Sundowner with a view of Cologne Cathedral

What the heart desires

Those who want to thoroughly enjoy a view of this landmark of Cologne in the evening light away from the crowd as well as others looking to spend a few relaxing hours with good company at a less-than-ordinary location should mark the dates of the new KD evening cruises in their calendar. Daily from Monday to Thursday, one of the KD ships will stand waiting in the shadows of the Cologne Cathedral to pick up passengers and bring them into the sunset – and an exceptional panorama of the city is included.

That alone should be enough reason for you to proceed to the landing stage instead of one of the usual bars for your after-work date. But there’s more: every evening, after the last panorama cruise, busy hands will transform the ship into a cosy lounge and set up deckchairs in such a way that the guests can have a perfect view of the city while comfortably chatting away. Subtle lounge music provides the relaxing soundtrack to the evening hours aft er work. And before the ship departs at 8 pm, the delicious scent of freshly grilled food will waft across the deck. Burgers, bratwurst and poultry skewers at appetising prices and of the usual high quality you expect from KD.

The after hour Kölsch beer is, of course, served on draught. Sparkling wines and other wines are served at the perfect temperatures. And those who would rather chill out in a deckchair with a cocktail – it’s a lounge after all – will be spoilt for choice not just at the grilling station: with or without alcohol, fruity and tart or sweet and creamy? The selection is large, the prices are palatable, and the generous-sized fruit skewer in the glass is more of a vitamin-rich dessert than simply a decoration.

Just take a seat

But don’t forget to quickly head to the lounge corner before the best seats are gone! The view is after all part of the concept here. Gradually the sun will disappear so low on the horizon that the Cologne Cathedral and the city’s old town will take on a warm orange glow. The futuristic architecture on the Rheinau Harbour will also adorn a coat of warm reflection. At the point where the ship turns around off the shore of the greenery-filled suburb Rodenkirchen to sail back towards the city centre with the current, the light will have changed once again: gentle blue and lilac hues will take the place of the red-orange tones. Whoever has, up until then, been looking at the Rhine’s right shore passing by will be automatically turned around to face the left shore. This allows the guests to enjoy a view of both shores without having to stand up at all; they can focus on their cocktails, conversation partners and evening relaxation.

The ship will sail for two hours along Cologne’s lifeline. When the ship sails past the departure point after the first direction change, it will continue sailing further towards the north and stop at around the same level as the zoo located in the district of Riehl. This is where the captain will again exclaim “About ship!” The ship will turn around and set sail back towards Cologne Cathedral, which will be illuminated differently yet again – with artificial lights, nevertheless charming in their own way. With their lights on, the bridges and the Cathedral fuel the sense of appreciation for the beauty here. The evening will end at 10 pm – at least on board. Who knows what the passengers will do next: visit a nearby bar or brewery pub, or simply head for bed. But one thing is for sure: they will take one more look at the Cologne Cathedral before making a move.