Happenings of Hayley

Straddling the west side of Germany, Cologne is an exciting mixture of classic German architecture and modern city feels.

It often gets overlooked in favour of some of the more traditionally German-looking cities, but I found Cologne to be so wonderfully charming that I didn’t care if there weren’t as many “Instagram-worthy” photos.

The city itself is fairly sizeable, but with a very easy-to-use metro, it becomes an easy place to see in a weekend. Don’t get me wrong, I could have spent longer, but I also felt satisfied with my weekend trip.

Your weekend itinerary for Cologne – Saturday

When you arrive at the airport, you can easily get a train into the city centre. Just tap the screen and select a ticket to Koln Hbf. Then find a train that stops there and get the next one available.

Arriving into the city will take you over the iconic Hohenzollern Bridge where as the train rolls into the platform, the majestic cathedral comes into view.

Begin your weekend trip marvelling at the gothic heights of Cologne’s cathedral, which in the morning is not very crowded and you should be able to get a decent photo.

Fun facts about the cathedral:

• It is the only cathedral known to have a street address (number 4)
• It is owned by the people of Cologne, not the church
• There is a beautiful stained glass window inside commissioned to remember those who died in the Holocaust

Admission is 8 Euros for adults, opening times can be found on their website. It opens from 10am on Saturdays, so if you arrive earlier then be sure to plan accordingly.

After walking around the stunning building, make your way to the Old Quarter, where you’ll find some of the oldest (and therefore most traditionally German) buildings in the city.

Some of the best places for photos are Alter Markt, the old market which is lined with colourful houses, Auf dem Rothenberg which has the Great St. Martin Church perfectly placed in between the row of houses and restaurants, and then Fischmarkt which is where Great St. Martin Church sits, with four perfectly placed, colourful houses in front.

From here, you can walk all along the Rhine River towards Alter Drehkran where you will see a totally different side of the city.

On this island-but-not-an-island are the iconic “crane houses”, which are well worth a visit. The design of them is so cool, and the whole area gives off a really nice vibe.

It’s here that you can also visit the Chocolate Museum and German Sport and Olympic Museum.

Head back up along the river, back across the Hohenzollern Bridge and over to the Koln Triangle, a tall building with an observation deck where you can get fantastic views over Cologne for only 5 Euros!

Beer is an absolute must when you’re in Germany, with the country home to some of the best beers in the world – see your Saturday out in style.

Cologne plays host to a great selection of Bierhauses. As I was short on time, I’ve only got a couple I can personally recommend:

• Em Kölsche Boor – in the Eigelstein quarter. The staff will pop a tally of the number of beers you’ve drank on your coaster, very fun!
• Brauhaus Sion – supposedly Cologne’s oldest pub, situated in the heart of Old Town
• Brauhaus Sünner im Walfisch – another great spot, just a stones throw from a view of the river

Sunday

For me, the best thing to do when solo in a city is to book on a walking tour. I always book mine through GetYourGuide, and this one was a really interesting walk and talk.

We started in the Eigelstein quarter before ending at the cathedral, visiting the Old Town, Alter Markt, and learning about the Historisches Rathaus der Stadt Köln, Germany’s oldest city hall – this was my favourite bit.

Walking tours usually last 2 hours, so afterwards head to Theodor-Heuss Park, a lovely long stretch of park in the North of the city, with a lovely lake in the middle.

If you head east in the park this takes you back out to the river, and I particularly enjoyed sitting here on a bench and watching the world go by. It’s a much quieter part of the river and makes it very peaceful.