https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed As the weather improves, you'll find Cologne locals sipping a Kölsch by the river, hanging out at parks by the cherry blossoms or attending festivals. Here are some ways to join in the fun as the weather warms. https://www.thelocal.de/20260319/six-things-you-have-to-do-in-cologne-in-the-spring Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:09:13 +0100 six-things-you-have-to-do-in-cologne-in-the-spring Deutsche Bahn is growing its cross-border services to the west, with extra high speed rail links to Belgium this summer, as well as new connections later in the year from Cologne to Brussels Airport and the North Sea coast. https://www.thelocal.de/20260311/deutsche-bahn-expands-high-speed-train-services-between-cologne-and-brussels Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:45:08 +0100 deutsche-bahn-expands-high-speed-train-services-between-cologne-and-brussels The western German city of Cologne saw a sharp rise in naturalisations last year. We asked the city – which has previously struggled with a backlog of citizenship applications – what is behind the increase. https://www.thelocal.de/20260310/whats-behind-the-significant-rise-of-naturalisations-in-cologne Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:19:31 +0100 whats-behind-the-significant-rise-of-naturalisations-in-cologne "Helau!" "Alaaf!" "Narri-Narro!" These are some of the different 'fools' calls' from across Germany. Wherever people celebrate Carnival (or Fasching, or Fastnet), you hear the shouts. But where do they come from, and what do they mean? https://www.thelocal.de/20170221/why-youll-hear-these-strange-calls-at-carnival-and-what-they-mean-cologne-karneval-guide Tue, 21 Feb 2017 12:14:07 +0100 why-youll-hear-these-strange-calls-at-carnival-and-what-they-mean-cologne-karneval-guide As Cologne's week of Carnival festivities kicks off on Thursday, here's a guide to make sure you don't miss out on all the debauchery. https://www.thelocal.de/20170222/cologne-carnival-the-locals-essential-guide Wed, 22 Feb 2017 16:00:51 +0100 cologne-carnival-the-locals-essential-guide Passengers across Cologne, Wuppertal and Hagen can expect months of travel disruptions as one of North Rhine-Westphalia’s busiest railways shuts down for serious renovations. https://www.thelocal.de/20260130/major-disruptions-for-train-travellers-around-cologne-as-major-line-is-renovated Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:10:48 +0100 major-disruptions-for-train-travellers-around-cologne-as-major-line-is-renovated Kreuzberg or Mitte? St. Pauli or Altona? Schwabing or Maxvorstadt? A data-driven study of the trendiest neighbourhoods in Germany's cities claims to have the answer. https://www.thelocal.de/20251030/ranked-the-trendiest-neighbourhoods-in-germany Thu, 30 Oct 2025 17:57:39 +0100 ranked-the-trendiest-neighbourhoods-in-germany The west German transport hub is to be closed for ten days, affecting passengers on regional connections as well as international travellers coming from Brussels or Amsterdam. https://www.thelocal.de/20251112/how-colognes-central-station-closure-affects-long-distance-and-regional-rail-passengers Wed, 12 Nov 2025 12:07:05 +0100 how-colognes-central-station-closure-affects-long-distance-and-regional-rail-passengers Wondering why Germany's carnival festivities kick off on November 11th at such a specific time? We unpack the significance of the date and numbers. https://www.thelocal.de/20251111/why-does-germanys-carnival-season-start-on-november-11th-at-1111am Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:50:15 +0100 why-does-germanys-carnival-season-start-on-november-11th-at-1111am Rents in Germany’s biggest cities are soaring, except in Berlin, where prices have unexpectedly dipped. Which cities are seeing the fastest increases, and what does it mean for renters and buyers. https://www.thelocal.de/20251104/dusseldorf-and-leipzig-the-surprising-german-cities-where-rents-are-rising-fastest Tue, 04 Nov 2025 12:50:54 +0100 dusseldorf-and-leipzig-the-surprising-german-cities-where-rents-are-rising-fastest US auto giant Ford said Tuesday it would cut up to 1,000 jobs at its plant in the German city of Cologne in the face of weak European demand for electric vehicles. https://www.thelocal.de/20250916/ford-to-cut-up-to-1000-jobs-at-its-factory-in-cologne Tue, 16 Sep 2025 14:51:10 +0200 ford-to-cut-up-to-1000-jobs-at-its-factory-in-cologne There are different rules for how long pupils in Germany must attend school depending on the state they live. Things are changing in North Rhine-Westphalia as it extends compulsory 'Gymnasium' schooling by one year. https://www.thelocal.de/20250819/why-germanys-most-populous-state-is-bringing-back-nine-years-of-school Tue, 19 Aug 2025 17:13:43 +0200 why-germanys-most-populous-state-is-bringing-back-nine-years-of-school Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Cologne on Sunday for Christopher Street Day (CSD), the city's annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. https://www.thelocal.de/20250706/hundreds-of-thousands-at-christopher-street-day-pride-parade-in-cologne Sun, 06 Jul 2025 19:08:57 +0200 hundreds-of-thousands-at-christopher-street-day-pride-parade-in-cologne More than 20,000 people have been evacuated from a Cologne's Deutz district as officials prepare to defuse three large American World War II bombs. The operation is also expected to disrupt regional railway traffic. https://www.thelocal.de/20250604/cologne-sees-largest-evacuation-for-bomb-defusal-since-1945 Wed, 04 Jun 2025 11:53:32 +0200 cologne-sees-largest-evacuation-for-bomb-defusal-since-1945 Following recent terror attacks in Germany, police are stepping up security controls for carnival season - but say there is no reason for festival-goers to worry. https://www.thelocal.de/20250226/police-pledge-tightened-security-measures-for-germanys-carnival-season Wed, 26 Feb 2025 16:47:20 +0100 police-pledge-tightened-security-measures-for-germanys-carnival-season Verdi’s warning strikes continue as public-sector wage negotiations drag on. Here’s a look at the services and regions being affected in Germany this week. https://www.thelocal.de/20250226/how-warning-strikes-are-affecting-germanys-postal-service-and-daycare-centres Wed, 26 Feb 2025 12:01:26 +0100 how-warning-strikes-are-affecting-germanys-postal-service-and-daycare-centres One of Germany’s biggest and most beloved festivals, carnival, has been celebrated for hundreds of years. With the first big parties of the year kicking off on Thursday, February 27th, we take a look at this colourful cultural phenomenon. https://www.thelocal.de/20220216/what-you-need-to-know-about-celebrating-carnival-in-germany Wed, 16 Feb 2022 17:32:12 +0100 what-you-need-to-know-about-celebrating-carnival-in-germany Warning strikes in the public sector are affecting two airports in North Rhine-Westphalia. Here's how passengers are affected. https://www.thelocal.de/20250224/strikes-passengers-see-flights-cancelled-at-dusseldorf-and-cologne-bonn-airports Mon, 24 Feb 2025 10:38:45 +0100 strikes-passengers-see-flights-cancelled-at-dusseldorf-and-cologne-bonn-airports Cologne made headlines last year when it stopped processing applications for German citizenship due to the backlog. Now the naturalisation office is back open for business, we look at the latest numbers and what future applicants can expect. https://www.thelocal.de/20250124/in-numbers-what-to-expect-when-applying-for-german-citizenship-in-cologne Fri, 24 Jan 2025 10:04:18 +0100 in-numbers-what-to-expect-when-applying-for-german-citizenship-in-cologne Taxi vouchers to help women and gender-diverse people get home in Cologne at night have been snapped up as the city trials the new safety measure. https://www.thelocal.de/20241223/cologne-launches-night-time-taxi-vouchers-to-help-women-get-home-safely Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:33:08 +0100 cologne-launches-night-time-taxi-vouchers-to-help-women-get-home-safely