The traditional carnival roles are a thing of the past. Nowadays comedians such as Stefan Raab and Cindy von Kazaan are the TV stars responsible for entertaining the masses. Nevertheless what remains is the Kölscher Klüngel– the nepotism that extends to friends and acquaintances. And it’s something that the inhabitants of Cologne are particularly proud of, as they are of their cathedral, the world’s third biggest. The centre of the world then? Not any more, as the broadcast towers of Pro 7, Viva, Vox and RTL provide imposing competition. Therefore it’s no surprise that the soap stars can be found milling about in the city’s pubs: Kölsch is after all the only language in the world you can drink, according to the locals at least. The rest of the world agrees and is happy to join in with a quick beer somewhere between the carnival, hip media get-togethers and the famous Lindenstraße. As soon as the jesters are let loose, the city sinks into delirium, yet away from the cliché Cologne leaves an impression on visitors with a colourful mix of international trade fairs, rustic pubs and the incredibly relaxed inhabitants of the Rheinland.