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RUHR.2010

TOURISM

The Local’s guide to the Ruhr Valley’s year of culture

Long known as Germany's gritty industrial heartland, the Ruhr Valley is hoping to show a different side as one of Europe's cultural capitals this year. The Local takes a look at some of the highlights of RUHR.2010.

Published: 18 January 2010 12:15 CET
The Local's guide to the Ruhr Valley's year of culture
Photo: DPA

At first glance, the densely populated Ruhr is an unlikely cultural hotspot. For decades, it was where Germany produced its steel and coal. But industrial decline has forced the Ruhr Valley's loose collection of 53 cities and towns to reinvent themselves.

Click here for a photo gallery of the Ruhr Valley.

Each year, the European Union selects cities to represent the continent's cultural heritage. Essen is the third German city to be crowned a European Capital of Culture after Berlin in 1988 and Weimar in 1999. But this is the first time an entire region has been awarded the title.

In recognition of the area's transition from grimy industrial heartland to a dynamic metropolis with 5.3 million inhabitants, the year of culture will stage upwards of 300 major projects and some 2,500 individual events over the course of the year.

Fritz Pleitgen, the head of RUHR.2010, has planned an eclectic mix aimed at encouraging the public’s participation, including a cultural day on a closed section of the A40 motorway.

The year-long event will also give the Ruhr Valley a chance to showcase its strong cultural heritage and resources including 19 universities, 100 concert houses, 120 theatres and over 200 museums and festivals.

The Local has selected some of the RUHR.2010 highlights:

Folkwang Museum

The renowned international art museum reopens in a new light-flooded exhibition building designed by the London architect David Chipperfield.

2010 exhibition highlights include:

— “The most beautiful museum in the world – The Folkwang Museum to 1933” reconstructs the museum’s spectacular pre-war art collection. Opens in March 2010.

— “Metropolitan Images – The Impressionists in Paris” pays tribute to the first metropolis in Europe in the 19th century. Opens in October 2010.

Odyssey Europe, opens February 27, 2010

Six of Europe’s leading dramatists rewrite Homer’s Odyssey for a theatrical marathon playing in six different theatres throughout the metropolitan area. Spectators are invited to travel from one theater to the next and take part in a symbolic “odyssey” of their own.

Biennale for International Light Art, March 28 – May 27, 2010

“Open light in private spaces” – that´s the slogan for the world’s first Biennale for International Light Art, opening in March. 60 works of light will be on display for two months in private homes and apartments in the eastern part of the Ruhr metropolis.

Partners of the biennale include the Centre for International Light Art in Unna, the world’s first and only museum for light art.

Ruhr Views, April 24 – October 24, 2010

A contemporary photography exhibition opens in April at the Zollverein coal mine in Essen. A total of 11 photographers will present their personal view of the Ruhr region in transformation. Visitors can view these and works by renowned photographers Andreas Gursky and Hilla Becher until October.

Shaft Signs, opens May 22, 2010

Hundreds of gigantic balloons will be simultaneously launched to a height of 80 metres for one week. The balloons will mark the locations of former coalmine shafts.

emscherKUNST.2010, opens May, 2010

An open-air art exhibition on the Emscher river island, featuring internationally known artists. The focus of this show is the Ruhr´s transformation in progress.

Ruhr Atoll, opens May, 2010

“Art is energy, energy is movement.” With these words, visitors are invited to hop in a pedal boat and explore the new Art islands on Lake Baldeney.

!SING – DAY OF SONG, June 4 – 5, 2010

A festival of a million voices, including Bobby McFerrin´s, the !SING song festival will wrap up with a performance by the largest choir ever to perform in Germany. 65,000 singers will give a final concert in the VELTINS Arena, Gelsenkirchen.

Theatre of the World 2010, July 1 – 18, 2010

The biggest international festival for performing arts in Germany is hosted this year by the city of Mülheim an der Ruhr in July. The festival explores global questions about arts, politics and identity.

Still Life A40, July 18, 2010

Ruhr.2010 invites you to come picnic on the highway. On July 18, 2010, the A-40 motorway will block traffic with a 60-kilometre banqueting table. Book one of the 20,000 individual tables for your own performance or party.

ExtraShift, June 19, 2010

Keep the shortest night of the year free this summer. A gigantic art and performance festival in 40 venues including former industrial sites will throw the longest party of the year.

Love Parade, summer 2010

One of the world’s largest open-air party events, don´t miss this celebration of contemporary street and party culture.

The Henze Project. New music for the metropolis, throughout the year 2010

An on-going homage to Hans Werner Henze, one of the world’s greatest living composers and pioneers of contemporary music will take place in different venues. The Henze Project covers Henze’s complete oeuvre including opera, ballet, orchestral music and chamber concerts.

MELEZ, autumn 2010

A festival of cultures to celebrate a subject of pride of the Ruhr metropolis – diversity.

For more information and daily highlights click here.

 

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COLOGNE

What to do, see and eat on a budget-friendly break in Cologne

Cologne is one of the oldest cities in Germany, with a history stretching back just over 2,000 years. It’s a past full of old Roman bones, Gothic architecture and world-famous fine fragrances. But it's possible to explore without breaking the bank.

Published: 5 April 2024 14:40 CEST
What to do, see and eat on a budget-friendly break in Cologne

You could spend months exploring Cologne, but most of us don’t have the time or resources.

Therefore, here’s what to do, see and eat during a weekend in one of Europe’s cultural capitals. 

DO

Cologne is a very walkable city, and it’s easy to get between the main sights, such as the iconic Hohenzollern Bridge and the historic Altstadt or old town. That said, it’s also well-served by an excellent public transport network. 

The most up-to-date schedules and journey planners are available through the KVB or Deutsche Bahn apps. 

READ ALSO: 10 facts you probably didn’t know about Cologne (even if you live there)

To get around, the KölnCard is your best option. Not only will it get you everywhere you want to be within the areas visited by tourists, but it can give you up to a 50 percent discount on selected attractions.

The KölnCard can be purchased at the tourist information centre, or KVB ticket machines at public transport stops. 

SEE

The first thing you’ll likely see upon arriving in Cologne is the Kölner Dom or Cologne Cathedral. (Domkloster 4, 50667). 

While there’s been some sort of church on the site since the 17th century, the current Gothic masterpiece began construction in 1248 and, due to war, plague and economic turmoils, was not completed until 1880. Indeed, a crane sat atop one of the incomplete towers for centuries. 

The cathedral is one of the holiest pilgrimage sights in Christianity, as tradition holds that the relics of the Three Wise Men are housed there in a reliquary.

Cologne cathedral

Cologne’s cathedral is one of the world’s most important Gothic masterpieces – it took over 600 years to build! Photo: Bea61 / Pixabay

READ ALSO: Eight things you probably didn’t know about Cologne Cathedral

You can spend hours drinking in the gorgeous medieval paintings and carvings, flooded with golden light streaming through the windows. 

With a €10 ticket per adult, you can enter the cathedral and the treasury, which holds even more stunning treasures. 

However, Cologne was occupied way further back than the Middle Ages. Cologne, or Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium as it was known, was an important Roman city founded in the first decades of the first century. 

While Roman remains can be found everywhere in Cologne – in the crypts of many churches, for example – many of the best-preserved artefacts and evidence of everyday Roman life are kept in the Römisch-Germanisches Museum, or Romano-German Museum (Cäcilienstraße 46, 50667). 

Everything you might expect from a bustling Roman provincial capital, from tiny, intricate jewellery pieces to monumental arches that led into the city, can be found here. Tickets for adults are €6. 

Another quite peculiar legacy of the Romans can be found in the Basilica of St. Ursula (Ursulaplatz 24, 50668). Locals uncovered a Roman cemetery in the early Middle Ages, which contained hundreds of burials and thousands of bones. 

Somehow, these were conflated with the legend of St Ursula, an English princess whom the Huns martyred along with eleven other virgins (and who eventually grew to 11,000). 

These bones now adorn the basilica’s Goldene Kammer or ‘Golden Chamber’, arranged in fantastic designs such as letters, numbers and geometric patterns. 

It’s something you’re rarely likely to have seen before. Best of all, photography is permitted, and entrance is free. 

The incredible interior of the Goldene Kammer, or ‘Golden Chamber’ in the Basilica of St Ursula. Photo: Mike Stuchbery / The Local

For something completely different, head over to the Farina Duftmuseum, or Farina Fragrance Museum. 

Cologne is world-renowned for its contribution to perfumery. Indeed, the city gave its name to the fragrances worn by men. 

This is mainly due to the work of Johann Maria Farina, who, together with his brother, established a perfumery in the eighteenth century that became spectacularly successful across Europe with their ‘Eau de Cologne’. 

The Farina Fragrance Museum not only tells the story of the family firm but also explains the production process in detail and demonstrates how the scent is manufactured. 

Tickets cost €8 per adult, and yes, there’s a gift shop with bottles of all shapes and sizes to take home. 

EAT AND DRINK

In Cologne—and especially when staying there on a budget—there’s no other place for snacks and quick meals like a Büdchen or Kiosk. 

Like the legendary Berlin Späti, these are places open all hours of the day for anything you may need and serving simple but good food. 

Pico Coffee (Neusserplatz, 50670) is one of the city’s most beloved Büdchen. Don’t let the name fool you—they also serve breakfast, sandwiches, crepes and other snacks, in addition to takeaway essentials and fantastic coffee. 

Carnival start

A woman holding a greeting sign of ‘Alaaf’ to mark the start of Cologne’s Carnival season on November 11th, 2022. picture alliance/dpa | Rolf Vennenbernd

Another cult Cologne Büdchen is Kölnkiosk (Brüsselerstraße 39 – 41, 50674), a very popular neighbourhood venue that serves a constantly changing menu of small bites to larger meals. You’ll recognise it with a riot of bright pink!

Locals also swear by Weinhaus Vogel (Eigelstein 74, 50668) a neighbourhood institution with cheap, filling regional fare that’s been keeping customers happy since 1898. 

Finally, get a taste of real local flavour at Knippschild Werk 2 (An der Kemperwiese, 451069), where you can enjoy a cold Kölsch beer alongside a selection of hearty, good-value German dishes. 

Have any recommendations for things to do, see or eat in Cologne? Let us know in the comments.

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