BRAZIL - Cologne
Cologne is famous for its carnival. As is Brazil. Looks (and sounds!) like a natural fit. The party link certainly helped the vibrant Dome city to lure their carnival counterparts into town. "Rio will be at the Rhine," says Josef Sommer, CEO of Cologne Tourism. "Cologne is just a way of life which fits well with the Brazilians." It won't be before the knockout stages that the five-time World Cup winners move their base to neighboring Bergisch-Gladbach, and even though they will be playing in Berlin, Munich and Dortmund, Cologne is the place to gather. Over 6,000 Brazilians have already booked hotel rooms for an extended stay, and thousands more are to follow. "We will be the meeting point for Brazilian fans from all over the world, which will also attract lots of German fans," added Sommer. So it will be samba all over the city, with huge TV screens set in front of the Dome and also at several other locations. The organisers will also have a giant La Ola wave swapping through the downtown area.

Some 10,000 fans are also expected to visit Koenigstein, near Frankfurt, where the Brazilian team will reside during the group stages. The 16,000 inhabitants have already flooded their city counsel with hundreds of suggestions as how to greet the Selecao. A local school will even hold their graduates' end-of-the-year exams one week early for them to fully enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience. While all public training sessions will be held in the Bundesliga stadium of FSV Mainz 05, "Koenigstein will certainly make itself a name in Brazil," a local organiser predicted.