POSTCARD FROM COLOGNE

Rimowa's Emelie De Vitis on her favourite places for espressos, botanical cocktails, relaxed dinners, art, architecture, and history in the German city that she and the cult luggage brand call home

WHAT'S A GREAT WAY TO SPEND A DAY?

"Strolling through the Belgian Quarter, a creative district that's really grown in popularity. I like to spend time browsing its galleries and shops, and having a quick bite at the eco-responsible Van Dyck Rösterei, a slick little espresso bar on the lively Körnerstrasse. There's a real sense of creativity in the neighbourhood. Ehrenfeld is another area to find inspiration in: a lively district to the northwest, dotted all over with independent boutiques, street art, and quirky places."

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE BUILDINGS?

"Cologne has a really interesting architectural landscape. Ancestral historical buildings sit right next to 1970s concrete experiments, such as the Adsla building, a hermetically sealed concrete monolith remodelled by the architect and urban planner Bernd Kniess into a private exhibition space. Of the classics, it's hard not to be struck by Cologne Cathedral, with its striking Gothic Dom towers that inspired Rimowa's monogram."

THE TOP SHOPS?

"On a day when I'm strolling through the city, I always make sure to stop by the Walther König bookstore on Ehrenstrasse to browse its art books and coffee-table tomes."

THE LOVELIEST OUTDOOR SPACES?