Cologne

Willkommen in Deutschland

Welcome to Germany

15/12/2015: Cologne here we come

I finally convinced Louise to visit Germany! The Christmas markets may have had something to do with it but the point is we are here!

After training up to London from Exeter yesterday, we stayed the night with our cousin in Harlow. First thing the next morning we got a cab back to Harlow train station and got on the first train to Stanstead. After a quick breakfast at one of the airport cafes we were off on our German Adventure.

We arrived in Cologne and caught the train into town. It is a bit of a surreal experience in Cologne to walk out of the central train station and right in front of you is the looming, gothic Cologne Cathedral.

After wondering around for a bit we went to check in to our hostel, the Downtown Cologne Hostel. Don’t let the fact that this hostel is above a car park intimidate you, this is one of the best hostels I have ever stayed at.
Louise and I had a private room and private bathroom. All the facilities were ultra-modern, the beds were super comfortable and the building was so well sound proofed we could only hear the street when we opened our window and we never heard from the rooms next door. Each room also comes fitted with a heat pump so the rooms were warm and dry.

After a quick rest we hit the town to check out all the sites. We have two and a half days in Cologne before we catch the train to Heidelberg.

Christmas Markets

Cologne is rated one of the best cities in Germany for their Christmas markets. They have so many all over the city. Every market has its own theme and therefore its own individual Gluwein mug.
We went to the top four that are all accessed by the Christmas Express.

We also visited the Angel Market as it was just across the road from the Neumarkt.

We had an absolute blast in the markets. We ate all our meals there for the three days we were in Cologne, and never ate the same thing twice.

We bought lots of Christmas biscuits and souvenirs and drank a lot of gluwein (mulled wine). We had to instigate a rule of no gluwein before 12pm and we couldn’t add amaretto to it until after 5pm.
When you buy gluwein you pay an extra couple of euro as a deposit on the mug it comes in. If you return the mug you get the money back. Because it’s only a couple of euro many don’t bother so there are heaps of kids running around returning mugs to earn a bit of extra cash. They also make very cool and cheap souvenirs.

My favourite market was the Alt Markt. It had ice skating and singers, and felt more traditional than the others.

The Cologne Cathedral

A trip to Cologne would not be complete without a trip to the Cologne Cathedral.

One of the few places not to be bombed during World War 2, the Cologne Cathedral is one of the most distinctive cathedrals in Europe. In fact this is the reason it was not bombed, it was a recognisable land mark to the allies and thus was kept intact so that they could find Cologne.

Cologne Cathedral is the tallest twin spired Cathedral in the world. It has taken centuries to build. Construction began in 1248 and was halted in 1473, leaving it unfinished. Work restarted in the 19th century and was completed, to the original plan, in 1880. While not directly bombed in World War 2, the Cathedral was damaged and its third period of repairs and restoration began in 1946 and took 10 years to complete.

You can climb to the top of the left hand tower via a spiral staircase. The climb was slightly terrifying due to the wear on the steps over centuries making the steps quite slippery and the passage is very narrow. The views at the top are definitely worth the climb though.

The inside of the Cathedral is as understated as the outside is opulent. The focus on the interior of the cathedral is on worship. However the detailing that is there is done to an extremely high standard.

El-De Haus

The El-De Haus was the Gestapo and Nazi Head Quarters of the area.

It is now a museum dedicated to the brutal history of World War 2 and the impact it had on the local population. The three above ground floors of the museum are a history of the Nazi Party’s rise to power in Cologne and then around Germany. It then details the history of World War 2 and the fall of Hitler and the Nazi Party. The Basement and Sub Basement are preserved floors of where prisoners and Jews were held and tortured during the war.

The museum is definitely worth the visit but is emotional and gut wrenching to see what people went through. Louise and I made it through the two basement levels and two of the above ground levels before we had to leave.

What was the most shocking of the things I learnt in our visit is that all of this history was almost erased. Post war Germany tried to sweep places like the El-De Haus under the rug.

Immediately following the war the old headquarters were converted into a post shop, the walls were plastered over and, most shockingly, people who had been imprisoned within the building were forced to return to collect their pension checks. It was only when a film student in America discovered the truth and started a campaign, that the building was converted to a museum and restored to be a reminder of the terrible things that people can do.

Schokoladen Museum

After our visit to the El-De Haus Louise and I made a beeline to the Schokoladen Museum, the Chocolate Museum.

It was a great way to cheer ourselves up. The ticket is even made of Chocolate.

The Museum covers the history of Chocolate around the world and in Germany, as well as the science and the life cycles of the plants. There is everything from a greenhouse with Cacao Trees, a working chocolate machine, a chocolate fountain, chocolate model of the Cologne Cathedral, all the way to century old chocolate moulds on site.

Well worth a visit if you are ever in Cologne.

Cologne Panorama

Our last stop in Cologne was the Cologne Panorama. Across the river from the main part of town, the Cologne Panorama is at the top of an office building. It is very cheap, only a few euros each, and you get a stunning view of the whole city.