With its iconic pubs, exclusive public screenings and a billy goat with a cult following, Cologne is a city that lives and breathes football. Here are five of the top football-related places that enjoy cult status.
1. Hennes IX.: 1. FC Köln‘s living lucky mascot
1. FC Köln‘s goat mascot is part of the team and has been almost since day one. In February 1950, two years after the club was founded, a circus director presented them with a young billy goat as a tongue-in-cheek symbol of good luck. They christened him “Hennes” after Hennes Weisweiler, who was a player-coach at the time. The current Hennes is the ninth to have held the position. “Hennes IX” attends all of the home matches at the Rhein-Energie-Stadion, captivating fans of all ages. But the stadium isn’t the only place you can meet him – he welcomes guests at his home too, Cologne Zoo.
Address: Cologne Zoo, Riehler Str. 173, 50735 Cologne. The zoo is open 365 days a year. Summer opening hours are 9am to 6pm. A day ticket for an adult costs 23 euros. Children aged 4 to 12 pay 11 euros. Children over the age of 12, students and apprentices pay 17 euros. To find out what’s happening at the zoo, visit: www.koelnerzoo.de.
2. Südstadion: home to the Fortuna Köln soccer club
It doesn’t always have to be 1. FC – there’s a great atmosphere at Fortuna Köln’s Südstadion in Cologne’s Zollstock district too. The club started out back in 1948 and spent 26 years in the second Bundesliga. Currently, however, they play in the Regionalliga West, having been relegated in the 2018/19 season after five years in the third Liga. But that’s no reason to be downcast. Emotions often run high at Fortuna’s home stadium anyway, from rejoicing over promotions and wins to lamenting over defeats and demotions. Fortuna Köln are always good for an emotional rollercoaster ride. The stadium holds 14,000 spectators, making it just big enough to create a fantastic vibe whilst still ensuring a special, intimate atmosphere between fans and players.
Address: Südstadion, Vorgebirgstraße 76, 50969 Cologne. Standard tickets are available for 10 euros if you buy in advance and 12 euros on the day. People eligible for discounts pay two euros less. Tickets for children cost five euros. The first match of the new season will be on July 2024. To get the latest information, visit: www.fortuna-koeln.de
3. All the excitement of the races: live match screenings at Cologne Racecourse
If you’re looking for an alternative to the two biggest public screening events in Cologne (at Heumarkt and Tanzbrunnen), take a trip to Cologne Racecourse in the neighbourhood of Weidenpesch. In 2018, the World Cup screening there was organised by none other than local legend Lukas Podolski. Who knows, perhaps he’ll put in an appearance this year too? The racecourse will have a huge, 40m² screen for fans to watch the Euro matches on. If you like thinks a little more exclusive, you can get a seat in the (covered) main stand for 10 euros – including a drinks service. Boxes to seat four people are available for 15 euros, including a welcome kölsch beer and drinks service. For five euros you can watch from the grass.
Address: Galopprennbahn Köln-Weidenpesch, Rennbahnstraße 152, 50737 Cologne. Tickets can be pre-ordered here. The initial plan is to show all of Germany’s games, which are on 14, 19 and 23 June. For updates, visit: www.koeln-galopp.de.
4. Tanzbrunnen: Cologne’s largest public screening venue
The match screenings at Tanzbrunnen offer that perfect Cologne combination of football, the river and the cathedral. Cologne’s largest public screening venue, has capacity for a whopping 12,500 fans and three gigantic, 36m² screens to watch the Euros on. Tanzbrunnen will be opening at 5pm for the first match, Germany vs. Scotland, on 14 June. With a stunning backdrop and a view across the River Rhine, the crowd will be able to revel in the emotions of the experience, sharing the highs and the lows of the action on the pitch. There’ll also be live music and a fantastic entertainment programme. The events are designed to be inclusive, providing accessibility for people with disabilities and families with buggies, audio-description commentary for blind and visually impaired fans and professional sign language interpreters for deaf spectators. Tanzbrunnen will be a place for everyone to experience the special Euro atmosphere together.
Address: Tanzbrunnen Köln, Rheinparkweg 1, 50679 Cologne. They’ll be showing the German squad’s matches and all of the ones taking place in Cologne. Admission is free.
5. Gottes grüne Wiese
When 1. FC Köln are playing, the crowd here goes wild. Corner pub Gottes grüne Wiese in the Belgian Quarter is a hotspot for football fans. This summer, as well as showing the Bundesliga games, this cult soccer bar will also be screening the German Euro matches. There’s a good selection of beers and other beverages to choose from and you can spend an enjoyable hour or so playing table football too – they even have a league here! Sometimes there’s a football quiz or a reading – also footie-related, obviously. You can’t book a table at this pub so it’s worthwhile getting there a bit earlier on the Euro match days. With the warm atmopshere and a cool kölsch in your hand, this is a great place to join in the celebrations.
Address: Gottes Grüne Wiese, Bismarckstraße 53, 50672 Cologne. Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday, 6pm to 2am; Thursday and Friday, 6pm to 3am; Saturday, 2.30pm to 3am; Sunday: 3pm to 1am.
0 comments on “Top cult football places in Cologne”