After spending some good days in Dusseldorf, it was time to move to Cologne. Cologne and Dusseldorf are always in a debate of which place is better !! I had around 9 days to divide between 2 cities and i choose to spend 6 days in Cologne and i am happy i took that decision. After this trip, i have added Cologne to list of my favourite cities….a lovely city to visit.
One major difference between Cologne and Dusseldorf is that Dusseldorf is a business hub and it is very much visible in the life of these cities. Cologne moves at much slower pace and you feel more at home …. at least i felt.
Moment you get down at Cologne main station you are greeted by the sight of a beautiful cathedral. Its quite a sight in the night when lights are on in the night, a must watch. In the morning you can go inside the cathedral and even climb to the top of cathedral through stairs.
Alongside the main station and cathedral is the Rhine river and almost all the happening places surround this area. Despite lots of tourism in the area you will find it peaceful…thats how cologne is…
There are loads of restaurants, pubs, bars alongside the promenade. Also there are lots of shops to grab a beer and sit alongside promenade. You will find beer everywhere and if you don’t like it then better skip Germany 😉
Cologne is the home for Kolsch beer, i liked the taste of Kolsch beer … i tastes like an Ale and i would prefer it over ‘Alt beer’ anytime.
Also you will find lots of Coffee shops, Ice cream shops with loads of different variety. You will be so much tempted to try out something.
The area around Rhine river near to Main station is called Heumarkt, its the most happening place in Cologne. You will find everything from a burger shop to big restaurants. It also has a popup market which gives you a feel of Delhi’s Chandani chowk …. its full of people with loads of wine and beer shops. You can visit this place everyday and it will always give you a refreshing feel. Its an area where there is always some activity going on….just see below videos to get some feel of it.
Bonn is not far away from Cologne, all you need to do is buy a Price level 4 ticket and you can travel between and within Bonn/Cologne. I made a mistake of boarding an ICE train with price level 4 ticket, its not allowed!! You can only board regional trains with it. I had to buy a 12 Euro ticket in train itself 🙁 .
Anyway Bonn is a slow city, almost laid back but its clean and pretty. Its a place where i would want to come back home after office….there are lots of open spaces….nice breeze …. beautiful sights. Just sit and relax.
One place you should not miss out in Cologne is ‘Koln Triangle’. It gives the most amazing view of Cologne. It stays open till 11pm and you should visit it late in the evening to get night view of the city…check out below pics from Koln triangle.
I loved my stay in Cologne, its just vibes of the city which keep you going. If you are looking for lots of monuments, building and all then probably a short stay in Cologne would do but for me even a month wont suffice 😉