Cologne: Cathedral, Chocolate and Kölsch

1. Visit the Cologne Cathedral – the third largest church in the world and one of the most impressive. The western façade is the largest bar none.
2. Enjoy the local beer – Kölsch – it is relatively light, very tasty, low in price, and has fewer calories than apple juice.
3. Visit some of the museums – the Romano Germanic Museum for history buffs or the Walther and Ludwig Museums for art lovers (not covered in this journal!)
4. Stroll down the Rhine promenade and cross over the rail and pedestrian Hohenzollern Bridge to view the skyline from the opposite side of the Rhine.
5. Try some local cuisine – wash it down with more Kölsch. The Brauhaus Früh is close to the cathedral, as authentic as it gets and very reasonably priced.
6. Central Cologne has 12 churches in the Romanesque style – the most prominent is the Gross St. Martin, which would have dominated the skyline of the Old Town if it weren’t for the Gothic Cathedral.

Quick Tips:

Slight disappointments / easily could have been better:

1. The original 4711 Eau de Cologne house is rather disappointing. The merchandise is unimaginative, the shelves rather bare, and the whole setup looks more like a flashback to East Germany than Cologne. Prices are more or less the same everywhere so you can just as well buy your mom a piece of soap at the station shop.
2. The Imhoff Stollwerck Chocolate Museum is interesting but very crowded and expensive for what is to a large extent a factory tour. Samples are far and few between.

Lowlights:

Souvenir stalls near the Cathedral seem to "mix up" the slightly similar Euro five and Euro twenty notes. It happened twice during the weekend - a problem I never encountered anywhere else in Germany.

Best Way To Get Around:

Most of the sights in the Old Town are within easy walking distance of each other. Large areas are for pedestrians only. This part of the city was not made for driving and if you arrive by car it is best to park it and leave it.

Public transportation is well-developed and easy to use, incorporating buses, trains, and trams. Taxis are plentiful, but among German tourists Cologne taxi drivers have a reputation for feeling compelled to show visitors as much as possible of the Rhineland while meandering towards the requested destination. Driving in Cologne is confusing with lots of one ways streets, sudden U turns, and cul-de-sacs, so it is hard to determine for strangers whether the driver actually takes the shortest route or not.

Cologne is a hub for long distance trains with frequent connections towards other centers such as Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, and Frankfurt. The Cathedral is right next to the station so it is possible to see even if you have only a few minutes in between connections. In summer months many Rhine cruises are possible from Cologne, but in winter the schedule is very limited.

While surfing the web searching for a nice hotel at a reasonable price, I relived bad memories of a trip to Italy where the quality of the hotels’ websites were in direct contrast to the quality of the physical establishments. In the end I settled for the recently opened Cologne Hilton, which at a special weekend rate of Euro 141 including breakfast was only marginally more expensive than lesser hotels of unproven reputation.

The Hilton did not disappoint. It is conveniently located two blocks from the Cathedral and the Main Station. We drove, however, and ample parking was available in the basement, albeit at Euro 16 per day – which seems to be the standard rate for hotel parking in major German cities. You can probably knock of a few Euro by parking in a garage nearby, but we couldn’t be bothered.

The hotel opened during 2002 and is thoroughly modern. Stark, straight lines dominate. The rooms are comfortable rather than large with good-looking wooden floors and modern furniture. There was enough closet space for a short stay. Each room has a room safe, bar fridge, coffee making facilities, and an iron – the latter two rarities in German hotels. For the first time I could describe the mattress of a bed in a German hotel more accurately with the adjective firm rather than marshmallowy.

The bathroom was rather small and the bathtub pretty narrow for an American owned hotel chain. The fittings were modern shiny stainless steel offset by white tiles. The corner wall of the bathroom consists of glass bricks, which looks very good although it is a bit of a daft idea as it lights up the whole of the sleeping area as well as if someone uses the bathroom at night.

The buffet breakfast was a nice spread, including real freshly pressed orange juice – also hard to find in the average German buffet. Further the usual selection of yogurts, cereals, breads, cheese, cold cuts, eggs, sausages, potatoes, waffles, and fruits. I didn’t see any champagne but there were some evil looking "energy" drinks or pick me uppers after a good night out. Breakfast items are also color coded according to dietary criteria such as low fat, high energy, or power breakfasts. We left dieting for the week after.

The hotel bar facing the street is called the "Ice Bar" as the counter top is made of ice. I’m not sure that it actually serves much of a purpose but it does make a nice conversation piece. Vodka is the specialty of the house but almost any drink is available including coffee and tea.

We enjoyed or stay at the Hilton and it will probably be our hotel of choice on future visits. The location is hard to beat – we didn’t use our car or any other mode of transportation but our feet for the weekend – and the understated low-key class and luxury made for a very pleasant stay.

The local beer in Cologne is called Kölsch. It is a light beer – light in color, calories, and alcohol content and very drinkable. Kölsch is usually served in narrow straight up glasses in sizes of 200 or 300 cc. Naturally many breweries compete to produce the golden drink, and most have restaurants and beer gardens in their breweries.

Brauhaus Früh is one of the famous Kölsch breweries and its location, almost in the shadow of the Cathedral, is hard to beat. It consists of a series of restaurants serving from various menus. Outside facing the street is the beer garden, a pleasant place to sit and have a Kölsch while watching the passing show. Only light snacks are served here, and then also slightly grudgingly. The Kölsch flows freely however and reasonably priced at Euro 1.30 per 200 ml.

Inside on three different levels are three different restaurants serving from slightly different menus. The cellar has seating for up to 100 people and some of the rooms on the ground floor can seat up to 280. On the second floor is a more traditional restaurant, which in addition to Kölsch also has a wine list!

The menu range from what you would expect in a German brewery – such as sauerkraut, potato variations, and different kind of sausages – to fairly sophisticated dishes. Local specialties and season dishes also features prominently. We had Bockwurst with Sauerkraut, Bratkartoffeln, chicken breast in a white wine sauce – which was divine – and a lot of Kölsch for around Euro 30. Service was surprisingly fast.

The Brauhaus is big and busy but have many waiters, and the drinks and food came fast. It gets busy, smoky, and noisy but the atmosphere is generally congenial. I would, however, advise ignoring rooms where large groups of male football or other club supporters are dominating.

The second floor is apparently much more upscale with views of the Cathedral. I was planning to take a peek but the stairs seemed somewhat steeper and higher upon leaving the establishment than it was earlier in the evening, so I never went up.

Früh is not a hidden secret and is very popular with locals and tourists alike. Reservations are recommended for larger groups or you may be in for a long wait. Smaller groups can have a Kölsch in the bar or passages while waiting to be seated.

Früh Kölsch is served in many establishments in Cologne. Although beer generally travels well, why take the risk if you can drink it close to home and at very reasonable prices?

Cologne would probably have been known for its marvelous examples of Romanesque churches if it weren’t for the Gothic giant right next to the railway station. The Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom in German) has the world’s third largest church interior, but its enormous Western façade is surpassed by none. Construction took 632 years to complete but in the end was clearly worth it.

In medieval times Cologne was an important commercial, cultural, and religious center. In 1164 the relics of the three Kings (Magi), freshly raided from Milan, arrived in Cologne. As the three kings were considered the first pilgrims to worship Jesus, Cologne soon became a major pilgrimage site. Money flowed in and the existing cathedral was due for replacement.

Construction of the new cathedral started in 1248, but was only completed in 1880 as construction was at one stage halted for more than two centuries. The oldest parts are at the eastern and southern ends. The choir chapels, including the Chapel of the Three Magi, was completed by 1265 and the choir in 1322. Much of the southern flanks and the lower 56 meters of the south tower were completed before construction was halted in 1560. The rest of the church was completed during the nineteenth century. Although more than 90 percent of Cologne was destroyed during the Second World War, the cathedral suffered relatively minor damage. Amazingly the original plans for a Gothic cathedral were followed almost unchanged despite the long construction period.

The main entrance is at the west end where the two towers seem to stretch to heaven. It is practically impossible to capture the complete huge western façade with a normal camera unless you are airborne. The Cologne Cathedral was designed to be the largest building in the world, and even at completion six centuries later, the two towers were still by far the highest constructions in the world.

All figures related to this cathedral are superlatives:

Years to construct: 632
Height of towers: 157,38 m
Outside length: 144,58 m
Inside: 7,914 sq m (2000 more than Notre Dame in Paris but only 37.5% of St Peter’s in Rome)
Height of inside arches: 42 m
Area of windows: 10,000 sq m (about the size of two a soccer fields)
Area of western façade: 7000 sq m

Continue to Cathedral 2.

Continued from Cathedral 1.

During the frequent church services visitors are only allowed into the front portal, but even from here the size of the church is impressive. However, the dimensions become completely overwhelming as you enter the nave through a 7.4 meter wide yet 42 meter high arch. Although only 600 seats have a clear view of the altar, 8500 visitors were present during a papal visit in 1980, and more than 3000 are common during important religious services. It is estimated that up to 20,000 people could be packed in should the need arise.

The cathedral is filled with art and pilgrims are still drawn to specific items, as has been the case for centuries. The Gero Crucifix, carved in 976, is the oldest large crucifix north of the Alps. It shows Christ at the moment of death – the emphasis being on salvation rather than suffering.

The main draw is still the Three Magi. The relics, three skulls with golden crowns, are housed inside the shrine of the Magi, a two meter long box wrapped in gilded silver and encrusted with jewels. Only the front part featuring the adoration of the three kings is in pure gold. The Chapel of the Three Magi is the oldest part of the Cathedral. The colored glass windows here are original and date from 1265. Parts of the altar date to 1300, but the colorful decoration is reconstructed. Formerly all the chapels had similar richly decorated walls.

Another work of note is the altar of the Patron Saints of Cologne, painted by Stefan Lochner in 1442. This painting features three kings worshiping Christ held in the arms of Maria. The painting is almost photographic in detail, showing not only the rich embroidery on clothes but also several recognizable herb types in the grassy foreground. Also note the large stag beetle on the right side panel.

In the transept near the usually locked south doors is a statue of St. Christopher carrying Christ on his shoulders. Pay your respects – he is the patron saint of travelers.

Having climbed the more than 500 steps to the top of the south tower eight years ago, I used a baby on my arm as excuse not to do so again. However, the view from the top is magnificent even on a cloudy day. On the way you’ll pass some of the impressive bells. St Peter’s, cast in 1923, is the largest free-swinging bell in the world. It is only rung the day before important religious holidays, so hear it on cathedral’s website instead!

The cathedral is open daily from 05:45 to 19:30. The tower can be climbed from 09:00 to 17:00. As is customary with Roman Catholic churches, entry is free. Climbing the tower is Euro 1.50.

Continue to Cathedral 3 – the construction history.

Continued from Cathedral 2.

To fully appreciate the history of the Cathedral one has to be aware of Germany’s rather complicated medieval political system. What roughly comprises Germany today was during the middle ages and beyond divided into several hundred smaller kingdoms, duchies, and diverse other entities. These areas were united in name in the Holy Roman Empire – which was neither Roman, nor Holy, nor an Empire – with an elected emperor nominally at the helm. For centuries the archbishop of Cologne was one of the electors and thus an important political as well as religious entity.

In 1162 Emperor Barbarossa sacked Milan and took from there the bones of the three kings (Magi). The Emperor presented the Magi to the influential archbishop of Cologne. Back then relics were what the Internet stocks became at the end of the second millennium – fabulously expensive, actually worthless, but earning pretty well while the façade lasted. Pilgrims came from far to see the Magi and donations ensured a steady income stream for the archbishop.

By the thirteenth century the existing Cologne Cathedral was no longer suitable for its important role as seat of an archbishop and the relics. A new church in what was referred to as the French style was commissioned. Inspired partly by the cathedral in Amiens, as well as contemporary St. Chapelle in Paris, the new cathedral was designed to be the largest structure in the world (in line with the belief in France that the thorn crown relic in St. Chapelle was a uniting symbol of the nation the German emperor also had similar plans for the Magi).

Construction was started in 1248 and initially progressed rapidly. From 1265 services were held in the seven choir chapels, and by 1322 the choir was completed. However, during the sixteenth century crisis struck. Relics were no longer in vogue, trade routes had shifted, and worse the Reformation led by Martin Luther had split the church in Germany. Funds dried up, and in 1560 construction was completely halted. For two and a half centuries the giant wooden crane built on top of the south tower, which stood at about 60 meters, became the rather melancholic symbol of the largest city in Germany.

Romanticism and nationalism in the nineteenth century led to renewed attempts to finish construction. By now the Holy Roman Empire was defunct and Cologne, for centuries a free imperial city, became part of Prussia. Gothic, at the inception of the church referred to as the French style, was now ironically interpreted as typically German and it became a matter of national pride to complete the cathedral. Construction was financed through donations, a lottery, and state funding. State money came at a price: when the cathedral was finally completed in 1880 and consecrated in the presence of German Emperor Wilhem I, leading church dignities boycotted the event because the Emperor rather than God was at the center of celebrations.

In 1942, during excavations to construct a bomb shelter next to the Cologne Cathedral, the ruins of a Roman villa with a huge mosaic was discovered. The theme of the mosaic is the life of the god Dionysus, and at seven by ten meters contains more than a million pieces. It is considered one of the largest and best-preserved Roman mosaics north of the Alps. As a result the mosaic was not disturbed, and the modern 1974 Romano Germanic Museum building was constructed over it and on top of the original walls of the Roman villa.

The Romano Germanic Museum is generally considered to be Germany’s best Roman museum. The Dionysus mosaic from the period 230 – 240 AD is the main exhibit, and can be seen from the outside for people not interested or prepared to pay to see the rest of the museum. Other exhibits include stoneware, pottery, glass, and jewelry.

Cologne became a city on order of Emperor Claudius in 50 AD. He called it Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium in honor (same say on insistence) of his wife Agrippina who was born there while her father Germanicus was stationed at this outpost of the Empire. In the museum is an arch featuring the abbreviation of the city name: CCAA. In some Latin derived languages the city is still called Colonia, while the German name Köln and English Cologne are clear derivates from the original.

The museum consists of three floors, with the main permanent exhibition on the first floor. The Roman stonework exhibits, including milestones, graves, and other decorations are interesting, but cannot compare to what is available elsewhere in Europe. The jewelry and glassware on the other hand are astonishing. Many of the finest works on display were created by the "barbarian" Franks who lived outside the borders and protection of the civilized Roman world.

The basement houses the mosaic as well as objects in daily use in a Roman household. These include kitchen utensils, toys, and personal paraphernalia. Gravestones and other objects associated with death and burial are also housed here.

On the ground floor is a bookshop, an unimaginative gift shop, and temporary exhibitions. During our visit the exhibition was of modern objects such as cola cans arranged to give the impression of a modern Roman style.

The museum’s prime location right next to the Cologne Cathedral, as well as the quality of the exhibitions, make it one of Germany’s most visited museums. Even if you are not interested in Cologne’s Roman connection, it is still worth peeking through the window for a free, if upside down, view of the marvelous mosaic.

Tuesday – Sunday: 10 – 17:00 Euro 3.60

The Imhoff Stollwerck Museum, commonly known as the Chocolate Museum, is located on the Rheinau peninsula, about 15 minutes walk upriver from the Cathedral. It is an impressive modern building – approaching it from the Old City it resembles a moored ship with massive windows.

The museum includes exhibitions on matters relating to chocolate, as well as a working mini-chocolate factory. In this downscaled factory the whole process of chocolate production can be observed from the cocoa bean to the final slab of chocolate, truffle, or hollow heart. This area seems to be the most popular and got really crowded at times. Fairly strong elbow work was required to get a free sample of a wafer dipped in melted chocolate – it tasted rather bland and was not worth the effort.

On the upper floors is an interesting permanent exhibition. It covers chocolate from its Central American origins to the refining of the product by European companies. Of particular interest to me were the displays on how chocolate was received in European high society and the miracle powers associated with the strange new product. At one stage it was considered to be the Spanish Fly of the day. Louis XV Mistress, Madame de Pompadour which he famously described as being as cold as a dead duck, took it to enhance her appetite. Her insatiable colleague Madame du Berry generously offered it to her male companions. All items in the permanent collection are fully described in both English and German.

Right after entering the museum is an interesting exhibition of chocolate in Africa as well as facts related to chocolate in general. I got the impression that this is a temporary exhibition. Information in this section is in German only, which is a shame as some of it is quite interesting and the vast number of foreigners just stormed past.

Entry to the museum is a rather hefty Euro 5.50 and includes a miniscule piece of really tasteless chocolate. I thought this was a rather odd way to advertise your product as the chocolate we bought in the large museum shop was of excellent quality.

An interesting diversion, if you walk to or from the Old City to the museum, is to take a short cut through the lobby of the very upscale Maritime Hotel. The lobby has a high glass roof almost 100 meters long. At the far end of the lobby is a direct exit to the Rhine Promenade a few minutes walk down river from the drawbridge leading to the Museum.

The Museum is interesting, but the high entry fee combined with massive overcrowding (never mind the lack of free samples!) made we wonder if it was really worth the effort. No use for plastic lined pocketsin this factory tour.

Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Remagen is about 30 minutes drive south of Cologne and best reached by car. Remagen was famous in Germany for its 325 m long railway bridge across the Rhine. It was constructed during the First World War to supply German troops fighting in France and was considered the most picturesque of the steel bridges spanning the Rhine. It acquired world fame on March 7, 1945, when two attempts by the retreating German army failed to destroy the bridge and the US army captured it and established a bridgehead across the Rhine without the loss of a single life.

The Germans continued unsuccessful attempts to destroy the bridge through air attacks and with frogmen. However, it only collapsed 10 days later under the weight of US tanks, killing 28 US soldiers in the process, but by that time the Allied troops were firmly in control and the Rhine no longer an important physical barrier.

General Eisenhower described it as a bridge worth its weight in gold. It was not only a strategic coup but also a tremendous blow to German morale that the Allies managed to cross the Rhine almost effortlessly. This shortened the war and saved countless lives on both sides. Hitler was furious at the failure of his army to destroy the bridge, and five officers were condemned to death even though they were not at fault. Four were executed in the nearby forest. The fifth escaped a similar death by being in US custody at the time.

Today only the original towers of the bridge on both banks of the Rhine are visible. A small museum was constructed inside the tower on the left bank. However, at the time of our visit the museum were closed for major reconstruction, but it is due to reopen early 2003. Erecting this museum as a memorial for peace was the initiative of the Hans Peter Kürten, mayor of Remagen in the 1970s. He however did not receive any support or interest from either the German or American authorities, and his plan was only realized after some of the remaining pillars of the bridge had to be removed from the Rhine River. He sold pieces of the bridge as mementoes and financed the memorial out of the unexpected DM 120 000 profit.

To reach the Bridge of Remagen coming from Cologne or Bonn, drive through Remagen and take the turnoff for Remagen Gewerbegebiet Süd. Then follow the "Brücke von Remagen" signboards – although the signs are rather small they are present every time you need to change direction. Very limited parking is available on the street just before you hit the Rhine – there is a graphically explicit signboard warning of the possibility of falling in the water. The bridge is a few minutes walk downriver.

In 1792 the Mühlens couple received the recipe for "Aqua mirabilis" as a wedding present from a monk. Soon after they found a company on Glockengasse to produce what would eventually be known as Eau de Cologne, or Kölnisch Wasser.

Originally the produce was taken both internally and externally (some alcoholics are known to reach for the perfume and aftershave when the real thing runs out!), but the consumption of Eau de Cologne was forbidden during the French occupation of Cologne at the turn of the eighteenth century. It was also during the French occupation in 1796 that a new address system was introduced in Cologne. The address of the Mühlen business became 4711 and a trademark was born, but only registered in 1875.

The traditional headquarters at 4711 Glockegasse still sells 4711 products, but that is not really a reason to visit there, as the same products are available all over town at the same prices. Entering the shop was a bit of a shock. My first thoughts were that must be what shops looked like in the former East Germany. The products available are rather unimaginative and include other brands which haven’t really made it too high up the luxury brands ladder. The store is fairly empty with lots of unused floor space crying out for new shelves and consumer products. On the second floor seems to be what the company brochure terms a "historical exhibition". From my vantage point it looked both dated and dusty. The stairs were cordoned off by a red rope, and I decided not to tempt faith and ask if it was open, fearing that an affirmative answer would force me to actually look at the exhibition.

The staff in the shop was quite friendly, if not particularly efficient, so I guess my East Germany thoughts were a bit unfair. Maybe describing the shop as being locked in a late 1970s to early 1980s time warp would be more accurate.

There are two nice aspects of the shop though. Inside is the "original eau de cologne spring", which spreads the scent throughout the shop. Outside is a carillon with soldiers and equestrian figures playing the Marseillaise hourly from 9 am to 8 pm.

4711 Glockegasse is fortunately close to major shopping streets and other attractions, as I would not recommend going out of the way just to see the shop.