KÖLNISCH WASSER 4711

If there is one name that comes naturally to mind when you think of Cologne, it is this world-famous perfume, the famous water in its blue and gold bottle. At the beginning of the 18th century, an Italian, Johann Maria Farina (1685-1766), who had recently moved to Cologne, reportedly created a perfume that he named "Eau de Cologne" after his new residence. According to legend, it all began in 1792, when a Carthusian monk gave a wedding gift to his friend the merchant Mühlens: the secret recipe for a precious water, Aqua Mirabilis. When Napoleonic troops occupied the city (1794), the soldiers decided, in order to avoid getting lost, to number the houses that only had names. While riding the Glockengasse one day in 1796, a horseman inscribed on the facade of the Mühlens house the n° 4711 which would become the distinctive sign of the bottle. The 19th century saw the official foundation of the house, which has continued to flourish ever since. The building charms by its external aspect and its carillon which announces every hour the arrival of the Cavalier de la Glockengasse (from 9am to 9pm). The sparkling interior is just another perfume shop.