I am Markus Zens and I am a passionate city guide in Cologne. I was born just outside Cologne in the Bergisches Land region, which means I’m not really a local for the people of Cologne. But our dialect and our mentality were already very close to Cologne.
Reason for homesickness
Cologne is more than just the cathedral, Cologne – it’s 2000 years of history, it’s the people who live here, it’s the joie de vivre that you can feel on every street corner.
And even though I actually come from the Bergisch region and lived abroad in the Rhineland for quite some time, I often felt homesick for my city, the Cologne attitude to life, the lightness of being, the open and cheerful togetherness.
Cologne is certainly not beautiful at every turn, and many things could be done better, but I am passionate about being a city guide in the cathedral city because it is simply unique.
Because the stories make the city
That’s why I don’t just show buildings and give facts and figures on my tours, but tell stories that are just like the people who live here: exciting, tragic, sad, happy – and sometimes everything at once. These stories can be found not only at the cathedral and in the large squares, but also in the small corners and streets. Above all, you can find them by listening to people, their hardships, joys and memories, and by looking at where they live and have lived.
You will notice this on my tours: My heart beats for Cologne, I’m really at home here. And if I manage to make you leave with a smile on your face and the feeling that you are now a little bit at home here, then I have achieved my goal.
I can’t do all the tours myself. But I have been able to recruit experienced and wonderful colleagues who will show you Cologne with the same passion.
