Cologne has a spirit you can feel the moment you arrive – open, warm, and effortlessly welcoming. The people here have a way of making strangers feel like friends and friends feel like family. It’s a city where small kindnesses are part of everyday life: a smile from the tram driver, a cheerful “Kölle Alaaf!” even outside carnival season, or a helping hand when you’re lost in the narrow streets of the old town.
Much of this charm can be traced back to the Kölner Grundgesetz – the Cologne Basic Law. It’s not a legal code, but a set of eleven witty, wise life principles rooted in Rhineland philosophy. From “Et es wie et es” (It is what it is) to “Et kütt wie et kütt” (It comes as it comes) and the wonderfully liberating “Et hätt noch immer jot jejange” (It’s always turned out fine so far), it’s a reminder to embrace life with humour, humility, and heart. In Cologne, this isn’t just a saying – it’s a way of being.
it’s not only about the city – it’s about the people you’ll meet.
