Dufthaus 4711

This guide to Dufthaus 4711 in Cologne follows the secret behind the eau de cologne mixed here since a Carthusian monk handed the recipe to a young merchant, Wilhelm Mülhens, as a wedding gift in October 1792. It traces how the shop's odd house number became the brand's name after French troops numbered every building in the city, and how the exact ratio of its seven ingredients has been passed perfumer to perfumer ever since. You'll also hear how the formula outlasted a fire in 1943 and even reached submarine crews during the war. Stop at the fountain downstairs and test the scent the way travelers once did at the old coaching station.