Rawk's guide to the World Cup Cities

Posted by Armin on May 31, 2006, 08:50:46 am

As the World Cup approaches, those lucky enough to be heading for Deustchland can look forward to a land free of Rooney foot updates. More than that, they will discover the great food, drink and legendary hospitality of the German people. As someone lucky enough to make some friends in Germany last year I can't think of a better place to stage the football. As an advance taste, Rawk member 'Holiara' has compiled this wonderful guide to the host cities of the tournament. If you're going over there, or know someone who is, then hours of research have been distilled into a five minute read. Feel free to pass this on to anyone who is going to the tournament, the nice thing about the World Cup is that even those who spend the season watching pedestrian, second rate footballers who will likely never qualify for Europe get the chance to dust off their passport and sample foreign shores. So if you know an Evertonian heading for the fatherland then be sure to let them have it. Then give them this report.

Rawk would like to thank Petra and proofreader Garreth for the many hours of work they've put in to this.




Frankfurt
Welcome to a city of contrast, where traditional little houses or churches are found next door to the modern skyscrapers and posh new age bars or manager types in expensive suits come to the Star Wars premier night carrying lightsabers. Many say Frankfurt is ugly, but if you get to know the city better you realize it has a very unique charm and some beautiful places. The population seems to double between Monday and Friday, because of all the people just working there during the week.

The official World Cup site for Frankfurt
http://www.wm-frankfurt-2006.de/index.php?sprache=englisch&frame_reload

The official Frankfurt fan guide from Fifa (it’s a good read!)
http://www.fanguide2006.org/en/staedte_regionen/frankfurt

Sightseeing
A typical Frankfurt thing are the “Wasserhäuschen” or “water houses” on the street, once places to buy water, today you can also buy water, bier, some fat snacks and more.

One of the must see places in Frankfurt is the “Römerberg” with it’s beautiful historical buildings surrounding the plaza. If you have seen the Germans celebrating their national team after a successful tournament, with the team standing on a balcony waving down to the masses, you might recognize the place.

Sachsenhausen on the other side of the river is definitely worth a visit and you can easily walk there from the city centre. Just cross the bridge “Eiserner Steg” and you are basically there. From this bridge you have a particularly nice view on the Frankfurt skyline with all the illuminated skyscrapers. I’m not a big fan, but they do look nice at night.

Main Tower
This is the only skyscraper which offers access to the general public. In the 23rd floor is a bar and restaurant with rather expensive prices. A reservation to get a window seat is commendable. In the 24th floor is an observation deck. If you want to have a fantastic look over the whole city, this is the place to go.

- Admission charge
  € 4,50 for adults
  € 3,00 for children, students, pensioners, severely challenged persons
  € 12,00 for families (2 adults, 2 children)

- Opening times in the summer
  from 10.00 am - 09.00 pm from Sunday to Thursday
  from 10.00 am - 23.00 pm Friday and Saturday

- Address
  Neue Mainzer Straße 52 - 58
  D - 60311 Frankfurt a. M.

Zeil Gallery
A free alternative to the Main Tower is the deck of the Zeil Gallary – a shopping centre. It doesn’t cost anything, but it’s not quite as high and doesn’t give you a 360 view. You can use the express lift to go up and then have a stroll passed the shops on your way down. Try to get up on the roof when the sun is already going down.

Saftey in the City
Many parts of Frankfurt are pretty much ok to walk around by yourself or better in (small) groups in the evening, but as in every big city there are parts you don’t want to go. Don’t hang around the central station at night, as it’s frequented by drunks, drug addicts and lots of police. Leaving the station there is the Kaiserstraße straight ahead, which is ok to walk even at night, but there are some drunks and druggies there too. There is a pretty nice Australian bar the “Kakadu” on the way to the city centre, where you get a decent Caipirinha and a lovely Sex on the beach. Go for happy hour! The street to the left from the station is the Taunusstr. which is part of the red light district. Some ladies asking you in the clubs are rather pushy and as usual be careful what you get yourself into quality and money wise. This is not the street to walk alone as a woman at night, while in the centre it’s ok to move around, well, as ok as it can be in a big city with all different sorts of people around. I’ve been there lots of times and always made it back to my hotel without a scare.

Food and Drink
There are some typical Frankfurt specialties to eat, but as usual beware of names as it doesn’t necessarily is what it seems.

Typical dishes in Frankfurt are:

“Handkäs mit Musik” which is a rather strong smelling cheese with onions, caraway, oil and vinegar. This dish is served with bread and butter.

“Rippchen mit Kraut”. Well, it has really nothing to do with Spare Ribs or grilled meat. It’s cooked pork loin rib with sauerkraut.

“Himmel und Ärd” or “Himmel und Erd” is basically mashed potatoes and apple puree served usually as side dish to cooked meat or blood sausage.

“Grüne Soße” is basically a green sauce with at least 7 herbs, often with sour cream and mayonnaise served to steamed potatoes, cooked meat, fish or eggs.

“Ebbelwoi” is apple wine and a specialty, though definitely a matter of taste. In autumn it’s still sweet, but gets more sour from month to month. You can order it pure, “sauer gespritzt” with water or “süß gespritzt” with lemonade. The latter might be seen as a sissy drink by some Frankfurt natives .

“Gref-Völsing” is a low fat beef sausage which is still produced in Frankfurt and is sold in numerous butcheries or stores in the city. Whoever sells it has it advertised with a “Gref-Völsing” sign to make people aware of this specialty. It tastes best without skin and that’s how you should try it.

If you want to try a typical “Epplewoi” place, go for the Wagner in Sachsenhausen (Schweizer Str. 71, Metro U1, 2, 3 stop “Schweizer Platz”) or the Solzer in Bornheim (has a garden, Berger Str. 260, Metro U4, or Bus 34 stop “Bornheim Mitte”). You will find many of the traditional places in Sachsenhausen, but rumours say that the part “Alt” Sachsenhausen with the little timbered houses and lots of different restaurants and bars has gone a bit more quiet since the American army left the city. It might be back at it’s best during the World Cup though.

Whoever likes to have some solid food at lunch time can try out the “Maredo”, a steak restaurant near the Zeil. They have lunch deals for under € 10 and the steaks are well nice. A tip for later on, preferably between lunch and dinner to avoid the rush hour with the hundreds of bankers is an Italian place “Vapiano”. It’s fast food, but only concerning the time you need to get served. You chose from a little menu and wait for the noodles and the sauce to be freshly cooked in front of you, while you can wait at the tables for pizza. The prices start by under € 6 for the basic noodle dish and it tastes really good. Dessert is comparably expensive, but very good.

One of the most famous streets for food is the “Fressgass”, located on the “Große Bockenheimer Straße” in direction of the Opera Place. There you can find all different sorts of food places and price levels, but it’s better to go there during the day when the shops sell their food over the counter to eat right away. The restaurants on that street are rather expensive.

If you are looking for a special sort of restaurant in a certain part of town,
try this link

Fanparty
It takes place daily from June 3rd to July 9th 2006 at the river bank of the Main between the Ignatz-Bubis Bridge and Old Bridge. The biggest attraction is a floating double sided mega-screen in the middle of the river where people can watch all the games live from both shores. There will be action and program between 3 pm and 2 am.

Stadium – Frankfurter Waldstadion
The stadium has been rebuilt for the World Cup on the exact place of the old one. For international games it has a capacity of 48.500 seats.

How to get there
Public transport
S-Bahn no 8 or 9 from the central train station to the stop “Sportfeld” which will take about 6 min, then a 15 minute walk to the stadium

Strassenbahn no 21 ends at the stadium

Car
As usual I suggest to use the public transport, but who has to travel by car should follow the official signs and use the park and ride places.


Nuremberg
Nuremberg is well known all over Germany for the beautiful Christmas market, "Christkindl Markt", gingerbread and little roast sausages called "Nürnberger Würstchen", however there is a lot more to the city. It has been the centre of innovation for years and things like the mp3 format or the fob watch have their origin here. Nowadays you find mainly businesses from multimedia and communication, logistics, energy and environment in the city. In Nuremburg you have one of the biggest pedestrian precincts in Europe with over 500 shops, cafes and beer gardens. Nuremberg doesn’t hide its dark history during the Hitler regime and you can find all sorts of information of the city’s past in the documentation centre.

Official Site for the World Cup
http://www.fifawm2006.nuernberg.de/englisch/

The official Nuremberg fan guide from FIFA
http://www.fanguide2006.org/en/staedte_regionen/nuernberg

Sightseeing
You don’t need a car in the city centre and finding a parking place is very difficult as in all major cities in Germany. If you come to Nuremberg by car, leave it somewhere safe (like the hotel car-park) and explore the city on foot and with the public transport.

For a good view of the fortress, you can go to the roof terrace of the biggest cinema complex of the city (Cinecittà, Gewerbemuseumsplatz).

An exploration of the city on foot can start at the historical Rathaus (Rathausplatz) where you can see the old prison cells and torture instruments in the cellar. Then cross the Rathausplatz and go towards the Hauptmarkt to the "Schöner Brunnen", one of the oldest fountains of the city. In front of it you find the cathedral (Frauenkirche). At 12 o’clock little statues of the 7 electors move by the emperor Karl IV. If you keep walking you can cross the little river Peignitz over the museum's bridge. There you come to the Nassauer Haus with its stone build peel. Walking down the "Königstraße" you pass various churches and finally arrive at the "Handwerkerhof" (workman's quarters). This place is definitely worth a visit as the little alleyways and little half-timbered houses have a nice medieval charm.

Some other outstanding things to see in the city:

Felsengänge
This means literally stone passages and that’s what it is. These passages have been carved over the centuries into the Burgberg forming dungeons up to 4 stories high. It’s located at the Bergstr. 19, phone 0911/22 70 66
http://www.felsengaenge-nuernberg.de

Kaiserburg
The fortress is on the emblem of the city and from there you have a spectacular view all over the city and the land around it. Once up there you shouldn’t miss the gardens the Sinwell Tower. You can climb onto it and enjoy another great view over the city.

There are official guided tours of the city in English for € 6,00 per person (children under 14 with their parents are admitted for free) starting daily at 1 o’clock. Meeting point is the tourist information at the Hauptmarkt.


Food and Drink
Nuremberg’s most famous food is probably the Nuremberg sausage. These thumb-sized sausages are served in beer gardens, sausage restaurants (the biggest sausage restaurant in the world is in Nuremberg: Bratwurst Röslein in the city center, Rathausplatz) and of course as fast food on the street. There you get three in a bun “Drei im Weckla”.

Other specialties in Nuremberg are:

“Schäufele”, roasted pig shoulder

“Eisbein mit Sauerkraut”, pickled knuckle of pork with sauerkraut

“Knödel” or “Klöße”, dumplings. There are different variations like potato dumplings, bread dumplings,

“Obatzda”, a spicy cheese mush. It looks strange, but it’s quite tasty.

“Fleischpflanzerl”, basically a different word for “Frikadelle” which is a hamburger (just the meat part), but can be served cold.

Like in Frankfurt there is a “Vapiano” and according to people who have been at both places, it’s as good as in Frankfurt.

The football fans will find various pubs and beer gardens showing the games and even do something special depending on which team is playing that day. Which places will take part in these activities isn’t sure yet, but you will definitely get to see footy in these places:

beer garden Zabo-Linde
450 places outside
Zerzabelshofer Hauptstr. 28

Marientorzwinger
Here you can not only follow the games, but enjoy some typical food from the region.
Lorenzer Str. 33

Lederer
This beer garden has about 1100 places and the copper Kessel remind the guest of the proud brewing tradition. The link shows the menu in English.
Sielstr. 12
http://www.l-kb.de/lederer-kb_eng/uploads/media/Speisekarte_LKB_eng_small_1.pdf

Other pubs and beer gardens:

Kloster Andechs - Das Wirtshaus
They sell only Andechs, but all brews of that brewery.
Königstraße 55

Barfüßer
The Barfüßer brewpub certainly has a great location. It's in the cellar of a massive renaissance stone building that has one of the largest roofs I've ever seen.
Hallplatz 2
http://www.Barfuesser-Nuernberg.de


Fanfest
It takes place daily from June 9th to July 9th 2006 at the huge “Volksfestplatz” with a view on the stadium. All games from the World Cup will be shown on various mega screens and there will be all sorts of activities and games to participate in and enjoy from 2 pm to midnight.

Stadium – Franken-Stadion
The stadium has been modernized and now has a capacity of about 45.500 places (42.000 for international games).

How to get there
Public transport
S-Bahn no 2 from the central station to the stop “Franken-Stadion” (travel time about 8 minutes), then about 5 minute walk to the stadium. Who isn’t too keen on being stuck in a crowd can chose the earlier stop “Dutzendteich” and walk up to the stadium in about 15 minutes.

Metro no U1 from the central station, to the stop “Messe” (travel time about 8 minutes) then about 15 minute walk to the stadium

National trains will be going directly to the stop “Franken-Stadion” during the World Cup.

Car
From the Autobahn A9 until the exit Nürnberg-Fischbach, from the A6 until the exit Nürnberg-Langwasser and then the A73 until the exit Nürnberg-Zollhaus or Nürnberg-Zentrum. From there you need to follow the official guiding system to the various parking zones.


Cologne (from Mobydick aka Martin)
Whichever way I say the name of this city it conjures up a bag of mixed feelings for me. I don’t live there myself, being at home about 20 km away to the north, I do though visit the city regularly and I must admit I do like the place, despite the football team and the local press thinking the world revolves around them.

Cologne twinned with Liverpool 7 years after the Second World War. Liverpool was the first of 22 partnerships for Cologne, taking in cities from all over the world. The reasons for the formation of this partnership were to cement a friendship between the two cities and enable people to get over and work through the recent happenings that had affected them both so severely. The choice for both, was maybe that both cities live and breathe on the waters of a big river, have long traditions in merchandising and have very noticeable Cathedrals (we’ve got one to spare too) It was not a bad choice but these days I’m not sure if much is undertaken to keep up the contacts, apart from the odd pre-season friendly, as the world is moving at an amazing pace and many traditions and old friends fall by the wayside. There is a website though, if you would like to visit. http://www.koeln-liverpool.de
Interestingly though Liverpool and Cologne have a unique sporting history. In March 1965 Liverpool met 1 FC Köln in the quarter final of the European Cup. The home and away games both ended 0-0 and the decider, in Rotterdam, ended 2-2 after extra time. As there was no contingency for penalties at that time, the toss of a coin would decide which team went into the semi final. The coin toss was contentious in itself as the first attempt didn’t count due to the plastic Token wedging itself into the churned up pitch on its edge, making a choice of which side was up impossible. With the second toss Liverpool were deemed the winners and went on to the semis only to lose to Internazionale 4-3 on aggregate.

Some facts about the city
Established: 50 AD
Population: 970,000
Bundesland: Nordrhein-Westfalen
Airport Köln-Bonn:
6 Million Passengers a year.

Commerce and Industry:
Insurance, commerce and merchandising, Car building (Ford), Media and culture, Telecommunications, Multimedia

Culture and science:
30 Museums, 40 Theatres, 2 Playhouses, 1 Opera, Köln university (with 62.000 Students the largest in Germany), Deutsche Sports High School, High School for music and the Art High School for Media.

Sport in Köln:
860 Sports clubs


Official Site for Cologne
http://www.koeln.de/tourismus/en/

The official Cologne fan guide from FIFA
http://www.fanguide2006.org/en/staedte_regionen/koeln

Sightseeing
“Köln, du bist e Jeföhl” as the song goes. “Köln you are a feeling” say the locals with pride: proud to be Germany’s oldest Settlement (Colonia), proud of their dialect, proud of their achievements and especially proud of their carnival. They have a right to be.

Cologne is, at first glance, dominated its huge Cathedral (Der Dom) built a safe distance from the river Rhine. Der Dom is, like many old buildings, constantly under reconstruction and preservation but it is a magnificent building and monument to those who helped construct, erect and maintain it. The first recorded Church on this site was built in 870 although it has been a place of worship for Christians since Roman times. The present Cathedral celebrated its 750th anniversary in 1998, it is well worth a visit. The long trek (157 metres high) up the 509 steps to the observation tower, just underneath the largest church bell in the world , Fat Peter (Dicken Pitter), is especially worth the trouble, (if your vertigo allows) The view is spectacular. A good website to visit for more information is this one http://www.koelner-dom.de/index.php?id=2&L=1

Lower down to the left, looking at the main entrance of the Dom, is the Main Station ( Der Hauptbahnhof) which is a steel and glass construction, recently renovated. Although maybe not much to look at there is also the steel railway bridge (Hohenzollern-Eisenbahnbrücke) with its round arches (unique for its time, I am told) leading its tracks over the water to Köln-Deutz and Mülheim. To complete this architectural ensemble, across the Forecourt (Dom Platte), opposite the Dom Hotel, forming the boarders to Roncalliplatz are the Ludwig and Roman-Germanic museums, interesting if you are into that sort of thing and have some time to kill. The Dom Platte itself is usually filled with Buskers, Chalk drawers or other various Artistes performing as statues, clowns and the like.

This area of the City will be central to a planned
 “Cologne Mile”. This circuit includes the city locations of Der Heumarkt (the Haymarket), Altermarkt (the old market), Roncalliplatz, Die Rheinufer Promenade (the Rhein Bank Promenade) back along to Roncallipatz. Along this mile there will be attractions such as a large central stage and other stalls in Der Heumarkt. There will presentations and shows to entertain the expected influx of fans from all over the world, amongst them 5000 Brazilians, extract money from their pockets and keep them amused between games. There will also be many other things happening in and around the city and there will be undoubtedly lots of opportunity to gather information daily from amongst others the Cologne Tourist Board.

Other things to do in Cologne:
Cologne Zoo is not too far away and easily reachable with public transport. From the Main Station take the U-Bahn number 17, 18 or 19 or the bus 134 to the bus stop at Köln/Flora
http://www.zoo-koeln.de/index.php?id=167

Just around the corner from the Zoo is the Cologne Cable car.
http://www.koelner-seilbahn.de/english/index.html The cable car reaches across Father Rhein from the zoo bridge to the Rheinpark on the other side of the river.
In the park you can visit the Thermal baths (Claudius-therme) for some pampering and relaxation in the spa or sauna. And no, this is not the place you get you private parts massaged. http://www.claudius-therme.de/index_en.htm

Also part of the park is the Rhein terrace (Rheinterrassen), which is a good place to “chill”, have another beer and watch the world and the boats go by. This site gives you a preview from the shore. http://www.panorama-cities.net/cologne/rheinterrassen.html

Want see Cologne from a Rickshaw? Yes, you can even do this. Their website is unfortunately only in German but you can pick up a Rickshaw near the Dom-Forums or Neumarkt. You can even hire them as self drive for the day.

Have you got to keep the kids entertained? Try Phantasialand the Theme park near Cologne in the town of Brühl. http://www.phantasialand.de/index.php?change_language=4&display_popup=1

To get there by train from Cologne:
Take the regional train in the direction of Bonn to "Brühl Bahnhof“ and then on with a bus on route 705. Or take tram line 18 (Stadtbahn) from Cologne in the direction of Bonn and get on a bus on route 705 at "Brühl Mitte“.

By car:
Take the BAB A1 towards Euchkirschen past the Rhein Energy Stadium and look out for the signs, you can’t really miss it but if you do turn round when you get to Austria.

City wall, (Stadtmauer) remnants of the city wall and the 5 Gate Towers remaining from the original 12. Trams 6, 12 and 16 on the circle line.

Don’t dare miss this one
Chocolate museum (Schokoladenmuseum)
Rheinauhafen 1a
50678 Cologne

Opened in 1993, the Chocolate Museum is located in Cologne's former harbour, and the building has been designed in the shape of a ship's prow in deference to this maritime connection. Architect Ernst Eller constructed the building almost entirely out of glass, according to the specifications of Hans Imhoff, head of the Stollwerck company. The firm has also influenced the name of the museum, which in full reads 'The Imhoff-Stollwerck Museum of the Past and Present of Chocolate'. Visitors can drink from the warm chocolate spring and try out the home-made chocolate produced in the factory. Admission EUR5.50, concessions EUR3.

Check here for last minute information: http://www.koeln.de/int/en.html

Oh, and I nearly forgot. Cologne is proud to market itself as Germany’s City with the biggest Homosexual scene. The people of this city pride themselves as being tolerant and forgiving. The sex industry is also very prevalent here, with Germany’s erotic exhibition being held at the Kölnmesse, in Deutz.

I’m not going to go into detail on the night life of the city, there is enough of it to go round for everyone. A lot of the horizontal work goes on in Hornstaße, which may be of interest to some of you. Be warned though, Cologne is like any other big city, with lots of people ready to relieve you of your money. Take care …
If you feel the need to visit any clubs in Cologne here is a website with a few addresses.
A certain amount of dress code may be required

http://www.koeln.de/branchenfuehrer/pages/front/ebene.php/1019011006/Nachtleben-Koeln.html

Anyway just be sure to have fun and behave yourselves.

All The best
Martin

Food and Drink
Cologne boasts many Restaurants, with varying price categories. Numerous Schnell Imbisse (fast food outlets), Bars, Clubs and many quickly erected food stands at weekends, I think that during the world cup there will be enough diversity to challenge all palates. There are way to many eateries to write about here in any detail, but suffice to say Cologne has restaurants of all sorts. Italian, Oriental (Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Indian, Japanese Sushi) Greek, Turkish, Portuguese, French, Balkan, Serbian- Croatian, to name but a few and many, many more, including (funnily enough) German.

For a true flavour of the City though you need to visit the local For a true flavour of the City though you need to visit the local ”Brauhäuser (breweries):

Gaffel                       Früh
Gaffel Haus                  Brauhaus Früh am
Alter Markt 20-22            Am Hof 12-14
50667 Köln                   50667 Köln
Tel: (0221) 257 76 92        Tel: (0221) 2613-
www.gaffel-haus.de           www.frueh.de
www.gaffel.de

Reissdorf                    Sion
Brauerei Heinrich Reissdorf  Brauhaus Sion
Emil-Hoffmann-Str. 4-10      Unter Taschenmacher 5
50996 Köln                   50667 Köln
Tel: (02236) 96 55-0         Tel: (0221) 2 57 85 40
www.reissdorf.de             
Gilden                       Peters
Gilden Brauhaus              Peters Brauhaus
Clevischer Ring 121          Mühlengasse 1
51063 Köln (Mühlheim)        50667 Köln
Tel: (0221) 640 63 39        Tel: (0221) 25 73 950
www.gilden.de                www.peters-brauhaus.de

Malzmühle                    Dom
Brauhaus Malzmühle           Dom-Brauhaus
Heumarkt 6                   Alteburgerstraße
50667 Köln                   50968 Köln
Tel: (0221) 21 01 17         Tel: 0221/93 47 81 0
www.muehlenkoelsch.de        www.dombrauhaus.com

Sünner                       Hellers
Brauhaus Sünner im Walfisch  Heller's Brauhaus
Salzgasse 13                 Roonstr. 33   
50667 Köln                   50674 Köln
Tel.: 0221-2577879           Tel.: 0221-24 25 45   
www.walfisch.net             www.hellers-brauhaus.de

Päffgen
Hausbrauerei Gebr. Päffgen
Friesenstraße 64 - 66
50670 Köln
Tel: 0221/135461
www.brauerei-paeffgen.de

All of these Breweries have their own distinctive atmospheres and each beer has its own distinctive taste. The beers can be ordered in quantities of, 10cl, 20cl, 30cl and maybe 40cl depending on the owner’s policy. It is also usually possible to test the beer before venturing onto greater things, I’m not really sure if this service will be on offer during the World Cup though. Food is also on offer at these establishments so have fun and enjoy.

Delicacies on offer could be:
Schweinshaxe mit Sauerkraut und Kartoffelpüree (Knuckle of Pork with pickled cabbage and or mashed potatoes.)

Frikadellen, also called Buletten or Fleischpflanzerl (meatballs with onions basically) Don’t burp on your neighbour!

Bratwurst mit Senf oder Ketchup (Gilled Sausage with mustard or ketchup)

Reibekuchen (Rievekuchen in Köslsch) mit Apfelmus (Potato Fritters, usually eaten with apple sauce)

Rindsrouladen mit Kartoffeln (Beef Rouladen with potatoes: braised sirloin steak rolls, seasoned with Dijon mustard and stuffed with onion and pickle wedges.)

Halve Hahn (Half a bread roll with Gouda cheese)
This needs some sort of an explanation. At first glance, when you order this, and you have some knowledge of the German language, you may be expecting half a roast chicken (Halbe Hahn). What you will get though, is half a bread roll spread with butter, German mustard (Senf) 2 slices (if you’re lucky) of cheese (Mild Gouda) and decorated with a gherkin and salt sticks. It came about because of the local dialect and a play on words, which if you don’t have any previous knowledge of, it is difficult to explain. Trust me, get there early, eat drink and be merry.

Fanfest
The football party will take place between June 7 and July 9, from 11 am to 11 pm all over the city center between “Heumarkt” and Dome, between the banks of the Rhine to the “Wallrafplatz”. There will be numerous public viewing areas, soccer courts and of course food and drink in abundance.

As the official Brasilian travel agency has chosen Cologne as the place to stay, there will be lots of South American parties on the streets.

Stadium – RheinEnergie Stadion
It is newly built and opened in 2004. For international games it has a capacity of about 46.100 places.

How to get there
Public transport
Stadtbahn from the Dome with the no U16/17/18/19 to the stop “Neumarkt”, change there into the no 1 to the stadium (travel time about 25 minutes) then a 2-3 minute walk to the stadium. On game day they have special trains for the stadium.

S-Bahn no S12 or S13 from the central train station to the stop “K-Weiden West”, then the Stadtbahn no 1 to the stadium

Car
As there aren’t enough parking places at the stadium and getting there and away by car is a nightmare, I’d suggest to use the public transport. If you have to travel by car, use one of the numerous park and ride places and do the last part of the trip with the Stadtbahn.

I don’t advise you to travel by car but if you must you need to get onto the BAB A1 travelling south towards Koblenz and Euskirschen. The stadium is signposted; leave the motorway either at Lövenich, Köln West or the long way round getting off at Frechen. Car parks are guaranteed to be full.


And here some general info

General Information
Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Germany! I hope you will have fun here and well, may the best team win

Some general Info
Make sure you have a valid passport with you all the time. In Germany every person above the age of 16 is required to carry an ID all the time and you will need ID to get into the games. It’s advisable to have a photocopy of your passport in your hotel or at least with someone in England in case your passport is stolen; it makes things easier when you have to get a new one.

If you rent a car, you need to have your drivers licence and your car’s papers, the insurance info and if it’s a rental car the contract with you in the car. There are heavy on the spot fines and all that takes time and nerves as you might find a police officer who speaks German, but it’s not a given. So better be prepared than sorry.

Germans tend to be more formal and it usually takes a while until people use the familiar “du” instead of the formal “Sie”. Generally use “Sie” when you would address someone as Mr. or Mrs. And “Du” when you would go with the first name. Although there has been a tendency in recent years towards less formality - generally, the younger the person, the more likely they are to use du instead of Sie - visitors from outside the culture are wise not to adopt this informal approach too quickly. It is better to risk being too formal rather than too familiar. When in doubt, use Sie. When you are getting to know someone in a pub or out on one of the festivals you can be pretty sure that the younger ones and the footy fans will use first names immediately.
It’s a well known fact that the British ladies are cold resistant and tend to wear less rather than more when they go out into town. Some of the dresses might cause poor German males to get heart attacks or provoke some clumsy and direct tries to get closer to the wonderful object in front of them. German girls do dress up when they go out, but they are a bit more covered than the British ladies. You might want to keep that in mind when you are out on your own.

Here some thoughts from English people living (or who have lived) in Germany:

Monkey Red
Germans tend to stare at people for no apparent reason, this has led to trouble with British Soldiers in the past, but there is no malice intended with this, it is just something they do.

As for safety in the Cities, behave as you would at home, it can be dangerous on your own, as it can be in the UK.

If out on the lash, a German wants to dring "Bruderschaft" with you, it is´nt a gay thing. They just raise their glasses, cross arms and down their drink, and give each other a peck on the cheek. It means "Brotherhood".

Do not raise your arm in the Nazi salute. You will be arrested, for sure. Any type of reference to the Nazi´s will get you into serious trouble, definitely! Generally don’t mention the war

Hamburg Train station is a favourite haunt for rent boys and Junkies, watch out, as the Police also patrol that area frequently. If on the Reeperbahn in Hamburg at any time, be careful with what you order in Bars/Nightclubs, especially strip clubs and such, you could end up paying huge amounts for a glass of Babycham for a barmaid or Dancer. (This is probably the same for all these places, no matter in which town and Central train stations at night aren’t the places to hang out.).

As with all World Cup hosting Countries, the German Police (GCP) will be highly nervous, so it would be a good tip not to rile them too much. Although I had nothing but praise for them in Dortmund at the UEFA Final. Different Cities, different Policing. Insulting a GCP Officer can incur very hefty fines, or even custodial sentences, if you don´t have money on you.

There tend to be a very high number of Neo Nazi´s in the eastern part of Germany, so watch out there.

Aidan
The police are very polite, and normally just want to see your passport. They will even help you back to your hotel/flat.

The best bevvies by a mile are Weisen beers (Weizenbier).

The people are generally sound, and dead easy to approach. The English is generally good enough and they'll just chat. The women are relatively easy and decent looking. Might be a bit harder in the World Cup though, what with the extra competition and that.


Food and Drink
In Germany you usually don’t wait to be seated in a restaurant and you can go in and find your own place though especially if the restaurant is quite full and a waiter comes already toward you, it’s better to wait for a moment. If there is a sign to indicate you will be seated or there is a desk when you enter, you might have entered a rather expensive place. I’d generally advise to have a look at the menu which is usually outside the restaurant in order to avoid a possible shock.    

Some of the local specialties are mentioned in the different city guides, but there are some general things about food in Germany. Here you find almost all the big fast food places like McNasty's, Burger King, Pizza Hut and sometimes Kentucky Fried Chicken or Taco Bell. As quite a number of Turks, Greeks and Italians live in Germany, you will get a decent Pizza, a Kebab or a “Gyros-Pita” almost anywhere.

Germany is the land of sausages, mostly as “Bratwurst” (grilled) or “Curry-Wurst” (grilled, then cut in pieces and served with curry powder and ketchup or a curry/tomato sauce). There are too many different sorts of sausages to name them all, as every part of the country and sometimes even different cities have their own special “Wurst”. You can find numerous take away food stands with Bratwurst and often chips in every city centre.

Beer. Well, Germany is beer country and even though we don’t have as many interesting and sometimes exotic mixes like the Belges, there are still enough to try out. Different cities have different special beers like the “Kölsch” in cologne or the “Alt” in Düsseldorf. Then there is the “Weizenbier” which comes in different versions (Kristallweizen – clearer and often served with a piece of lemon in it, Hefeweizen – naturally cloudy and brewed from wheat) or something like “Maibock”, which is about double strength and is mostly sold in May. These brews differ in the ratio of ingredients, brewing temperature and technique, alcoholic content, aging time, color, and, of course, taste. While many beer drinkers are content merely to distinguish between Dunkles (dark) and Helles (light), a true beer connoisseur would never just ask for a “Bier”. At the very least you should know if you want Pils or Export, ein Grosses or ein Kleines (large or small), or whether you want draft beer “vom Fass” or beer in a bottle (Flasche).

The brand of beer offered will generally depend on where you are. Germany has few national beer brands, but the local brews are always worth a try. Generally a “Pils” will display a white foam head that won’t disappear in thirty seconds and is drafted slowly. The saying goes that a good draft beer can’t be poured in less than seven minutes to achieve the proper head.

You can order beer mixed with lemonade or coke, though the names for the mix change from city to city.

Altbier with Coke
Altschuss – everywhere except Düsseldorf

Lemonade with Beer
Radler – south Germany (on the other side of the “white sausage equator” i.e. the river Main)
Alster – north Germany (well, at least in the Western part)


Moving around the Country
The rail and public transport system in Germany is not that bad and you can reach basically every place by train or bus.

Travelling by Car
The first and most important difference: In Europe you drive on the right hand side of the street. So be careful, especially when you drive your own car, which does not permanently remind you that “something is different”. Slow moving vehicles must always move to the right, and faster vehicles may pass on the left only. The only exception is when both lanes are moving under 60 km/h as it often happens in the frequent traffic jams. In such cases drivers may pass on the right, but at a higher speed than 20 km/h faster than the traffic in the left lane (which is hard to do, if the left lane simply stopped, but hey…).

You will encounter people coming up behind you at a high speed and blinking their high beam to get you to move out of the way. It might be a nuisance, if there is no space on the right lane and even the smallest car can’t just dissipate into thin air just because some Porsche or Mercedes driver wants to keep going 250 km/h. This blinking is not exactly allowed, but personally I don’t mind a bit of a signal from the car behind me telling me “hey, I’m going fast!” because I can’t always really tell how fast they go. Just don’t overdo it as it might get you into trouble with the law.

There is no general speed limit on Motorways (Autobahnen), but not every dual carriage way is an Autobahn and often enough there are speed limit signs. In cities the limit is 50 km/h and there are a lot of 30 km/h residential areas. On country roads (Landstraßen) the normal limit is 100 km/h. Cars towing trailers must stay under 80 km/h.

Take good care when turning left at intersections and when entering roundabouts, which run counter clockwise, of course. If there are intersections without signs to regulate the right of way, the rule is: right before left. That means the person to your right is always allowed to go first. In the extremely unlikely case that there are four cars at the intersection and everybody has a car to the right, it has to be cleared by hand signs, who is the first to drive. Traffic cameras for speeding or at red lights are usually hidden and not marked by signs or highlighted by bright colours.

The allowed blood alcohol level is 0,05 percent. So theoretically nothing can happen to you driving after one beer, but the smallest traffic violation or – god beware – an accident may get you into trouble as soon as a trace of alcohol is found in your blood. So no need to stop drinking, but it’s better to let somebody else do the driving then or take a taxi which is not too expensive for the British purse anyway (especially when you can share a ride).

Using your mobile phone while driving is forbidden unless you have a “Freisprecheinrichtung” in your car. Even though you will see people still doing it, you might get fined immediately if spotted and you are in big trouble, if you have an accident while using your phone illegellay.

Travelling by Train
I know that the general opinion on the German railway system is rather positive concerning late arrivals, trains not coming at all etc. but believe someone who has to use the train daily: they are often enough late, not always by more then 5 or 10 minutes, but that can be fatal, if you have a connection to catch as not all trains wait for late arrivals. So in case you plan a trip across Germany where you have to switch trains or if you have to be somewhere on time, just plan with enough time in order to keep your nerves from being shot. For example, if you have to get a connection somewhere, plan with at least 10 or better 15 minutes between the trains. It will enormously heighten your chances to actually get the next one.

If you travel with children, lots of luggage or you generally like to have a seat, it’s better to invest the money and make a reservation (especially in IC and ICE trains, you will have problems finding seats together or any at all).

Always validate your bus/train/tram/underground ticket before travelling. Even if you have just purchased it you are not legal until it has been validated. Machines are usually near by. Many cities have on the spot fines for fare dodgers (in my city it’s EUR 40,00 in the public transport). You can only validate the train tickets for the regional trains before the trip, in the IC and ICE it’s done in the train and you can even buy the tickets on the train (it might be more expensive though).

The general link to the German railway
www.bahn.de

Special link to World Cup offers in English
http://www.bahn.de/-S:PtVORd:dJn1JNNNl1l2GdNNNSxM/p/view/home/wm2006/eng_uebersicht.shtml

Travelling to the Stadiums
There will be additional street signs on the motorways and streets to the stadiums guiding the fans to the best parking place/ public transport for their respective ticket. All stadiums are divided in 4 colour zones which will be found on the signs, so in order to find a parking place or the correct metro or bus getting you close to your entrance into the stadium, just follow the colour on the signs.

As a special service the public transport within a World Cup city is free for a ticket holder on the whole game day to give people an incentive to use the metro or buses, instead of clogging up the streets with cars or getting lost.

For the official FIFA transport page go here:
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/d/traffic/index.html



Vocabulary

Some important words

Guten Morgen                  Good morning
Guten Tag                     Good afternoon
(used basically from 12 pm on)
Guten Abend                   Good evening
Gute Nacht                    Good night

Auf Wiedersehen               Goodbye
Tschüß                        Goodbye
(less formal)
Danke                         Thank you
Bitte                         please
ja                            yes
nein                          no
Entschuldigung                Sorry

Rufen Sie schnell einen       Get a doctor/an ambulance
Arzt/Krankenwagen

Wo ist die Toilette?          Where are the toilets?

wann                          when
was                           what
wo                            where
hier                          here
dort                          there
rechts                        right
links                         left

Haben Sie..?                  Do you have…?
Ich möchte…                   I would like…
Was kostet das?               How much is that?
Wo ist…?                      Where is…?
Wo gibt es…?                  Where can I get...?

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?         Do you speak German?
Gibt es hier jemanden der     Does anyone here speak English?
Englisch spricht?

Haben Sie verstanden?         Did you understand that?
Ich habe verstanden.          I understand.
Ich habe das nicht verstanden I didn’t understand that
Könnten Sie bitte etwas       Could you speak a bit more slowly,
langsamer sprechen?           please?
Könnten Sie das bitte         Could you repeat that, please?
Wiederholen?

Wie heißt das auf Englisch?   What’s that in English?
Was bedeutet…?                What does … mean?
Könnten Sie es aufschreiben?  Could you write that down?

1  eins            11  elf                  30  dreißig
2  zwei            12  zwölf (ein dutzend)  40  vierzig
3  drei            13  dreizehn             50  fünfzig
4  vier            14  vierzehn             60  sechzig
5  fünf            15  fünfzehn             70  siebzig
6  sechs           16  sechzehn             80  achtzig
7  sieben          17  siebzehn             90  neunzig
8  acht            18  achtzehn            100  hundert (hundert)
9  neun            19  neunzehn           1000  tausend
10 zehn            20  zwangzig          10000  zehntausend

Montag                        Monday
Dienstag                      Tuesday
Mittwoch                      Wednesday
Donnerstag                    Thursday
Freitag                       Friday
Samstag                       Saturday
Sonntag                       Sunday

Woche                         week
Monat                         month
Jahr                          year

Geburtstag                    birthday

Wann ist dein Geburtstag?     When is your birthday?
Heute ist mein Geburtstag.    Today is my birthday

First contacts
Wie heißen Sie / heißt du?    What’s your name?
Ich heiße…                    My name is…
Darf ich bekannt machen? Das  May I introduce...
ist ...
mein Mann                     my husband
meine Frau                    my wife
mein Freund                   my boyfriend
meine Freundin                my girlfriend
mein Sohn                     my son
meine Tochter                 my daughter
mein Bruder                   my brother
meine Schwester               my sister

Woher kommen Sie/ kommst du?  Where do you come from?
Ich komme aus…                I’m from...
Irland                        Ireland
England                       England
Schottland                    Scotland
Deutschland                   Germany
Italien                       Italy
Österreich                    Austria
Schweiz                       Swizzerland

Sind Sie/Bist du verheiratet? Are you married?
Haben Sie/Hast du Kinder?     Do you have children?

Treffen wir uns…              Shall we meet up…
heute Abend?                  tonight?
morgen?                       tomorrow?

Wollen wir heute Abend essen  Shall we go out for dinner?
gehen?
Möchten Sie/ Möchtest du      Do you want something to drink?
etwas trinken?
Möchten sie/ Möchtest du      Do you want to dance?
tanzen?

Wann und wo treffen wir uns?  When and where shall we meet?
Sagen wir so gegen 8?         Let’s say around 8?
Ich bringe dich zum Bus/ zur  I’ll bring you to the busstop/ train/
Bahn/ zum Taxi                taxi

Bist du alleine hier?         Are you alone here?
Du bist sehr hübsch/ schön    You are very pretty/ beautiful

food and drink

Mineralwasser                 mineral water
Stilles Mineralwasser         still mineral water

Huhn / Hähnchen               chicken
Ente                          duck
Pute/ Truthahn                turkey
Rind                          beef
Kalb                          veal
Schwein                       pork
Lamm                          lamb
Wild                          game
Reh                           venison
Hammel                        mutton
Kaninchen                     rabbit

Lachs                         salmon
Krabben                       prawns
Garnelen                      king prawns
Karpfen                       carp
Kabeljau                      cod
Scholle                       plaice
Forelle                       trout
Sardinen                      sardines
Thunfisch                     tuna
Schwertfisch                  swordfish
Tintenfischringe              calamari
Krebs                         crab

Wiener Schnitzel              escalope in breadcrumbs
Braten                        roast
Hackfleisch                   minced meat
Kotelett                      chop
Würstchen                     sausages

Ei                            egg
Spiegeleier mit Schinken      ham and eggs
Omelette                      omelette
Rühreier                      scrambled eggs


(c) Holiara 2006

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