing tour of Cologne.
I hope I have inspired you a little bit.
Bye bye - and Alaaf!
Because I think I have to join those merrymakers again.
See you next time.