Sitting in Cologne
Sit down. Take a deep breath. Recharge the batteries.
Greetings 2017! Have we met? No sooner has the new year begun than the to-do list bubbles up again, threatening to swamp our brains with stress hormones. New jobs, resolutions and projects get mixed up with all the things we put off or didn’t finish last year. And before we know it, we are back in the hamster-wheel of our fast-paced daily life.
Stop! It’s high time you put a halt to this daily stress. Take a city break for instance – that will widen your horizon, open up new perspectives and bring us closer to ourselves again. Let’s give ourselves a little time to relax, expose ourselves to new impressions. In Cologne for instance. This cathedral city on the River Rhine is second to none when it comes to large German towns with chilled cheerfulness. As it says in Article 2 of the “Constitutional Law of the Rhineland“,”Et kütt wie et kütt.“ (What will be, will be.)
We visited the metropolis on the Rhine during the IMM Cologne 2017 International Interiors Show 2017 and took the opportunity to look round for the best public hotspots where you can come down to earth. We can reveal places in the Cheerfulness Capital – apart from the Exhibition Hall where you can try out the latest Rolf Benz seating – where you can sit and relax, or switch off. Sit down, slow down, listen to your inner voice and enjoy the very special laid-back atmosphere of this city of a million people. Try the statue of Albertus Magnus in front of the main building of the University of Cologne.
Seating for the soul
What would Cologne be without its landmark, the cathedral of Cologne? It’s purely and simply unimaginable. It’s not surprising that the steps in front of this magnificent building are such a popular place for tourists and locals to sit. As you sit at the feet of the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site, you get the best view of the colourful crowds milling around the station. If you want to get away from the hubbub, you’ll find the interior of the cathedral the perfect place for inner reflection – or you could go to the Domforum, the Visitor Centre of Cologne Cathedral, where you’ll find space for contemplation and meditation as well as a wide range of information, including details of talks and events.
The cemetery of St. Bartholomew in the Ehrenfeld area of Cologne is a perfect place to snatch a few moments’ peace in the manic hustle and bustle of your day.
The new Rhine Boulevard is an especially relaxing place. It is a 500 metre flight of steps that gives you a magnificent view of the Cathedral and the historic Old Town of Cologne – on warm days you can happily und sit here and relax late into the evening.
You get wonderful views from the Cologne Triangle: at more than 103 metres high, it is the second highest skyscraper on the right-hand bank of the Rhine in Cologne. Its wide viewing platform gives you a spectacular all-round view of the Cathedral, the town and the surrounding area. Talking of views, as your gaze wanders over the sights, your thoughts can wander too – try this in the historic panoramic restaurant “Bastei” right on the bank of the Rhine. It can be hired for special festive occasions.
If drinking a good cup of coffee is the thing that makes you relax, you should make for the Van Dyck Rösterei and Espressobar which was awarded the international prize for architecture, the “AIT Award” in 2012. But before our city break morphs into just another to-do list, we’d better stop, and enjoy our aromatic espresso. In peace.