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Stadtgarten (Map; 952 9940; Venloer Strasse 40) Surrounded by a small park, this Belgian Quarter favourite hosts vibrant dance parties and live jazz, soul and world music concerts in its cellar hall, but is also a great spot just for a drink (summer beer garden).

Underground (off Map; 542 326; Vogelsanger Strasse 200; Mon & Wed-Sat; Venloer Strasse/Gürtel) This complex combines a pub and two concert halls where indie and alternative rock bands hold forth several times a week. Otherwise it’s party time with different music nightly (no cover). There’s a beer garden in summer. To get here take U3 or U4 to Venloer Strasse/Gürtel.

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GAY & LESBIAN COLOGNE

Next to Berlin, Cologne is Germany’s gayest city, with the rainbow flag flying especially proudly in the so-called ‘Bermuda Triangle’ around Rudolfplatz, which explodes into a nonstop fun zone at weekends. Another major romping ground is the Heumarkt area (especially Pipinstrasse), which draws more sedate folks and leather and fetish lovers. The Gay & Lesbian Street Festival in June basically serves as a warm-up for the Christopher Street Party & Parade (usually in July), which brings more than a million people to Cologne.

A good place to start plugging into the scene is the information and health centre Checkpoint (Map; 9257 6868; www.checkpoint-cologne.de; Pipinstrasse 7; 5-9pm Wed & Thu, 2-7pm Fri & Sat, 2-6pm Sun). The listings magazine Rik (www.rik-magazin.de) has good info and a database of hangouts, although unfortunately in German only.

Places worth checking out include: Blue Lounge (Map; 271 7117; Mathiasstrasse 4-6; from 9pm Wed-Sun), a smooth dance and cocktail bar with a mixed crowd; Barflo (Map; 257 3239; Friesenwall 24d; 10.30am-1am), a perennially popular all-day cafe with great breakfasts and cakes; Brennerei Weiss (Map; 257 4638; Hahnenstrasse 22; mains €5-14; 3pm-1am Mon-Thu, 11am-open end Sat, 11am-1am Sun), a no-nonsense restaurant serving delicious German and regional cuisine; Gezeiten (off Map; 474 7703; Balthasarstrasse 1; mains €5-15; from 7pm Tue-Sun; Ebertplatz), which is favoured by lesbians and has a creative menu that changes weekly; and the men-only Chains (Map; 238 730; Stephanstrasse 4), the city’s largest leather-and-fetish bar with house and techno on the turntable and an active darkroom.

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Alter Wartesaal (Map; 912 8850; Johannis-strasse 11; Fri & Sat) In a former train station waiting hall, this is a stylish bar-disco-restaurant combo. Themed nights range from the erotic KitKatClub to Depeche Mode parties and ’80s nights. The restaurant serves modern German with international touches (mains lunch €7.50 to €12, dinner €17 to €22; open noon to 1am).

Papa Joe’s Klimperkasten (Map; 258 2132; Alter Markt 50) A piano player tickles the ivories nightly in this museum-like place where walls are strewn with yesteryear’s photographs and there are lots of quirky things to discover (check out the wood-carved ‘one-armed bandit’ by the door).

Other recommendations:

Papa Joe’s Em Streckstrump (Map; 257 7931; Buttermarkt 37; 8pm-3am Mon-Sat, from 3.30pm Sun) Free live jazz.

Roonburg (Map; 240 3719; Roonstrasse 33; Tue & Thu-Sat) High-octane party den with cheap beer and student crowd.

THEATRE & CLASSICAL MUSIC

Kölner Philharmonie (Map; 280 280; www.koelner-philharmonie.de; Bischofsgartenstrasse 1) The famous Kölner Philharmoniker is the ‘house band’ in this grand, modern concert hall below the Museum Ludwig. Buy tickets at www.koelnticket.de, by phone or at the box office.

Repertory theatre is based at the Schauspiel-haus (Map; 2212 8400; www.buehnenkoeln.de; Offenbachplatz), in the same complex as the Opernhaus (opera). The box office for both is in the Opernhaus foyer.

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Shopping

Cologne is a fantastic place to shop, with lots of eccentric boutiques, designer and vintage stores, plus the usual selection of chain and department stores. The last concentrate along Hohe Strasse, one of Germany’s oldest pedestrianised shopping strips, and its side street, In der Höhle (Map). Schildergasse