Cologne, the fourth largest city in Germany, is known for its magnificent Cologne Cathedral and its scenic Rhine River. And yes, cologne is a perfume originating from Cologne, Germany.
Getting in:
By train: It is just a 1.5-hour train ride away from Frankfurt. This was how I arrived in Cologne.
Koln Hauptbahnhof is the central train station in Cologne.
By plane: Cologne Bonn Airport is 15-min train away to the city center.
Alternatively, you can arrive by bus or car.
Getting around:
Cologne is easy to get around on foot as the main attractions are centered around Cologne Cathedral. It also has a subway & tram network in the city. Click here for the subway map. Or you can get around in style in one of these taxis which are Mercedes Benz.
Accomodation:
I would recommend to stay nearby the Cologne Central Station / Cologne Cathedral especially if you're arrriving / departing by train. The hotel that I stayed was Boutique 003 Koln Am Dom, which is located just 5 minutes walk away from the Cologne Central Station.
1 night stay cost me about EUR 52. Continental breakfast is included but unfortunately I had an early train the next morning so I had to miss it.
What to see:
First and foremost, you must see the Cologne Cathedral of course. You can't miss it while in the city as it is the second highest building in Cologne and it can be seen from nearly every point in the city center.
You can immediately see Cologne Cathedral after stepping out from Cologne Central Station as it is located just next to the station.
View of the Cologne Central Station from the staircase leading up to the cathedral.
Cologne Cathedral is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996.
Its facade is dominated by its two huge towers. A fun fact about the towers is that the Northern Tower is actually 7cm higher than the Southern Tower although most people won't notice it with their bare eyes.
Visitors can climb 533 stone steps to a viewing platform which gives a scenic view over Rhine.
The entrance to the cathedral is free. But if you want to visit its treasury or climb up to the viewing platform of the Southern Tower, you need to buy admission tickets.
Treasury:
The most important pieces in the treasury are the Petrus staff and the Petrus chain. Petrus is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne.
Opening hours: 10am - 6pm
Admission charge: EUR 6 (adult), EUR 12 (Family card), EUR 8 (Combi-card), EUR 16 (Family Combi-card) * Combi-card combines entrance to treasury / tower.
Tower climb:
Opening hours: 9am - 5pm (Mar - Apr, Oct), 9am - 6pm (May - Sep) and 9am - 4pm (Nov - Dec)
* Last admission is 30 minutes before closing
Admission charge: EUR 5 (adult), EUR 10 (Family card), EUR 8 (Combi-card), EUR 16 (Family Combi-card) * Combi-card combines entrance to treasury / tower.
** Due to current situation, the cathedral tower and treasury remain closed until further notice. There is also no guided tour.
This magnificent Gothic cathedral measures 7,914 m2 and has room for more than 200 people.
The construction began in 1248, but it was not completed until 1880.
Colourful stained windows of the cathedral depicts life of Jesus.
The Shrine of the Three Kings is one of the treasures of the cathedral. It is believed to hold the remains of the Three Wise Men.
The Crucifix of Bishop Gero, the oldest known large crucifix.
The Crypt of the cathedral.
The interior of the cathedral is sure beautiful.
Leaving the cathedral to have my lunch.
I had lunch at the Fruh, a traditional German brewhouse and restaurant nearby the cathedral. There is a fountain in front of the restaurant. The restaurant is fully packed during lunch hours.
Ordered 2 beers. The beers comes in 0.2 litres glass and it can be easily finished in a gulp. It only cost around EUR 1.50 per glass.
It's quite common that the waiter would ask you what you would order for drink first and you can use that time to study the menu. Then they'll deliver your drink an if you are ready to order then, they'll take your order.
My lunch of the day - pork and chicken. I preferred the chicken dish though.
As I mentioned earlier, cologne is a perfume originating from Cologne. A visit to the cologne shop is recommended. The most famous shop selling cologne is 4711.
Its blue and yellow bottle of cologne is popular souvenir to buy. I am not a fan of perfume so I passed.
Cologne City Hall. Construction of the tower began in 1407 and when it was completed, it was the tallest building in the city. The tower was destroyed completely during the WWII, and it was later rebuilt between 1970 and 1975.
Dropped by Farina Fragrance Museum which is situated across the City Hall.
The focus is primary laid on Eau de Cologne, meaning "Water from Cologne".
J.M. Farina was the inventor of Eau de Cologne. The museum also has a shop selling cologne.
Next, I went to see the fish market along the Rhine river. It was a Sunday, the place was fully packed with people. The cotton candy coloured house is what makes the place looks appealing.
The weather was nice and it was a pleasure strolling along the Rhine River.
Nearby the Fish Market is the Great St Martin Church.
Interior of the church. It is far less crowded as compared to the famous Cologne Cathedral but no less beautiful.
Further down the river bank, you can buy tickets to go on a cruise along Rhine river.
One unique sight to visit is the ruined St. Alban Church. Cologne decided leave this prominent church in a ruined status as a memorial to the sadness caused by WWII.
Last but not least, I crossed the Hohenzollernbrücke which is another landmark in the city. Thousands of people affix the love padlocks on the bridge.
Honestly it was quite an overwhelming sight. Can one really find their padlock again amidst all these padlocks?
I was planning to view the bridge at the Panorama platform of the Koln Triangle, but unfortunately it wasn't open during my day of visit. So I settled by seeing the sunset and night view of Cologne from the river bank of Rhine.
The view was quite stunning.
With this, I retired to the hotel for the night.
Cologne Cathedral
Touristic visits: 10am - 8pm (Mon - Sat) and 8am - 8pm (Sunday & holidays)
Official website: https://www.koelner-dom.de/en/first-page
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