You only have a few hours and want to explore Cologne? Here are a few tips.
Unfortunately, the city was heavily destroyed in the war and therefore there is only little old buildings left, at least in an obvious way. However, Cologne is very old and every shovel can reveal old or even Roman walls. But initially, you will see a lot of (ugly) post-war architecture and of course the big exception: The cathedral! And it should definitely be part of your sightseeing.
But how about starting by admiring this spectacular building from a distance. The other side of the Rhine is a good place for that. Because if you stand directly in front of the cathedral, it is too powerful. And there is no big square in front of it, like in Erfurt for example. Instead, everything is built quite close together.
That's why we first walked over the Deutzer Bridge and then stayed on the other side of the Rhine. The view is already beautiful from the bridge. It gets even better from the Triangle building. Admission is only €3 and the elevator takes you to a height of 103m. The only disadvantage of the observation deck are the missing slots in the plexiglass for photographers. Unfortunately, the windows are often fogged up, so photos don't always turn out well.
But as you can see, I managed to take a few photos. So you can also see that there is another bridge right next to the cathedral, namely the Hohenzollern Bridge. This is mainly intended for train traffic. But pedestrians can also cross the Rhine here in a relaxed way. Apparently, hundreds, if not thousands, of couples have already done this and immortalized their love with a lock. It's really fun to see all that.
And suddenly, after all the love locks, you are in front of the cathedral in all its magnificent size. Of course, it's also worth going inside. Because the interior is also impressive. If you have enough time, you could book a guided tour or climb the tower. Instead, we walked from here along the Rhine promenade to the Rhine harbor. The former harbor area is now dominated by very modern residential and commercial buildings. They are very worth seeing and futuristic.
Of course, you can also go shopping, visit museums or the zoo in Cologne, or simply drink a Kölsch.
There are numerous breweries, such as the one in the former Johann Schäfer forwarding agency. We really liked it there. Everything from the snout to the hoof is processed here. However, it is always quite crowded. So it's best to make a reservation.
Also great for (late) breakfast, lunch, etc. is Cafe Sehnsucht.
And now our tip for a nice cocktail with a view and a futuristic elevator: The 25hours Hotel The Circle. Go up to the Monkey Bar. It is open from 5pm. We had a great evening light there. But it is certainly also recommended in summer when it is light for a long time.
Or you can come during Carnival time. Because then it's even crazier than usual. We experienced it, as you can read in the next post.
