Noteable Metro
Stations
Zülpicher Strasse/Gürtel – Lines 9, 13
Eifelwall – Line 16
Weyertal – Line 9
Lindenburg – Line 9
Sülzburgstrasse – Line 16
Sülz is a charming
little corner of Cologne, which lies south-west of the city centre,
and is well connected, situated as it is in a triangle between busy
metro stations,
Zülpicher Platz and Barbarossaplatz.
Despite this, it remains a quiet quarter that is perfect for an
afternoon spent absent-mindedly shopping, before meeting up with
friends for an intimate soirée.
Shopping
Being far enough removed from the city centre, Sülz is a shopping
paradise for those who prefer to steer clear of the high street
names. Zülpicher Strasse and Berrenrather Strasse, in particular,
are littered with independent and vintage clothing boutiques. The
shops on Zülpicher Strasse are most accessible from Weyertal (Line
9) and Berrenrather Strasse itself is not too difficult to find from
here. The area is nicely arranged in neat squares, so if you are
heading along Zülpicher Strasse, away from the city centre, you
simply have need to turn left down one of the many side streets
(Marsiliusstrasse, Gustavstrasse, Redwitzstrasse – to name just a
few) and you will eventually find yourself on Berrenratherstrasse.
One boutique that, for me, shines out from all the other is a dress
shop on Zülphicher Strasse (Weyertal), next to a shop that sells
Africana, called 'Afrika Hautnah', that I believe to be called 'Cava
cava'. The garments in this little gem of a store are unique, and
can be tailored to fit by the in-store seamstresses if required.
Anything you buy from here will be a little more pricey than your
average but will be guaranteed to be elegant and make you feel like a
million dollars.
If you like to snack while you shop, there is also a strange little
establishment just up the road from here, 'Kaffee Klamott', where you
can combine a lovely cup of tea or coffee and a slice of cake with …
clothes shopping ; combining, as it does, cafe and boutique.
photo from kaffeeklamott.de
For a full make-over, a more unusual recommendation comes in the form
of hairdressing chain 'Cutters' (Sülzburgstrasse). For anybody
residing in Cologne for long enough to need a haircut, the thought
can be a bit scary, especially for an English-speaker whose doesn't
really specialise in German hairdressers' lingo. At Cutters, though,
after waiting (you get given a customer number like at a supermarket
delhi counter, but you can leave a come back if your wait is a long
one), you get your hair cut and then – here is the crucial part –
you are sent over to a styling station where you are left in peace
with straighteners and products to style your hair how you like
it. Only then do you return to
the hairdresser for the final cut. An ingenious system that really
can save you from Unfortunate-Haircut-Abroad syndrome.
Socialising
There is certainly plenty of choice for venues in Sülz to socialise.
The area is bursting with cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants –
something for every occasion. For me, a perfect crawl in Sülz would
start off, on a sunny day, with a few refreshing glasses of kölsch
outside the Eckstein (Sülzburgstrasse), followed up by a meal at
mexican restaurant Cafe Rosarita on Weyertal, just a short walk off
Zülphicher Strasse (Weyertal). The menu boasts that they serve the
best chili that you will ever have tasted. My own father, who would
usually take great joy in being able to contradict such a bold
statement, still claims it to be true, as does my brother. Whilst I
never tried their chili, I found the enchiladas to be delicious
photo by Monika Nonnenmacher
Bursting from a wonderful meal at Cafe Rosarite, you will most likely
want to unwind. If you head back to Zülpicher Strasse (Weyertal)
you will not be far from Sahara – a tropically decorated
cafe/restaurant where you can smoke shisha, enjoy a pot of marroccan
mint tea and really feel like you are on a different continent.
If, after all of that, you are still in the mood for more
festivities, I would recommend the Schmelztiegel – a pub situated
directly between Eifelwall and Barbarossaplatz. It is quite popular
with students, as it is a local meeting place for the town's Erasmus
society (to my recollection they meet on Tuesday evenings during
term-time), so it is a great place to meet people. In the summer, it
has also been known to be filled with sand and fitted out with
deck-chairs.
left-hand image of Rose Club from locationsite.de. Right hand image from Schmelztiegel.eu
If dancing is your thing, you can find the Rose Club just over the
road, but it is not for the faint hearted – it is a very small
venue that gets VERY busy and VERY hot. The music is great, but this
really won't be enough for you if you require a bit of breathing
space and the possibility of somewhere to sit at some point on a
night out. Also, the Rose Club will routinely refuse to serve you
tap water when you're gasping for a drink of something non-alcoholic
to keep you on your feet. So be prepared to keep enough money to one
side for the odd bottled water.
