Koln/Cologne suggestions
 

I will be in Koln for < 24 hours on a Sunday as part of a mileage run ... I would appreciate restaurant recommendations in the downtown area as well as any sights/visits other than the usual "must see" list. Thanks in advance.

I haven't been to CGN for a while, but if you want typical german food with local beer (in Cologne served in VERY small glasses), go to Peter's Brauhaus in the city centre.
Also check out the most beautiful church in Germany, the Cologne Cathedral.

And the best: You will be there for the Cologne Carnival - the biggest in Europe!

Walking across the river bridge is pretty nice. If you are a train buff, there are often ICE-3s cruising in and out of the train station, as well as the container vessels floating down the Rhein river..

The Dom (Cathedral) is a must see.

I'm a big Koelsch fan. As was mentioned earlier, it is served in a .2 liter glass, but it is a very fresh and good tasting beer. It is similar to a pilsner without the bitterness.

You are also about 30 minutes from Duesseldorf, which is a nice city in its own right.

"Fru" is downtown (sorry I can't do umlauts on this keyboard) and has excellent food & beer.

JP

Restaurant Brewer Mühlen Kölsch. Typical food of the region and great beer. Address: Heumarkt 6. I think even Bill Clinton ate there once. The Heumarkt is known by everyone, so easy to find.

Just one warning. This weekend is Carneval Weekend. Cologne is one of he biggest Carneval cities in Germany. All restaurants and pubs will be full with cheerfull and later the evening drunk people.

Thanks ... we look forward to regional food/beverage ... and since we're on a mileage run, our bodies' "time" may be in sync with the carnival folks!

Cologne also has a chocolate museum if that's to your interest. Forget about he typical Cologne restaurants for that weekend. There is no way you gonna make it in, the Carnival guys will always be faster. A lot of heavy drinking starting tomorrow morning at 11:11 a.m.

Have fun though.

Yes, the Chocolate Museum is #1 on my list .... never go home empty handed! Also special gifts for the folks in the office.

A very good restaurant is Bobotie nearby Neumarkt. Excellent food, English menu and I doubt "too Carnival crowded"

Just google the internet or Flyertalk about it. I posted about it once in here...

Bobotie looks interesting ... I don't think that I've ever been to a South African restaurant!

Call them the second you get to your hotel.... Usually it takes a bit to get a table, you can't just show up. But "outsiders" have better chances than people from Cologne on short notice.

I saw Queen's We Will Rock you in Cologne last weekend. It was fantastic. Most of the songs were sung in English. The dialogue was in German, but easy to follow.

http://www.wewillrockyou.de/

check out the Roman museum
 

Koln was a city under the Roman empire 2000+ years ago, and they have a fantastic museum (http://www.museenkoeln.de/english/de...rast=&schrift=)

Plus, the museum is downtown, right by the Cathedral and central train station, so its very convenient when you're just there for a day.

Bob

PS: And drink some Koelsch, its well worth it

The trad brewpubs are likely to be packed to the gills with jolly Karneval people. If you want to eat a bite better head elsewhere, like the South African restaurant mentioned.

Some good eateries also tend to close down over the peak Karneval period as main demand is for Frikadelle and Currywurst. :) Downtown maybe the Friesenstrasse/Friesenplatz area would be a good place to find a bit wider choice.

Many thanks ... ALL recommendations, suggestions, and warnings are much appreciated.