Art & design Cologne, Germany
Dufthaus 4711
Since 1792, Kölnisch Wasser – eau de cologne, or simply 4711 – has been Germany’s best-known perfume and therapeutic aroma. Just minutes from Cologne Cathedral, behind the neo-Gothic façade of the Duftmuseum 4711, tour guides reveal gorgeous perfume vials, priceless documents and a hand-woven Gobelin tapestry which recounts the parfumier’s legendary beginnings. Visitors can learn how fragrances are compounded and create their own eau de cologne as a souvenir. The original formula is, of course, a closely guarded secret. Not even Napoleon, who in 1810 issued a decree for the ingredients of the elixir to be revealed, could uncover the mystery.
address
Dufthaus 4711 Glockengasse 4, 50667 Cologne
phone
+49 (0) 221 27 09 99 11
