Rheinboulevard, Promenade in Deutz, Köln, Germany
Rheinboulevard is a wide pedestrian promenade on the right bank of the Rhine in Deutz, Köln. Its long, tiered stone steps lead down from the street level to the water, facing the old town and the cathedral across the river.
Construction began in June 2010 and was repeatedly delayed after workers uncovered old military remnants and unexploded wartime bombs in the ground. The promenade finally opened in July 2015, replacing a former industrial stretch of the riverbank with a public walkway.
The broad steps act as an open-air gathering spot where people sit with a cold Kölsch and face the cathedral spires on the opposite bank. Cherry trees and chestnuts along the walkway soften the concrete and mark the changing seasons for regular visitors.
The stepped surface can become slippery after rain or when drinks are spilled, so walk carefully on busy summer evenings. Benches and grassy edges offer places to rest while watching boats pass along the water.
The Schinkenkessel unearthed during the promenade's construction was not a tank but a brick-lined pit, its name likening it to a ham pot. Roman spolia built into it show the site was quarried and rebuilt long before the 19th century. Visitors pass the spot without knowing it lies beneath the steps.
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