Cologne, the anglicised version of the German Köln, is a quaint little city located close to the fringe of Germany’s central western border with the Netherlands and Belgium. Just twenty-four km northwest of the erstwhile capital of Bonn, it has a grand old world of its own to explore and marvel at. It is a city that combines Teutonic efficiency and neatness with old world history and splendour. It is difficult to visualise that Cologne is the fourth largest city in Germany, with a population of over one million people.
Arrival:
You could come into Cologne by air, train or road. The trip could be for business or on holiday with or without your family. These factors have to be catered for well in advance. If you fly in, the city is 13 km northwest of Cologne-Bonn airport. Yes, this airport serves the erstwhile capital of West Germany too; it’s just 16 km north of that city. A taxi will take 20 minutes to Cologne for about € 25-30. If you are driving in, ten European motorways meet the Cologne Autobahn ring road running around the city, with appropriate signage.
If your car has a GPS set, it becomes child’s play to drive up to your accommodation. Info about traffic near Cologne and the suburbs is available in English on Radio BFBS FM 96,5 MHz as well as in German. Traffic jams do occur! Also, find out the parking procedure, both by day and by night. Your train would stop at the main train station adjacent to Cologne's primary Cathedral (der Dom), both of which
are in the city centre. This old station, built in 1859, has a lot of history to it, so do look around.
Further travel could be by subway or taxi. Cologne has a mall underground for passers-by. A local train links the airport with the main railway station in Cologne, leaving every 20 minutes. The fare is €2 per adult and €1,30 per child for the 15-minute trip.
What to See:
Walk down to the quay for a boat cruise on the Rhine. Just sit down on the top deck and view the sights and landmarks like old churches and houses as well as the breathtaking view of the imposing Cologne Cathedral! A snifter of Cognac would go well with the river air. Walk back, if convenient, to your lodgings. Assuming you have a day to yourself, then set off soon after breakfast the next day. Book a seat at the Cologne Opernhaus (Cologne's opera house) for the evening, in the months of September-June.
The cost is between €11 and €50. Or book it at the Philharmonie, Cologne's Philharmonic Concert House, for a nice musical evening. Take a guided Brewery Pub Tour before lunch and the Old Cologne tour afterwards. You will be shown the Cologne Cathedral, learning much about its history and treasures like the shrine with the relics of the Three Wisemen or the tryptich "Altar of the City Patrons" that are St. Gereon of Köln and St. Ursula with her eleven thousand virgins. You'll be impressed with the 42 m high interior of this church with its two 157 m tall towers standing on 8,000 sq m of ground. That makes it the largest church in the world. After going around the old town and its historic monuments, sit outside a wayside restaurant and have a leisurely coffee and watch the world go by. Soak in the Opera.
What to Eat:
For lunch, the typical dishes on the "Kölschen Foderkaat" (Cologne Menu) are the "Flönz" (Blutwurst), the "Halve Hahn" (Roggen bun with Holland cheese) or the "Hamchen" (leg of ham). The "Halver Hahn" with a Kölsch is another option. You could try "Soorbrode" (sauerbraten a la Rhine) with dumplings and red cabbage. A German red wine goes well. For dinner, go to Fischers Weingenuss & Tafelfreuden or Wackes. Enjoy the selection of wines and good German food. For dessert, have a Clafouti or a Betty, followed by a stiff black coffee as you plan to set course for home.
Lodging:
There are more than 230 hotels with thousands of rooms to be booked. You should select your hotel according to your budget and book a room/ suite in advance, by phone or by e-mail, where the hotel would respond to any queries you may have. The average price for a three-star hotel would be €35-50. You could opt for a bed and breakfast set up and book it by phone or e-mail. The cost would vary between €20-30.
