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Top Attractions, Cologne, Germany – A Tour on Foot
Summary
As part of an InterRail adventure to the Arctic Circle I’m making my first stop along the way in city of Cologne.
This post describes my arrival in Cologne, my morning’s sightseeing of Cologne’s top attractions and my departure.
For easy reading the post is divided into a number of sections and subsections. These firstly concentrate on describing my experiences in Cologne and then provide further useful information about the city.
All these sections and subsections can be directly selected from the accompanying ‘Page Contents’ tab.
Arriving in the Dark
I arrive at Cologne station some three hours later than planned, having missed a train connection in Brussels.
Nevermind, I’m finally standing in the main square immediately outside the station and am gazing up at the Cathedral – wow, it’s impressive.
Bahnhofsvorplatz, Cologne
My Hostel, Station Hostel for Backpackers
Now to find my first night’s accommodation. This is a pre-booked, cheap and convenient, hostel – The ‘Station- Hostel for Backpackers’.
But, where is it.
As always, google leaps to my rescue.
To my relief the hostel is only 200 metres from the station so all’s well that ends well.
Ten minutes later I’m in my private room, viewing the fire escape outside, examining the en-suite bathroom and marvelling at the free towel which is thrown in, all for less than £50.
The escape from London been made.
Scandinavia, here I come.
Book a bed or room at the Station – Hostel for Backpackers
By the way, if you are thinking of visiting Cologne and want to fully explore the city it might be worth considering buying a KölnCard. It gives you free use of public transport and discounts for some attractions, tours and shopping. It’s available for as little as £8.00 per day.
Alternatively, if you want to see the city the easy way, there is always that old faithful, the sightseer’s hop-on / hop off bus. This is more expensive at around £20.00 for the day but does ensure you see all of the key sites, complete with an audio guide.
Find out more about the Hop-on, Hop-off City Bus Tour
A Late Breakfast
Late start today. – It’s time for a 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.
All in all, this hostel is ideal for InterRail travellers. Its close to the station, offers a range of different accommodation types depending on your preferences and has a laid back vibe about it.
Sight Seeing in 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.
Bahnhofsvorplatz, Cologne
Left Luggage – A Technological Wonder
Left luggage consists of an automated conveyor belt of deposit boxes. Each takes your bag into the bowels of the earth and it’s 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.
Find out more about Left Luggage facilities at Europe’s Railway Stations
Cologne Cathedral – Top Attraction in Cologne, Germany
First stop is the UNESCO listed cathedral. It dominates 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.
If you want to visit the cathedral entry costs start at around £7.00, with higher costs to visit the tower and treasury. Full information about opening times, charges and visitor rules can be found below on the cathedral’s own website.
Find out more about visiting Cologne Cathedral
Time for Coffee and 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.
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.
If you want to know more about Cafe Reichard you can do that below. Its not that expensive if you just have a coffee and cake.
Find out more about Cafe Reichard
For information, if you do decide to use the hop on / hop off bus, it stops just outside Cafe Reichard
The Old Town
Refreshed, it’s on to the Old Town and the Buttermarkt, Salzgasse and Unter Kaster.
Find out more about the history of ‘Old Town’ on a walking tour
As I walk into the Buttermarkt I can almost imagine the young, 20th century travel writer, Patrick Leigh Fermor, being here in those pre-war nazi days.
– There he is:
- hustling among the paddle steamers;
- seeking a passage up the Rhine;
- drinking schnapps to oblivion with Uli and Peter;
- securing his trip with them up the river to Coblenz.
Oh well, enough of this romanticising, it’s time to move on.
Find out more with Amazon about Patrick Leigh Fermor and his books
The Hohenzollern Bridge and the River Rhine
Before doing so though, there’s just time walk along the Rhine and up onto the famed Hohenzollern Bridge. This bridge, like the cathedral, is a symbolic landmark of the city. The bridge, which carries some 1500 trains per day over the River Rhine, provides panoramic views of the cathedral and the city.
Its fame though, in recent years, revolves around a craze of attaching ‘Love Padlocks’ to the bridge. It is estimated that there are now probably more than half a million such padlocks attached to the bridge.
A Delayed Departure
Back at the station I’m ready to retrieve my luggage and catch the 15.48 to Hannover.
Oh, no!!!
Left Luggage – A Technological Disaster
On approaching the technological wonder of the luggage box there is a large and 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.
It’s now some 40 minutes later (at 16.00).
My backpack cum trolley eventually emerges from nowhere and I am on my way, albeit my train has already departed.
Another Coffee and Cake
Faced with the choice of 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 I have arrived at Hannover Hbf, but it’s now around 9.00pm.
Find out everything you need to know about European Train Tickets
My Budget Hotel, Ibis Budget, Hannover Hbf
Tonight, I’m staying at the nearby Ibis Budget so it’s only a short walk from the station. The 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.
Other good things about Ibis are:
- they have an easily accessed website (www.ibis.com);
- they have a membership scheme giving 5 to 10 percent off normal booking prices;
- they give loyalty points allowing free stays;
- if you book some time in advance they offer decent discounts; and
- if you pay a marginally higher room rate they offer the ability to cancel up to 18.00pm on the day of arrival without charge
Yes, I know it’s 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 from Ibis, just trying to provide a useful travel tip.
Further Information
What Other Attractions Should You Visit While in Cologne
Buildings
- Great St. Martin Church (Groß Sankt Martin): A Romanesque-style church with a picturesque square tower. (Admission free)
- Cologne Opera (Oper Köln): A renowned venue for opera and ballet performances. (Programme and tickets here)
- RheinEnergieStadion: The home of FC Köln football club, provides stadium tours. (Stadium tour tickets here) (Event tickets here)
- Claudius Therme: A Roman-style thermal baths and sauna. (Ticket information)
Museums and Art Galleries
- Museum Ludwig: A modern art museum containing a collection of works by Picasso and Andy Warhol. (Tickets here)
- Wallraf-Richartz Museum: An art museum displaying a collection spanning from the Middle Ages to the present. (Tickets here)
- Romano-Germanic Museum (Römisch-Germanisches Museum): A museum housing Roman artifacts, including the famous Dionysus mosaic. (Ticket information)
- Farina Fragrance Museum (Farina-Haus): It sets out the history of Eau de Cologne and explains its origins. (Tickets here)
- Cologne Chocolate Museum (Schokoladenmuseum): It sets out the history of chocolate making and also includes chocolate tastings. (Tickets here)
Parks, Gardens and Open Spaces
- Flora and Botanical Garden: A park with extensive greenhouses and gardens. (Admission free)
- Cologne Sculpture Park (Skulpturenpark Köln): Contains outdoor art installations in a peaceful park setting. (Admission free)
- Alter Markt: One of Cologne’s historic squares, often hosting events and festivals. (Public space – free)
Other Attractions
- Hohenzollern Bridge: Known for its “love locks” and panoramic views of the city centre and cathedral.(Public space – free)
- Cologne Zoo (Kölner Zoo): Contains a wide variety of animals, all set within beautifully landscaped enclosures. (Tickets here)
- Lindenthaler Tierpark: A small animal park, perfect for families. (Admission free)
- Cologne Cable Car (Kölner Seilbahn): This provides views across the River Rhine. (Ticket information)
If you have visited any of these attractions please leave a comment on your experiences.
Click the images below to buy your Guide Books to Germany from Amazon
What Should You Eat 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.
If you find any other local foods that are a must-try please add them to the comments on this post.
Check Out local Luggage Storage Facilities
Conclusion
Thanks for reading this post about my short stay in Cologne. If you decide to go I hope you find some of the above information of use.
If you would like to find out more information about my travels from London to the Arctic Circle the following posts provide a record for the various parts of the journey.
Also, I have additionally provided information about other overland adventures that I have undertaken and some other gems.
Thanks
Useful Resources
If you want to undertake long distance travel adventures in Europe, similar to my journey to the Arctic Circle, then the following resources could be prove useful in planning your trip.
Train Tickets
InterRail travel passes, ranging from country specific to Europe wide, and valid for just a few days or up to three months can be obtained at:
If you buy your InterRail pass in the November Black Friday sale or the March / April Spring sale you can usually get a 25% discount on the price of all passes. Additionally, if you are under 28 you get an extra 25% discount anyway. Similarly, an extra 10% discount is also available for those who are 60 or over.
Alternatively, individual Europe-wide train tickets can be booked online using the link below:
This website provides all the details you need, train times, connections and prices, and it also allows you to book tickets there and then online. No need to navigate train operator sites, translate from a foreign language or deal with currency conversions.
Accommodation
Budget hostel, private apartment or hotel accommodation can be found using this link to Booking.com, the most trusted accommodation booking service on the internet.
Luggage Storage
If you haven’t got time to stay overnight in any place, but still want somewhere to store your luggage during the day to go sightseeing, Radical Storage are brilliant.
They have a network of luggage storage facilities in most towns and cities worldwide. You can reserve a space online and pay by iPay or similar just a few minutes before you need to drop your luggage off, or book in advance.
The online website will give you a quotation, issue you with a QR code to show to the local operator and provides directions to the shop / facility (together with a grid reference).
Nothing could be simpler. They also provide luggage insurance just in case something goes wrong. Hopefully you want need it – in my view, it just illustrates their trust in their local partners.
Find out more about Radical Storage
Discount Travel and Visitor Attractions Card
If you are going to visit Cologne soon it might be worth purchasing a ‘KölnCard’. It gives you free use of public transport and discounts for some attractions, tours and shopping. It’s available for as little as £8.00 per day.
You can find out more information below:
Hop-on / Hop-off Bus
Alternatively, if you’re limited for time, you could consider the city’s ‘hop-on / hop off’ bus service. This will allow you to get around more quickly but it is of course a more expensive option.
Further Reading
Other Detailed Posts on my Travels from London to the Arctic Circle
Details of My Other Long Distance Overland Adventures
Useful Country Factsheets
Who Are Your Favourite Travel Writers
Please Provide Feedback
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