36 Hours - Cologne, Germany - NYTimes.com ONE of the oldest cities in Germany, Cologne has been drawing visitors since at least the year 50 A.D., when it was officially founded as the Roman outpost of Colonia. Today the big attractions are the city's ancient (and gargantuan) cathedral, vibrant night life, a great native beer called Kölsch, and eau de cologne, invented here in 1709, not to mention the ever-present Rhine River. But the city the Germans know as Köln is hardly resting on its former achievements. New surprises just keep showing up. After crossing off bucket-list items like exploring the cathedral and crawling through legendary Kölsch pubs, you can easily spend an entire weekend focusing on the shops, restaurants and hotels that have opened (or reopened) within the past few years. New shops and boutiques are popping up all over the city, but few have the swagger of the playful eight-month-old Mädchentraum, where the 24-year-old owner Anne-Kathrin Schmidt, a former costume designer, turns out glamorous, ultrafeminine dresses and blouses inspired by ladies" fashions of the "30s, "40s and "50s (Greesbergstrasse 2; 49-221-3799-5751; maedchentraum.net). Her well-named "Grace" dress, in gray wool with stylish three-quarter-length sleeves, feels as if it should cost more than 219 euros ($283 at $1.30 to the euro). A few blocks away, Kiss the Inuit opened late last summer with a collection of streetwear, sweaters, jeans, shoes and boots, all made from organic materials (Schillingstrasse 11; 49-221-29-89-54-86; kisstheinuit.de). Given its location on a quiet, residential lane and a name that echoes the Spanish word for "nothing," the loungelike restaurant Nada might be accused of setting low expectations, only to demolish them once the inventive, playful cooking - a porcini soup disguised as a cappuccino, or slow-cooked roast beef and root vegetables in a gingery Barolo glaze - hits the table. Considering the culinary pyrotechnics and stellar service, the prices, with main courses around 25 euros, and four-course set menus at 54 euros - also seem (almost) understated (Cleverstrasse 32; 49-221-888-999-44; nada-koeln.de). 11:30 p.m. Originally opened as an exhibition space for a group of young visual artists, Gewölbe (Vault) has evolved into a serious music venue for techno and electronic acts, turning a section of the city's Westbahnhof (west train station) into one of the best clubs in town. You can't be sure of exactly what you'll find here without checking the schedule, but one thing is certain: the doors won't open until 11 p.m., and the dancing and partying will keep going until very late (Hans-Böckler-Platz 2; 49-171-379-5511; gewoelbe.net). 10 a.m. Given the stylish looks of most residents, you can imagine how much of their time and energy is spent shopping. To fuel up in the heart of the Ehrenstrasse, a street that has recently overflowed with new clothing stores, local shoppers grab snacks from the Zimmermann bakery (Ehrenstrasse 75; 49-221-25-56-32; baeckereizimmermann.de), founded in 1875, where a sublime frosted Schnecke (or "snail," meaning a raisin Danish) will keep you going at least as far as the next boutique. 11 a.m. Over the past decade, the Belgisches Viertel (Belgian Quarter) has become the neighborhood of choice for many art and media types, who have brought dozens of cool cafes, shops and restaurants in their wake. Start by browsing through Simon und Renoldi's women's clothing, primarily from young German designers (Maastrichter Strasse 17; 49-221-945-87-031; simonundrenoldi.com), then move along to the men's jeans and rustic workwear at Monsieur Courbet (Maastrichter Strasse 49; 49-221-59-49-705), which also houses the excellent Groove Attack record store, a specialist in obscure hip-hop and rap, in the basement (Maastrichter Strasse 49; 49-221-522-037; grooveattackrecordstore.com). At the area's main square, Brüsseler Platz, the charming Bob 10.5.10 sells urbane, club-friendly men's wear from cult brands like Hannibal, Unconditional and Rick Owens (Brüsseler Platz 6; 49-221-168-693-48; bob10510.de). The three or four streets surrounding the square have enough to keep your credit card busy for several hours. Afterward, you can unwind with a cinnamon-marzipan cookie and an espresso at Madame Miammiam, a beloved bakery and cafe (Antwerpener Strasse 39; 49-221-271-9242; madamemiammiam.de). 1 p.m. There are tons of places for a quick lunch on the Ring, the bustling boulevard that encircles the city center - and then there is Hans im Glück (Hans in Luck). Named after a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, the second outpost (after Munich) of the restaurant began serving what must be the best hamburgers in town - if not the Continent - just this spring, including a delicious house special topped with Parma ham, Parmesan cheese, arugula and a teriyaki-like balsamic vinegar sauce (6.80 euros). Though perfect for lunch, the killer cocktails, cool atmosphere and in-house D.J. booth also make this a good choice for a late-night snack (Hohenzollernring 38-40; 49-221-298-921-63; hansimglueck-burgergrill.de). 3 p.m. It's hard to say what makes more impact: the Kolumba museum's vertiginous mix of ancient religious and modern secular artworks, or its astounding, vintage-2007 building by the Pritzker-winning Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. Shift your gaze from an oversize late-12th-century carved ivory crucifix to an untitled sculpture by the great Joseph Beuys, then take in the spires of the cathedral, artfully framed in a floor-to-ceiling window (Kolumbastrasse 4; 49-221-933-193-0; kolumba.de). Yes, Cologne loves its native Kölsch beer, but the Rhine River, which runs through the city, is also home to some of Europe's favorite wine regions. Sample the wares at Wein am Rhein, where more than 20 great vintages from the Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Mosel and other Old World terroirs are all available by the glass. Hardly upstaged by the bottles, the kitchen has been regularly called one of Cologne's best since its opening in early 2009. Adventurous types should splurge on the "surprise" menu, a four-course showcase of high points, which costs 43 euros, or 75 euros with wine pairings (Johannisstrasse 64; 49-221-9124-88-85; weinamrhein.eu). Older breweries and classic Kölsch pubs may be more famous, but none is as welcoming and playfully genre-bending as the charming Braustelle, a tiny brewpub that functions as the up-and-coming Ehrenfeld district's main meeting point and de facto public living room (Christianstrasse 2, at Venloer Strasse; 49-221-285-69-32; braustelle.com). Try a Helios, the house take on the city's own style, albeit unfiltered, then sample something few other Cologne brewers would even consider: an Alt, the traditional brewing style of the city's longstanding rival, Düsseldorf. Midnight 10. With its mix of immigrants and working class residents, the Ehrenfeld district has turned into a favorite address for musicians, students and artists, which makes for great evenings out. The area's newest spot for late-night fun is this year's E-Feld (Venloer Strasse 601; 49-221-169-418-61; e-feld.com), a cavernous, bunkerlike cellar where acts like Sweden's minimalist techno D.J. Pär Grindvik rival the shows taking place at the classic Underground, the host of visiting alternative acts ranging from IAMX to the Supersuckers, just a few blocks away (Vogelsanger Strasse 200; 49-221-542-326; underground-cologne.de). Unlike the buttoned-down attitude at most museums and galleries, the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum asks visitors to touch and interact with its displays, which focus on the world's great diversity of cultures, best symbolized by the sailboat-size, ornately decorated rice storage vessel from Sulawesi taking up most of the museum lobby. Dating from late 2010, the building is in stark contrast with the attached Schnütgen Museum, which showcases its vast collection of medieval and Gothic Christian art in the renovated Romanesque St. Cäcilien church (Cäcilienstrasse 29-33; 49-221-236-20; museenkoeln.de/rautenstrauch-joest-museum). In recent years, the tiny Domstern Hotel topped so many online "best" lists that booking a room became next to impossible. But in November, the owners opened a second hotel, Stern am Rathaus, bringing the same great customer service, modern décor and moderate prices to eight refurbished rooms in a historic building near city hall (Bürgerstrasse 6; 49-221-16-800-80; stern-am-rathaus.com). Doubles start at 95 euros ($123). Far larger, but also recently updated, the centrally located Pullman Hotel redesigned its 275 modern rooms in late 2008 (Helenenstrasse 14; 49-221-2750; pullmanhotels.com). A Web search found double rooms starting at 156 euros.