Südstadt

Cologne's Südstadt is one of Germany's best-preserved Gründerzeit quarters — a remarkable fact in a city that lost over 90 percent of its built fabric in World War II. Intact rows of Wilhelmine tenements with ornate stucco facades and cobblestone streets give the neighborhood the feel of Cologne circa 1900. Everyday life here revolves around corner pubs serving Kölsch on tap, owner-run boutiques, a dense restaurant scene, and the weekly market at Chlodwigplatz. The expansive Volksgarten provides green space within the dense 19th-century streetgrid. For visitors, the Südstadt offers the most tangible encounter with Cologne's pre-war urban character — best explored on foot or by bike.

Creative neighborhood around Chlodwigplatz and Severinsstrasse — where the locals actually drink their Kölsch.