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Major events

There is always something happening in Cologne - often on a grand scale. And because the city's many diverse "scenes" not only co-exist but also tend to join forces in a spirit of cooperation, every event is always colourful and spectacular. For example, Cologne's annual city marathon is performed to the beat of live music; the Cologne Pride (Christopher Street Day) is transformed into a summer carnival, and Cologne's Carnival itself is undergoing a permanent transformation.

By virtue of Cologne's vibrant populace, the numerous tradefairs staged here assume a special kind of flair. And the tradefair centre itself is located virtually in the inner city. Hardly surprising, therefore, that each year millions of visit flood into this Domstadt to sample the delights of life in the shadow of our famous cathedral.

Cologne Pride - CSD

Cologne's gay scene is an integral and highly conspicuous section of the local population. As such Cologne Pride is celebrated as an international festival for lesbians, gays and transvestites in the customary Cologne manner - almost like Carnival itself.

ttracting more than over a half a million visitors, the grand parade is both a demonstration and a street party at the same time, and -- receives mass local coverage from the local TV stations on a similar scale as that accorded Cologne's Rosenmontag Carnival Parade.

Local Festivals

Given the notoriety of Cologne's inhabitants for using any pretext to hold a party, even the smallest celebrations are turned into major events. These include "The Longest Table in Cologne", which is held in the southern part of the city, where the local restaurants pubs and shops erect tables side-by-side in front of their establishments offering both locals and visitors plenty to eat and drink.

Frequented by over one million visitors is the equally popular street party "Am Eigelstein". With virtually every city borough holding its own street party, a huge fair is also staged in Deutz on the banks of the Rhine, directly opposite Cologne's Old Quarter during the Easter period and in late autumn.

Cologne Carnival

The Carnival satisfies a uniquely human desire: namely that of assuming another identity at least once a year and just letting your hair down, or as the locals say "jeck sein". Cologne has been a traditional stronghold for the Carnival since the Middle Ages. The "fifth season of the year" as it is called, begins on 11th November - the eleventh of the eleventh - and slowly culminates during these "crazy days" into a huge, multifaceted public festival until it ends on Ash Wednesday.

In addition to the official Kölner Karneval with its special societies and corps which hold over 400 carnival sessions and balls, there is the satirical "Alternative Carnival" or "Stunksitzung", which dedicated to mocking the official main-stream carnival. And then there is the street carnival in which clowns from Cologne join together with musical samba groups.

Each year, Carnival is officially opened on so-called Weiberfastnacht, the Thursday prior to Rosenmontag, at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in Cologne's Alter Mark (Old Market). In the public squares and streets, offices and homes and of course, in the pubs and dance halls in and around the city the commencement of the "crazy days" of Carnival is greeted with great celebrations, and the closing times for pubs and bars are suspended for the duration of the festival.

Carnival Sunday, with its colourful procession of floats representing the local schools and city boroughs forms the prelude to the climax of each Carnival season: The triumphal victory march of "Cologne's Dreigestirn" or Triumvirate - the Prince, the Peasant and the Maiden - in the kilometre-long Rosenmontag parade which traverses the breadth of the city.

Attracted by the countless, splendidly decorated floats, giant puppets and effigies, musical bands, hundreds of horses and the "rank and file" revellers, millions of spectators line the route of the parade in a wonderfully jubilant atmosphere. In short: Cologne goes crazy.

Cologne's Marathon

Starting at the KölnArena, then crossing the Rhine and running through Cologne's city centre before finally crossing the finishing line at the Cathedral, Cologne's marathon has become a must for long-distance runners the world over. With some 15,000 participants, the Cologne Marathon is enthusiastically supported by over 600,000 visitors lining the route.

Music Triennial

The Musiktriennale is a unique festival of 20th century music from across the globe which will take place for the fourth time this year. The visitors will be able to attend over 130 concerts, spread across 14 different venues. The program of music ranges from classic to contemporary music. In addition to the Kölner Philharmonie and the Westdeutschen Rundfunk, the Stadtgarten also participate.

Christmas Market

As the year draws to an end, an air of tranquillity envelops the city. In the last week of November, the spirit of Christmas descends on Cologne with the opening of Cologne's four major Christmas markets: on the Cathedral square, the Old Market, the New Market and at Rudolfsplatz.

Visitors from home and abroad flock to the markets of Cologne to buy the local handicrafts, toys, Christmas-tree decorations and sample sumptuous local delicacies. And pervading the city air is the seductive aroma of Glühwein, hot chestnuts and gingerbread cake.

Source:www.koeln.de