What's on

Today let's celebrate the home of English language cinema in Cologne - Metropolis.  From its sticky floors, to its often glitch jinxed showings, Metropolis is an experience in itself.  Please don't think I'm trying to bad mouth the place - I love it, and wouldn't have it any other way.  Consider the glass and steel, shiny, flashy Cinedom - it has no warmth, no character and absolutely nothing to set it apart from other multiplexes (apart from the Ben and Jerry's ice cream stand in the foyer, of course...).  Metropolis has warmth, character and the ability to make you rem

First they came to Cologne - now they're in Bonn, only this time they're for real.  The Museum König in Bonn presents "Dinosaurier" an exhibition featuring the bones of huge Argentinean dinosaurs.  Highlights of the exhibitions include the largest plant eating dinosaur in the world the Argentinosaurus, which was 40 metres long and 8 metres high; the largest carnivore, the Giganotosaurus; and the oldest skeleton found to date, the Eoraptor.  The exhibitions also shows what the animals may have looked like when they were alive, as well as the landscape they would

If you'd like an introduction to ballet, then Swanlake is probably the best ballet for a first timer.  Set to the beautiful music of Tschaikowsky, Swanlake is a typical fairytale of love, loss and betrayal.  Performed by the renowned St. Petersburg State Ballet the female lead - Odette/Odile is one of the most difficult ballerina roles in the classical opus. The tragic Swan Princess is deceived by her lover, Siegfried and her wicked doppelganger, Odile, is then malevolently conjured up to deceive her Prince and destroy Odette.

Fireworks in Germany - take your life in your hands and venture out on the streets and bridges - or watch horrified and amazed from your window or balcony as people on the street hurl fireworks at each other, chuck them into drains or under parked cars.  Anyone from the UK will be utterly amazed - there's no such thing as a firework code here - and even the most sane German will laugh in your face if you try and explain it to them.  Fireworks are for throwing, or lighting and watching from a distance of 30cm or less.  In a kind of mad, anarchic way it's quite a liberating nig

If you're looking for something a little different to welcome in the New Year here are a couple of sugesstions.  At the slick and stylish Monkey's Plaza in Düsseldorf you can dine in style with a five or seven course New Year's gourmet menu, from chef Christian Penzhorn in the West restaurant.  Then afterwards you can burn off the calories in Monkey's East at their New Year's club night - entry is included in the meal price.  Alternatively, for something very different and a whole lot funnier, you can enjoy a spot of improvisational theatre at the "Springmaus Silves

Rhine on-line wishes you all a very merry Christmas - and hopes you are with people you love, like, or just care about a great deal.  But if you are not, or have quite simply had enough of the whole Christmas at home scene, fear not, in Germany, "heilige abend" is the biggie - once that's over it's pretty much back to business as usual.  So if you're looking for something to do, you're sure to find something to suit your mood.  In Cologne you could check out The Christmas Ball at the Alterwartesaal.  Electro sounds will feature Convenant, Suicide Commando and W

If you're a Christmas Market regular then Düsseldorf will not disappoint.  The Marktplatz, with it's magical backdrop of Dusseldorf's Town Hall and the statue of Jan Wellem right in the middle - is a good place to start.  There's delicious Glühwein to keep your spirits up, hot chocolate for the kids, and lots of hand crafted goods, from wrought iron trinkets to hand blown glassware and wonderfully carved wooden gifts.

Down by the Rhine and opposite the Werkstattbühne is Bar Ludwig, currently one of the hottest (night) spots in the city. Formerly the bar and restaurant of the now condemned Hotel Beethoven, Bar Ludwig has been taken over by an outfit called Moving Locations that now runs club nights every Thursday to Saturday until the entire premises are torn down in February or March next year to make way for luxury flats. Most evenings start with a culture show and later transition to a dance/club event with well-known DJs and bands.

Unless someone tells you about Stecken, you won't find it.  Tucked away behind Rudolfplatz, from the outside it's not much to look at, at all.  But step through the graffiti and poster covered entrance and you enter one of the coolest little bar/clubs in the city.  It's not full of hip party people, it's not got much to offer in terms of interior design and fancy deco - it's just a bar with a great atmosphere, inexpensive cocktails and cheap beer.  A variety of DJ's offer up funk and soul sounds and every now and again there's live jazz.  The bar staff are friendly

The latest hotel to open up in Bonn is a five star luxury design/boutique extravaganza called the Kameha Grand.  Usually design or boutique hotels are perfectly styled and small in scale.  The Kameha Grand is grand by name and grand by nature with 253 rooms, a spa, two restaurants, four different bars and lounges, plus numerous banqueting suites and meeting rooms. Owner Carsten Rath, is optimistic about the hotel's popularity, despite opening in the middle of a recession. He has incorporated an eco gimmick that will go far to cut down on running costs.