Severinsviertel

The Severinsviertel is a lively residential and shopping neighbourhood in Cologne's Altstadt-Süd, centred on Severinstraße in North Rhine-Westphalia and nicknamed the Vringsveedel by locals. It lies south of the Altstadt, between the Chlodwigplatz and the Rhine, and is reached by the Stadtbahn stops Severinstraße or Chlodwigplatz. The district feels more local and less touristic than the cathedral area. Severinstraße itself is lined with independent shops, bakeries, cafés, pubs and restaurants, and side streets contain small squares and old houses. At its southern end the medieval Severinstorburg, one of the surviving city gates, closes the vista; near the middle stands the Romanesque basilica of St. Severin, whose quiet courtyard offers a break from the street. The area also holds several traditional brewery taverns serving Kölsch, which makes it a popular evening destination, and the Rhine promenade and the Rheinauhafen are a short walk to the east. A visit usually takes one to one and a half hours for a stroll, though people stopping for coffee, a meal or shopping often stay for half a day. Shops generally keep Monday to Saturday hours, so weekdays and Saturdays suit browsing, while evenings suit cafés and pubs. Crowds are modest on weekdays and rise on Saturdays and at the district's street festivals and carnival events. Photographers will find good angles along Severinstraße looking toward the gate, in the courtyard of the basilica, and in the narrow lanes with older façades. The neighbourhood is free to explore and open at all times, and it combines well with the Schokoladenmuseum, the Rheinauhafen and the Römisch-Germanisches Museum for a south-to-north walking route through Cologne.