During our June 2019 Europe trip, we spent a total of 12 Days, almost all of which in the BeNeLux regions of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. Considering how easily accessible Cologne was from Luxembourg, I knew we just had to visit this German city in the West!
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| Photo credit: Lonely Planet |
There, you can see that Cologne is perfectly situated to make the transition from Luxembourg to Amsterdam (Netherlands). More details will be given in another post.
Hotel Engelbertz
With only a day in Cologne, don't bother considering staying anywhere other than the city centre. Most of the sites on this itinerary is around the city centre.
We booked the Hotel Engelbertz which provided us with regular, modest lodgings. It was just for the night so we didn't need anything too lavish. Address is Obenmarspforten 1-3, Altstadt-Nord, 50667 Cologne, Germany.
The main train station, Köln Hauptbahnhof, from where we arrived into Cologne, is just a short ten minutes walk away. Breakfast is also provided though it is really basic fare of cereal, bread, fruits, etc.
There are plenty of other hotels / motels in the area that you could check out as well.
Shop at One of the Shopping Streets
Right at the doorstep of Hotel Engelbertz, we found ourselves at Hohe Strasse, one of the busiest shopping streets of Cologne. Here you can find any number of stores of renowned brands like Mango, H&M, Pandora, etc. I mentioned Pandora because they were having a sale then!
We shopped to our heart's content until we forgot to take a picture of the street which is a big stinker. There were a couple of restaurants and cafes along the street as well. If like us you don't wish to waste part of the day sitting in to dine, consider grabbing some fries that you could munch on the go...
Depending on which way you go, one direction of Hohe Strasse leads to the Cologne Cathedral while the other leads into Schildergasse, another worthwhile shopping street to check out!
Visit / Climb Cologne Cathedral
This iconic building of Cologne can't be missed the moment you leave Köln Hauptbahnhof.
In fact, its 157 metres tall structure, which gives it the honour of being the third largest church in the world, can be seen from just about any point of the city centre and probably beyond.
In fact, its 157 metres tall structure, which gives it the honour of being the third largest church in the world, can be seen from just about any point of the city centre and probably beyond.
The construction of this impressive Catholic cathedral started in 1248 but was stopped about 25 years later before being resumed 350 years later. Another series of interruption in its construction resulted in the cathedral taking around 600 years to complete construction!
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| Another view of the cathedral |
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| Notice the interesting details on the outside of the cathedral! |
Having endured and survived the harsh bombings of World War II and housing the Shrine of the Three Holy Kings, Cologne Cathedral is now a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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| Beautiful stained glass windows of the cathedral |
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| Another stained glass window |
Opening hours of the cathedral is 6 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. (Nov - Apr) or 9 p.m. (May - Oct) on Mondays through Saturdays. On Sundays, hours are 1 - 4.30 p.m. Entry to the cathedral itself is free of charged.
If you wish to climb the South Tower of the cathedral, entrance to the ticketing counter is NOT within the cathedral. You will have to walk around the perimeter of the structure to where the washrooms are located.
Adult fee is 5€ while student fee is 2€. Do take note of the last time for climbing as it closes earlier than the cathedral. Closing times range from 4 to 6 p.m. depending on the month of visit.
Adult fee is 5€ while student fee is 2€. Do take note of the last time for climbing as it closes earlier than the cathedral. Closing times range from 4 to 6 p.m. depending on the month of visit.
Of its 157 metres tall frame, visitors can climb to the maximum height of only 95 metres to the viewing platform (about 533 steps). Here you get a stunning view of the city and the Rhein.
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| Trying real hard to capture the stunning view |
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| View from one of the highest windows |
There are no lifts to the top so you really need to climb if you wish to get up to the top. Took us about 30 minutes to climb the spiral staircase to the top.
Around a height of 53 metres, you will see Saint Peter's bell, also known as Dicker Pitter, the largest of the eight bells of Cologne Cathedral. Its ringing is heard during special church occasions and Holy days.
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| St. Peter's Bell of the cathedral |
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| Highest point of the tower! |
Spot the Various Fountains
Right next to Cologne Cathedral to the south-east, is where you will spot one of your first fountains in Cologne and there are plenty of them sprinkled throughout the city to be sure.
This one is called Petrusbrunnen, with the statue of Saint Peter at the center right about the basins.
Another one we chanced upon while taking a stroll around. The Ostermann Fountain situated at Ostermannplatz Square, one of the quieter sections of the city centre.
The figures depicted on the fountain are references to the songs of Cologne born singer and lyricist, Willi Ostermann.
An interesting stele we happened upon. Not sure what it is representing though.
Explore Altstadt (Old Town)
Together with the Cologne Cathedral, other impressive structures within the Old Town are the Great Saint Martin Church and the Rathaus (City Hall).
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| Cologne City Hall |
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| Great St. Martin Church |
At the foreground of the picture of Great St. Martin Church above, you can see parts of the colourful old houses of the Fischmarkt (Fish Market),which is just on the banks of the Rhein. Today the area is populated with restaurants and pubs, all with great views of the Rhein.
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| Grassy patch at Fischmarkt |
Other popular markts include the Alter Markt (Old Market) and Heumarkt (Haymarket). Where both were traditional marketplaces before, they are filled with outdoor cafes these days. During Christmas time, these markts are a sight to behold, bustling with activities and much livelier than ever.
Right in the middle of Alter Markt sits the Jan von Werth fountain.
There is an interesting story attached to this fountain of the servant Jan who was rejected by his great love Griet because he wasn't of wealth. Devastated, he goes off to war where he made a fortune for himself. Years later he sees a yet-to-be wealthy Griet in the market and they both acknowledged each other. Jan though decided to go his own way. A tale of unrequited love to be sure.
Another fountain you will find easily is the Fountain of the Fishwives located at Fischmarkt, depicting their hard lives.
Yet another fountain worth finding is the Heinzelmännchenbrunnen, which depicts the legend of the house gnomes.
Legend has it that the house gnomes used to do all the work for the citizens of Cologne at night such that they could become real lazy during the day. Then comes along a tailor's wife who got curious to see these gnomes. She scattered peas on the floor one night hoping the gnomes fell so that she could catch a glimpse of them. Her antics, however, so angered the gnomes that they left and never returned. The people of Cologne could be lazy no more.
Location is Am Hof 12-14, 50667 Cologne, Germany.
It is a little hard to see but in the picture below you can actually see the little house gnomes hard at work.
Cross the Rhein across Hohenzollern Bridge
Take a stroll along the Hohenzollern Bridge, which is the closest bridge to the Cologne Cathedral for a walk across the Rhein.
Here you will see thousands of love locks on the bridge. If you are interested to affix your lock on, remember to purchase them from the Old Town itself. There wasn't any shop selling locks near the bridge when we were there.
Once across the river, you will come across the Equestrian Statue of Kaiser Friedrich III on one side of the bridge. Kaiser Friedrich III was the German Emperor and King of Prussia for a mere 99 days in 1888.
There are in fact four equestrian statues at all four corners of the Hohenzollern Bridge, each depicting a different German Emperor and Prussian King.
Capture a selfie at this point if you can. Really beautiful backdrop!
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| The view is so beautiful that I couldn't help inserting another picture! |
Get atop Köln Triangle
For a panoramic view of Cologne, you could get to the top of the Köln Triangle building, which is on the opposite bank from Cologne Cathedral. This is especially great if you didn't manage to climb the South Tower of the cathedral.Even if you did, you get a different vantage point atop the building. The two spires of Cologne Cathedral is visible across the Hohenzollern Bridge.
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| Cologne Cathedral in the far distance |
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| View from another vantage point |
You get to the top via the lift and entry fee is 3€.
Dinner at Fischmarkt
For a relaxing dinner, dine at one of the many restaurants of Fischmarkt. Here you will have a great view of the Rhein as well.We had ours at Bierhaus am Rhein. The food wasn't too bad but the service wasn't great. We had to wait a long time to place our order because apparently only one of the waiters could take the order. Not sure why they operate in this way.
At the end we were asked to give a tip. Not sure if it is German culture to leave a tip but I felt like we should have the option to do so depending on how good we felt their service was.
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| Some Pork Steak |
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| Grilled Turkey |
Anyway, we tried not to let the lackluster service affect us too much. Drank beer and soaked in the relaxing atmosphere.
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| Happy and high from all the beer! |
It is possible to have a picnic on the grassy patch overlooking the Rhine instead of dining in at the restaurant. Just grab a pizza or some other food to-go and beer. I dare say it will be much cheaper this was. We really wished we had done that instead.
If you are in Cologne during summer like us (we were there end of June), the sun sets really late, around 9 - 10 p.m. Will give you lots of time to wander around the Old Town, spotting and taking pictures with the various monuments, sculptures and fountains or just sitting by the river bank sipping beer.
Should you have more time on hand, you could visit one or more of the museums in the area. Ludwig Museum, housing a vast collection of modern art, is one of the more popular ones. It also boasts one of the largest Picasso collection in Europe. Entry fee for adults is 11€.
Another popular museum is the Imhoff-Schokoladenmuseum (Imhoff Chocolate Museum), showing its entire history of chocolates, its production methods and the various end products. Adult entrance fee is 12.50€ on weekdays and 13.50€ during weekends.
**Well that's it! Our 1 Day spent in Cologne. Wish we could have fitted more days in for Cologne though. It turned out to be really relaxing and enjoyable day of our 12 Days Europe Itinerary. Be sure to check out our 2 Days in Luxembourg itinerary which we undertook just before heading over to Cologne as well as our 4 Days of Summer in Amsterdam post which covered our time in Amsterdam, after our sojourn in Cologne and was the final stop of our summer Europe trip.
Should you have more time on hand, you could visit one or more of the museums in the area. Ludwig Museum, housing a vast collection of modern art, is one of the more popular ones. It also boasts one of the largest Picasso collection in Europe. Entry fee for adults is 11€.
Another popular museum is the Imhoff-Schokoladenmuseum (Imhoff Chocolate Museum), showing its entire history of chocolates, its production methods and the various end products. Adult entrance fee is 12.50€ on weekdays and 13.50€ during weekends.
**Well that's it! Our 1 Day spent in Cologne. Wish we could have fitted more days in for Cologne though. It turned out to be really relaxing and enjoyable day of our 12 Days Europe Itinerary. Be sure to check out our 2 Days in Luxembourg itinerary which we undertook just before heading over to Cologne as well as our 4 Days of Summer in Amsterdam post which covered our time in Amsterdam, after our sojourn in Cologne and was the final stop of our summer Europe trip.
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