A popular Traditionsverein with a historic stadium in one of the biggest cities of Germany. 1. FC Köln is a club with a strong identity and is ideal for a day trip. But even if you stay a couple of days, you will not be bored for a second. Viva Colonia!
You would be surprised to know that the RheinEnergieStadion is almost a hundred years old. The stadium is known as the Müngersdorfer Stadion in Cologne, named after the Müngersdorf district the club is in. The stadium used to have a running track, but before the 2006 World Cup, it was completely renovated to the temple it is nowadays.
The stadium, which has a capacity of 50,000, is very impressive from the outside. Make sure to walk through the Marathontor, the gate with the letters 'Stadion' at the beginning of the large meadow. The buildings behind the Nordtribune were also part of the former stadium and date back to 1926. The biggest eye-catchers are the four, luminous pylons which you can see from far away.
The Dom of Cologne, in the heart of the city, is the city's most famous building and biggest pride. The two big black towers can be seen from miles away. So much so that the Allied bombers in World War II spared the Dom because it was such a good checkpoint for them.
For FC Köln, the Dom is as important as it is for the rest of the city. The church is dominantly present in the club's crest, and every year there's a special service in the Dom when the church is full of FC fans who gather to sing the club's anthem in Cologne's holiest place.
The nickname of FC Köln is Die Geißböcke (the billy goats) and in Cologne, they take that very seriously as the club's mascot is an actual goat. Already in 1950, a local circus donated a billy goat to the club and named it Hennes I, after Hennes Weisweiler, who then played for the club and later also became their manager. A tradition was born, and since 2019 Hennes IX is the official mascot of FC Köln. He's on the side of the pitch for every home game and is very popular with the Colognian fans. You can get close to Hennes before the match, in the corner between the West- and Südtribune. On regular days, Hennes is at home in his stable at the Zoo of Cologne and is visited regularly by fans of FC Köln.
Another living legend in Cologne - a little less hairy though - is Lukas Podolski. Even though he was born in Poland, he is a real Colognian kid. He played for Köln in two separate terms, but nowadays Prinz Poldi mainly leaves his mark in the hospitality industry of the city. Situated on Alter Markt 20 is his 'Brauhaus Zum Prinzen', a bar where the typical Colognian culture and his football career come together. On the menu, there's a range of local beers and dishes, and on the wall, there are many pictures and references to Podolski himself.
Besides this, Poldi is also the owner of Mangal Döner, a well-regarded chain of kebab restaurants in and around Cologne. Not as strange of a connection as you might think in the first place, given Podolski's history of playing in Turkey and the large Turkish community in Cologne.
On match days, you will bump into fans in the club's colours all over Cologne, but the Gaffel am Dom is our favorite. Gaffel am Dom (in the shadow of the church) is Germany at its best, a restaurant that is full with football fans on match days, who enjoy a typical German dish and a trademark Colognian glass of Kölsch beer. It is recommended to make a reservation beforehand as there won't be any free tables when Der Effzeh plays at home.
No time to go to the city? Close to the stadium, the corner of the Aachener Straße and the Alte Militärring are full of football fans who are enjoying a couple of beers before the match.
It's quite difficult to get tickets to see 1. FC Köln. With more than 110,000 members, it's one of the largest associations in Germany, and thus the stadium gets easily filled for every match. For most of the 'smaller' matches, there will still be some tickets available though, due to season ticket holders who give up their place if they can't come to the stadium. You can buy the tickets on the club's official website.
The RheinEnergieStadion is on the western side of Cologne and is easy to reach by car. From Motorway A1, take the exit Bocklemünd or Lövenich and follow the 'Stadion' signs. You will be guided to one of the car parks around the stadium.
If you're travelling by public transport, you can take tram 1 in the city centre (at Neumarkt) in the direction of the stadium. From central station Köln Hauptbahnhof, you can take the S-Bahn to Weiden-West, where you can transfer onto tram 1 from the opposite direction.
Please note: If you have your match ticket with you, public transport in the Cologne region is free on match days.
Images: BSR Agency, Coddou, SANTOS
