Die Wohngemeinschaft

This is my personal favourite. In 2008 three friends got together because, as they say, “we just wanted to open a bar”. Fast forward to 2016: Die Wohngemeinschaft (“Flatshare”) is a café, bar, hostel and theatre all wrapped into one. The rooms, with shared bathrooms, are supercosy, very well-kept and real works of art in their own right: you might get to sleep in a boat, a poet’s room, a ballet studio or even in outer space. The bar is a lovable jumble of various styles, with Cologne residents propping up the counter or giving the foosball table a workout. The on-site theatre regularly stages concerts, readings and poetry slams. And just a couple of hundred yards down the road is the trendy Belgian Quarter with its great boutiques, cocktail bars and restaurants. Alternatively, stroll over to nearby Aachener Weiher lake with its beer garden and BBQ spaces.

Beds from EUR 20