Shipspotting
by diocletianvs
Rhine is an important waterway and there are big cargo ships going up and down literally every minute. It was interesting to me to watch the big container ships passing literally at the foot of the Cologne's Cathedral and under the Rhine bridges. Road highways always make a loop around cities and you can hardly ever see a container truck within the city.
But here, this water highway runs right through the city center and gives an excellent opportunity for a very dynamic shipspotting.
Typisch Deutsch Clothing in Koeln
by Mariajoy about Can't Remember
I saw this lovely traditional costume shop in central Koeln. If anyone knows the name of it please let me know!! Traditional German outfits, dirndl skirts and lederhosen. A lot. This is a shop selling quality products. A tiny pair of Lederhosen to take home to a little nephew will set you back 87 Euro!
Air
by antistar
Cologne has it's own airport, the Cologne/Bonn airport. But there are many nearby airport that are very accessible too, so it's worth shopping around for the best deal. Dusseldorf also has a major international airport, with destinations on four continents, and you can be in Cologne in about 30-40 minutes from there. Less accessible is Weeze Airport, popular with budget airlines, especially Ryanair. Even Frankfurt airport, the second busiest in Europe, is only about an hour away by direct ICE express train.
Cologne/Bonn airport isn't as busy as Dusseldorf but it's a little more convenient and has a lot of destinations served by two of Germany's high quality budget airlines: Air Berlin and Germanwings. These serve a host of major European cities, including Budapest, London and Copenhagen. They are joined by a number of other budget airlines, like EasyJet and Wizz Air, as well as a small number of national airlines, including Turkish Airlines, Air France and even Iran Air.
To get to Cologne from the airport take S-Bahn Line 7 to Porzmarkt and then Bus 161 to the airport. For Bonn just take Bus SB60.
well worth the walk
by richiecdisc about Päffgen
You hope to find one of these on every trip but it's not always the case. This was not mere luck but sheer perseverance. Mine for pushing, and my lovely wife's for putting up with me. Four days of endless beer hunting in Belgium right before this short Cologne trip would have been enough to bring about a divorce for most couples but she knows I find my share of gems and this is one of them. It was late. By any account, we should have already been on our way to meet VTer Sabsi in Düsseldorf for our farewell night before heading back to the US. But I wanted to check this out of the center pub out too badly to give up.
It is truly is like walking back in time once you walk through the door. It's why I look so hard and put up with such utter disappointment sometimes; to find a place like this. Wood, yes, paintings, yes, people talking loudly, yes, beers brought without asking, yes. Black & White, it feels like it. Beers are brought without asking. What else would you drink, right? We'd already eaten twice but were glad we still had room for a snack of raw pork spread on local bread. It went perfectly with the city's tastiest Kölsch. Dry and fruity, just like a Kölsch should be. Forever when I think of going back to Cologne, I will think of being in this pub. I just hope it doesn't change one bit.
Don't miss the Cathedral
by Marie-Claude
This was the only building that didn't burn during the WW2. The black surface could be due by the intense fire of the city. They always have reperations to do on the structure because the stones are a soft kind called "sand stones". The interior is superb! Check the organ.
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Messe Tower from Hohenzollernbrücke
Hahnentorburg
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