You certainly wouldn’t associate today’s Mülheim with picturesque mills along a stream. But the borough’s name does actually come from the mills (“Mühlen” in German) that clacked away beside the Strunder Bach stream until the beginning of the 20th century. The borough is made up of nine districts on the right-hand bank of the Rhine, one of which is also called Mülheim.
Enjoying a beer in saintly company
A perfect view on the right-hand riverbank? Correct! Perched on the wall right next to St. Clemens’ church, you can join Saint John of Nepomuk, the patron saint of bridges, as he looks out at the river, Mülheimer Brücke bridge and the spires of the cathedral in the distance. The area around the church, whose roots go back to the Middle Ages, is the quieter part of Mülheim. People come here to relax with a coffee or a beer on the banks of the river or at local gems like Café Jakubowski or Café Vreiheit.
But the Mülheim riverbank isn’t the only surprisingly idyllic place for a stroll in what is, after all, the most heavily populated neighbourhood in the city. Further south comes Mülheim harbour – a combination of maritime flair against the backdrop of the old Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz (KHD for short) factory and an array of abandoned buildings. The future of this area, now known as Otto-Langen-Quartier, was (and still is) the subject of much dispute. But now it at least looks as if the Raum13 art initiative, which had already run a centre for the fine arts (Deutzer Zentralwerk der Schönen Künste) there for ten years, will be able to use the former KHD head office premises. Definitely a place to watch.
If secluded green spaces are more your thing, then Mülheim’s Stadtgarten park is perfect for you. In an area spanning approximately 6.5 hectares, it offers large lawns, a pond, “fairy tale fountain”, ping-pong tables and a boules pitch – a great place to escape for a while. Incidentally, another peaceful haven amid the hustle and bustle of the city is the local protestant cemetery on Bergisch-Gladbacher-Straße. It’s been a burial ground since 1612 and its gravestones, some of which date back several centuries, create a very special atmosphere.
Urbanity and diversity galore
But Mülheim can do urban too, of course – quite well, in fact. Wiener Platz square is where everyone and everything converges: main roads, tram and bus routes and, more than anything else, masses of people. With markets, fairground attractions, municipal offices and hundreds of shops nearby, this place is swarming. Locals who’ve lived here for ages, a sizable student population and, in particular, a large Turkish community make for a culturally diverse district. A must for those looking for a taste of Turkey is Keupstraße. In addition to a sprinkling of stylish period buildings, this street is mainly home to more Turkish and Kurdish businesses and shops than anywhere else in Cologne. Apart from doner kebab shops, bakeries selling gorgeous gateaux and, of course, yummy baklava like at Kilim, hairdressing salons and dozens of jewellers, there’s an abundance of restaurants offering authentic Turkish cuisine. Mevlana is a good one.
Immigration has been part of Mülheim for a long time. Even before the Turkish Gastarbeiter arrived to offer their labour in the 1960s, people of Protestant faith were drawn to the area by the religious freedom introduced as far back as the 17th century. Two hundred years later, the district had become an industrial hub with an economic might that attracted new inhabitants. The nationwide players that built factories here included Lindgens & Söhne (white lead), Böcking & Cie (a rolling mill), engine maker Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz (KHD) and cable manufacturer Felten & Guillaume. Though the days of smoking chimneys are now over, the industrial flair remains. A wide assortment of clubs, media and TV businesses and cultural institutions are breathing new life into the refurbished buildings.
One example is the Schauspiel Köln theatre, which has set up shop in the Carlswerk quarter. If there’s nothing on any of its three stages, you can enjoy the greenery of the Carlsgarten urban gardening project outside, grab a slice of cake or something savoury at Offenbach am Carlsgarten or even scale walls at Stuntwerk diagonally opposite. A bright, airy building oozing industrial charm Stuntwerk has plenty of boulder routes to try. You can also do ninja warrior training here, take aerial silks classes or do yoga to bring your heart rate back down. A stone’s throw away stands an eye-catching former power station, built at the beginning of the 20th century. Today it goes by the name of E-Werk and is one of Cologne’s major concert venues, slightly larger than Palladium directly opposite. Dating back to the end of the 19th century, it used to house a machinery factory.
The better Berghain is in Mülheim
People from the left bank of the Rhine like to call the right-hand bank the “wrong side of the river” and mock it for having less to offer. But Mülheim counters that cliché yet again with two top spots for night owls. Gebäude 9 has been curating one of the best indie gig offerings in the whole city since 1996, receiving multiple awards in the process. And the people of Cologne know how lucky they are to have this place. Around ten years ago, plans to knock it down as part of a new development triggered a wave of protest. Long story short: they came to an agreement and Gebäude 9 stayed put. And then there’s Bootshaus, where fans of electronic music dance all night long – and then some. The club has repeatedly been voted among the top ten in the world. In fact, according to the British DJ Mag, it’s currently ranked ahead of Berlin’s Berghain. And when the clouds go back to purple, everything comes full circle and you can welcome the new day with a coffee on the riverbank wall.
0 comments on “Köln-Mülheim: where yesterday and tomorrow meet”