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Summary
As part of my InterRail adventure to the Arctic Circle my first stop on the journey was the city of Cologne. The following is an extract from my memoirs, describing my arrival, my morning’s sightseeing and my departure.
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Arriving in the Dark
After arriving some three hours late at Cologne station I’m finally standing outside in the main square and am gazing at the Cathedral, looking for the my first night’s stay. This is a pre-booked and cheap, but convenient, hostel – The ‘Station- Hostel for Backpackers’.
As always, google leaps to my rescue. The hostel is only 200 metres away so all’s well that ends well. In this case a private room with a view of the fire escape, an en-suite bathroom and a free towel thrown in, all for less than £50. The escape has been made, Scandinavia here I come.
A Late Breakfast
Late start to the day, coffee in the hostel’s communal garden and a quick look at the city map. Comfortingly, the hostel is not full of 16 year olds. There appears to be mixture of ages, groups, couples and singles all quietly going about their own business. Coffee is refillable, a range of cereals and cooked food are on offer and the sun is shining.
Book your room now at the ‘Station Hostel for Backpackers’ Cologne
Today’s plan is to dump the bag at the station’s left luggage, mooch around the city centre for a few hours and then depart for Hannover.
Left Luggage – A Technological Wonder
Left luggage consists of an automated conveyor belt deposit box system, taking your bag into the bowels of the earth, all controlled by your credit card – Isn’t technology wonderful. By the way, ‘The Man in Seat61…’ provides a comprehensive guide to left luggage facilities at the majority of major rail stations in Europe. It can be found here if you are interested.
Cologne Cathedral
First stop is the UNESCO listed cathedral, dominating both the station and the adjacent city square. According to Wikipedia Cologne cathedral is:
“a cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia belonging to the Catholic Church”
How would we survive without such informative information at our finger tips.
It is apparently also the second tallest church in Europe and the third tallest in the world. No wonder there are so many tourists traipsing around it one after another.
Book your Hop-on, Hop-off City Bus Tour Tickets here
Time for Coffee and an Cake
Enough of this, time for another coffee and cake. Café Reichard is just what the doctor ordered, Established 120 years ago, full of atmosphere and a range of cakes to die for. It even has its own atrium overlooking the cathedral and the best loos in Cologne – the loos are so good that the urinals feature on the home page of their website – eat your heart out Starbucks, I bet you can’t match that. What’s more, the home page also includes a photo of the serving team. Can you imagine Starbucks retaining a team of servers long enough to make them a permanent feature on their website.
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What is it about continental Europe – people still seem happy to dedicate their lives to working in the hospitality industry – maybe the system actually allows them to receive sensible wages, rather than our ‘race to the bottom’ approach to life.
Old Town and the Rhine
Refreshed, its on to the Old Town, a working river (Rhine), the Buttermarkt, Salzgasse and Unter Kaster. You can almost imagine Patrick Leigh Fermor in those pre-war nazi days, hustling among the paddle steamers, seeking a passage up the Rhine, drinking schnapps to oblivion with Uli and Peter prior to his trip up the river to Coblenz.
Book an ‘Old Town Walking Tour’ here
Left Luggage – A technological Disaster
Oh well, enough romanticising, time to retrieve the luggage and catch the 15.48 to Hannover. On approaching the technological wonder of the luggage box however there is a large angry crowd gathered. Disgruntled backpackers helplessly clutch their credit card generated tickets while a harassed official in blue tries to conjure up suitcases from the vaults below. So much for technology. 40 minutes later (at 16.00) my backpack cum trolley emerges from nowhere and I am on my way, albeit my train has already departed.
A Delayed Departure
Faced with the choice of either taking one of several slow trains that take over three and half hours to reach Hannover or waiting for the fast train at 17.48 I decide on the latter.
Nothing for it then, back to the Café Reichard for another coffee and excellent gateaux.
Arrival in Hannover
Eventually arrive at Hannover Hbf at around 9.00pm. Staying at the nearby Ibis Budget tonight so only a short walk from the station. Hotel is basic and cheap, but fine for an overnight stay. At least most Ibis hotels are modern, clean and come complete with desk area, kettle and tv. Also, this one is next to its more upmarket Novotel brother so there is a decent reception area for shared check-in.
Another good thing about Ibis is they have an easily accessed website (www.ibis.com), have a membership scheme giving 5 to 10 percent off normal booking prices, give loyalty points allowing free stays and also, if you book some time in advance, they offer decent discounts and the ability to cancel up to 18.00pm on the day of arrival without charge. – Yes, I know its not exactly a local experience but it does for a quick overnight stay and many are located very near to railway stations so ideal for InterRail travellers. No, I’m not getting commission, just trying to provide a useful travel tip.
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Other Attractions in the City
Buildings
- Great St. Martin Church (Groß Sankt Martin): A Romanesque-style church with a picturesque square tower.
- Cologne Opera (Oper Köln): A renowned venue for opera and ballet performances.
- RheinEnergieStadion: The home of FC Köln football club, provides stadium tours.
- Claudius Therme: A Roman-style thermal baths and sauna.
Museums and Art Galleries
- Museum Ludwig: A modern art museum containing a collection of works by Picasso and Andy Warhol.
- Wallraf-Richartz Museum: An art museum displaying a collection spanning from the Middle Ages to the present.
- Romano-Germanic Museum (Römisch-Germanisches Museum): A museum housing Roman artifacts, including the famous Dionysus mosaic.
- Farina Fragrance Museum (Farina-Haus): It sets out the history of Eau de Cologne and explains its origins.
- Cologne Chocolate Museum (Schokoladenmuseum): It sets out the history of chocolate making and also includes chocolate tastings. Book your tickets here
Parks, Gardens and Open Spaces
- Flora and Botanical Garden: A park with extensive greenhouses and gardens.
- Cologne Sculpture Park (Skulpturenpark Köln): Contains outdoor art installations in a peaceful park setting.
- Alter Markt: One of Cologne’s historic squares, often hosting events and festivals.
Other Attractions
- Hohenzollern Bridge: Known for its “love locks” and panoramic views of the city centre and cathedral.
- Cologne Zoo (Kölner Zoo): Contains a wide variety of animals, all set within beautifully landscaped enclosures. Book your ticket here
- Lindenthaler Tierpark: A small animal park, perfect for families.
- Cologne Cable Car (Kölner Seilbahn): This provides views across the River Rhine.
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Local Food Delicacies to Try While in Cologne
Bread Based Dishes
- Röggelchen: Small rye bread rolls, often used for sandwiches.
- Halve Hahn: A rye roll with cheese, usually Gouda, and garnished with onions and mustard.
- Mettbrötchen: A roll with raw minced pork, seasoned with onions, salt, and pepper.
- Hackepeter: Seasoned raw minced pork, often enjoyed as a spread on bread.
Soup Dishes
- Soljanka: A sour soup made with meat, vegetables, and pickles.
Blood Sausage based Dishes
- Flönz: Blood sausage, often enjoyed with sauerkraut or mustard.
- Kölsche Kaviar: A humorous name for blood sausage served with onions.
- ölsche Kaviar: “Heaven and Earth” – a dish featuring mashed potatoes, applesauce, and black pudding or blood sausage.
Other Meat based Dishes
- Hänchen in Senfsauce: Chicken in mustard sauce.
- Kotelett mit Sauerkraut: Pork chop with sauerkraut.
- Sülze: A meat jelly dish, typically served with vinegar and onions.
- Rheinischer Sauerbraten: Pot roast marinated in a sweet and sour sauce, often served with red cabbage and potato dumplings.
- Grünkohl mit Mettwurst: Kale cooked with smoked sausage, often served in winter.
- Döppekooche: A hearty potato casserole with bacon and onions.
- Spitzkohlrouladen: Cabbage rolls stuffed with meat and rice, often served with gravy.
Vegetable based Dishes
- Rievkooche: Fried potato cakes, served as a snack or side dish.
Desserts / Pastries
- Reibekuchen: Potato pancakes with applesauce or sour cream.
- Apfelkuchen: Apple cake.
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