The Tartan takeover of Munich is over and, after a thorough humbling at the hands of the hosts, it's on to Cologne for Scotland and the travelling fans.

Steve Clarke's side take on Switzerland on Wednesday in what is, if not quite a must-win game then definitely a must-not-lose game.

With such a crucial game on the horizon the city is already filled with the massed ranks of the Tartan Army - here's a brief guide for anyone travelling.


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The basics

Cologne - if you're French - or Köln - if you're German - is Germany's fourth-biggest city, with over a million people.

Located close to the French border, it is home to large Turkish and Italian communities.

The city, rarely for Germany, has its own distinct regional dialect, Kölsch.

The history

Founded in the First Century by the Romans, it was once the capital of the Gallic Empire.

Due to its location on the Rhine, it has changed hands  several times over the years - hence the double name.

It became part of Napoleon's empire in 1801, before being made part of the kingdom of Prussia in 1815.

Following Germany's defeat in World War 1 it was occupied by the British until 1926 as part of the Treaty of Versailles.

The city was extensively bombed by the Royal Air Force during World War II, with 262 separate air raids which destroyed most of the city, including 95% of the old town.

It was conquered by the American First Army in March 1945 and slowly rebuilt from the rubble, with the work going on until the 1990s.

The stadium

The Cologne Stadium dates back to 1923 but was constructed in its current form in anticipation of Germany hosting the 2006 World Cup.

The capacity is close to 46,000.

(Image: Archant)

Things to see and do

Cologne Cathedral is the city's most famous landmark and has been designated a World Heritage Site and is claimed to house the bones of the Three Wise Men.

It also boasts 12 Romanesque churches, though these had to be extensively rebuilt after the wall.

Before the rise of the Nazi party it had five synagogues, all of which were destroyed in the pre-war period, but the Roonstrasse Synagogue was rebuilt in the 1950s.

The nightlife can be found on the Cologne Ring, and if you're hungry after that you can grab a kebab from one of Lukas Podolski's outlets.

Born in Poland but raised in the Cologne area from the age of two, the former Germany international opened the first in Chlodwigplatz in 2018 and also owns ice cream shops on Brüsseler Straße and Heumarkt.

Cologne Zoo dates back to the 1860s and is home to over 7,000 species of animal.

Famous faces

Aside from the aforementioned Podolski, there's krautrock pioneers Can, Kim Petras and artist Paul-Jürgen Weber.

Local food and drink

Himmel und Äd (Heaven and Earth) is a local dish made of black pudding, fried onions, mashed potatoes and apple sauce.

Kölsche Kaviar is, despite the name, blood sausage served with raw onion on rye bread.

The local tipple is, of course, Kölsch beer a strictly-defined style which must be made within the Cologne metropolitan area. Its style is, quote, "a pale, highly attenuated, hoppy, bright (i.e. filtered and not cloudy) top-fermenting beer, and must be brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot". Accept no imitations.