The Rhineland - Beautiful, Romantic and Tacky

We leave Amsterdam and head for Dusseldorf. The train ride is quite interesting. I have good memories of Dusseldorf, from a 1986 visit. Our hotel, near the station, does not meet our expectations but the rest of Dusseldorf exceeds them. We enjoy exploring Konigsallee, the Fifth Avenue of Dusseldorf, the riverfront and Altstadt (Old Town)on foot. We have a huge dinner at a wonderfully unpretentious restaurant. We drink a cappucino by the Ko Canal before making the long walk back to the hotel.

We visit Cologne the next day because I had to see the cathedral. I am totally blown away when I do see it, inside and outside. I just wish we had gotten there early enough to join the English Language Tour. Later in the day, at the Visitors' Center, we attend a very worthwhile multi-media presentation on the history of the cathedral. We walk along the Rhine to the Chocolate museum where I learn more than I ever wanted to know about chocolate. Our next stop, the Roman Museum proves to be more interesting than I originally thought it would be. We return to Dusseldorf and have a humorous adventure getting our dinner, learning a lesson in the process.

The following day we take the train to Frankfurt. We first find a street-side cafe for lunch. Then, in the afternoon, we set out on a delightful walk that takes us from the EU Financial Headquarters through a park that stretches for more than a kilometer to the reconstructed Opera House. We struggle to find the Main Tower but, when we do, we ascend to the roof top observation platform and are rewarded with fantastic vistas in all directions. We stroll back to our hotel along "Gourmet Street" and Goethe Strasse.

On Friday Pam and I take the train to Koblenz where we catch the KD Line boat going upriver to Mainz where we can catch a train to Frankfurt. We discover Koblenz is a very pleasant city with an interesting history. From the boat, we see castles, river towns and other worthy sights as well as have a better than expected meal. We start to get bored so we disembark at Bacharach, a picturesque Rhine River town. We explore it while waiting for the train to take us to Mainz and thence on to Frankfurt for our last night in Germany.

Quick Tips:

The neighborhoods of the train stations in both Düsseldorf and Frankfurt leave something to be desired. They're not as bad as U.S. inter-city bus terminals but if I return I will stay nearer the Altstadt in Düsseldorf and nearer the Romerberg (Market Square) and/or closer to the river in Frankfurt.

The train station in Cologne is a mess because of construction as of summer, 2004. Signs are misleading. We decided to just follow the largest mass of people and that worked just fine to get us to Cathedral Square.

The train station ticket machine has a 5-person all-day ticket for 25 euros. It's a great deal even for couples. There are five different types of trains IC, EC, RE, S, and A. Make sure you are buying tickets for the type you want to ride.

You can use your Eurail Pass on K-D Line Rhine cruises.

In Cologne there is a tram from Cathedral Square to the Chocolate Museum. Don't take it. The walk along the river is beautiful.

The TI in Düsseldorf and the Dom Forum in Cologne are the best information centers I found in Germany, especially the Dom Forum.

Best Way To Get Around:

Even the major cities in the Rhineland are walker-friendly. Check out the Experiences sections below.

Bicycling is easy because of the flat terrain and bike paths everywhere. There is a bike path all the way from Basel, Switzerland to Rotterdam along the Rhine. You can access it anywhere and stay in B&Bs in the small river towns. Bike rental shops abound in every city, near the train stations, and it is possible to rent one-way bikes.

Train lines parallel the river and run frequently. Not cheap, though, unless you have a Eurail Pass. Hard to imagine not having one if you are traveling around Europe.

Cruising on the Rhine is easily done and it is OK to get off and on the boats, at least on the K-D Line. I say more about Rhine cruises below.

As in most of Germany, the Rhineland cities have excellent public transportation, particularly the trams.

Taxis, as always, are convenient and expensive. It's also easy to rent a car which might make sense if you want to visit some of the lesser well-known castles.

I am sure it's our own fault but, as in other situations where hotels are described as being close to the station, we have trouble finding the Hotel Residenz. It's supposedly a "five minute" walk from the station according to the website. We have to stop at the TI office, conveniently right across from the station, to get directions and some idea as to where we are in relation to the rest of Düsseldorf. We then realize we are facing a 10- to 15-minute walk and struggling with our bags through a seedy neighborhood to the hotel.

We have trouble rousing anyone to come to the desk. When a young man and woman finally show, they seem strangely unfamiliar with the procedures to check us in. They are, obviously relatively new immigrants and speak little English. Somehow we manage to get checked in.

I am second guessing my decision to get a hotel near the train station. In retrospect, I would have been better off booking a hotel closer to the river. The taxi fare would have been worth it. I find that the train station areas in Germany are not nearly as desirable as they are in Italy or France.

All of this notwithstanding, it is a nice, small, cozy hotel and the price is right and includes breakfast. It is convenient to an internet cafe, an ice cream shop, a deli and a small grocery store. It has an inviting breakfast room and serves a very nice continental breakfast including a complimentary Herald Tribune to read. There's also a small bar on the ground floor which we never use.

Our room is spacious, especially by European standards, but Pam will have to do her Internet thing while sitting on the bed since there is no desk.

When we check out we discover charges in the hundreds of Euros for phone access. There is a discrepancy between the time and the charges. Even though, Pam will be reimbursed, I question the accuracy of the charges. The owner is behind the desk and is extremely helpful. He tries to call the phone company to straighten things out but they, of course, cannot respond immediately. This is a problem because Pam and I have a train to catch. We figure out that Pam most likely was on the internet for more time than showed on the bill so we agree to pay and the owner agrees to reimburse us if it turns out we are overcharged. He seems trustworthy so I believe him.

Later we figure out that the charges are legitimate, so we never have to test my judgment.

We stay at a grand old hotel, across from the Frankfurt hauptbahnhof (train station), named the Hotel Monopole - high ceilings, wide hallways and a huge bathtub. It’s rated at four stars, but I would rate it at three stars.

There are numerous sights within walking distance. Plus all the city's short-distance transport services (express train, subway, tram, and bus), are situated in front of the hotel. Since they try to attract business travelers they offer many services for free – local phone calls, personal computer, including Internet access, and printing in the business center and free ironing. They also offer a complimentary breakfast and snack buffet during the day as well as a free, lightly stocked minibar, containing basically water, soft drinks, and juice.

Our last night there, we decide to eat at the hotel to save time. The dining room is empty when we sit down. I go to the desk to see if we can order some food and the clerk says, "Of course." After a few minutes, a very rumpled man shows up to take our order. We order beer and wine and after he serves the beverages, he disappears for about 20 minutes. Turns out he's the cook as well as the waiter and the busboy too. Management sent him over from their sister hotel, The Europa, to take care of us. Fortunately, we ordered a light meal, or we might have waited a long, long time for our food. He explains the situation. The Europa down the street is for tour groups and the Monopol for individual bookings, which explains the crowd at breakfast and the absence of fellow diners at dinner. The food was actually pretty good and the price was reasonable.

I must leave early in the morning for Rome while Pam is staying until noon before flying to Hong Kong. Unfortunately at 5am, the hotel front door is locked and as I am trying to find someone to open it, a guest returns from his all-night wanderings and opens it. At this point, the desk clerk mysteriously appears and starts to freak, thinking I'm running out on my bill. I try to explain that my wife is still in the room but he's in such a state of excitement and confusion that he doesn't understand. I finally yell at him to cool it and then explain that Pam is still checked in, our rooms are prepaid and he also has my damn credit card. I’m not sure he ever really gets it, but I don’t wait to find out. I might have avoided this hassle by letting the desk know I was leaving early.

Except for the above misunderstanding, the staff is very helpful. I would stay here again, especially for a one night stay and/or I was arriving and departing by train. It's a good value, too.

One of my criteria for an interesting city is its "walkability." That's why, even though I lived in both places for many years, I think Los Angeles is boring and San Francisco is exciting.

I have fond memories of wandering around Düsseldorf in the fall of 1986, which is one of the reasons we decided to stay here.

We only have an afternoon and evening to explore Düsseldorf, so we decide to walk to Altstadt (Old Town) from our hotel, skipping the recommended tourist sites in favor of a relaxing stroll. The scenery from the train station to Königsallee is mostly mundane and sometimes downright ugly.

But when we reach the tree-shaded Königsallee or "Kö" to local people, the Rodeo Drive or Champs-Elysées of Düsseldorf, we slow down and start to enjoy ourselves. The weather is sunny but cool and we take in not only the shops but also the people who are enjoying a late summer afternoon, strolling as we are - lovers, parents with children, matrons shopping, business people, and tourists, both backpackers and middle aged folks like us.

From Königsallee we hang a left and head for the river. We stroll along the bank, watching the barges moving slowly up and down the mighty Rhine. We take the opportunity to check the schedule for K-D Line boats as we plan to cruise the river later in the week.

We circle back into Altstadt looking for a restaurant. I want to go to the same brewery I had visited in 1986, Braueri Uerige. I was working in Saudi Arabia at the time and was starved for beer and atmosphere. I fell in love with the place. We find it and sit outside not only enjoying our beer but also the gemütlichkeit (genial atmosphere). Pam resists eating here because the menu shows only heavy German dishes.

We eventually choose the Altstadt Restaurant which serves solid German food and an extensive selection of Pam-like items, mainly green stuff. We can sit outside and people watch while drinking and eating. I order the specialty of the house, roast pork knuckle, and wash it down with a liter and a half of beer. We josh with our waiter who is working hard to get an American family at the next table to order something other than roast beef.

We need a walk to create room for dessert. We return to the "Kö" and find an Italian cafe where we can sit under the trees, eat tiramisu, drink cappuccino and watch the people parade by. Düsseldorf is not that popular a tourist destination so most of the passers-by are locals. After re-acquainting myself with it, I don't understand why Düsseldorf isn't more popular. The town has a number of solid tourist attractions and, in my opinion; Altstadt is one of the nicest, pedestrian-friendly eating and shopping areas in Europe.

I can’t think of how we might have spent a more pleasant afternoon and evening.

When we arrive at Köln Dom Station, we get lost because of construction. Frankly, the place is a mess. It takes us 10 minutes to figure out how to get from where we are to the square in front of the Köln Cathedral. We can see the Cathedral, we just can't find it. We are late for the English language tour of the cathedral so, using our trusty guide book, we explore the place on our own. I've seen many churches and cathedrals but this one is in a category all its own. We spend over two hours exploring. I take a lot of photos which you can access at: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ed_hk/

The Gothic-style cathedral is the most recognizable symbol of the City of Cologne and its most famous landmark. Its spires are 157 meters (515 feet) tall. Its location has been a religious site from pre-Roman times. It was the world’s tallest structure until 1884. It still is the tallest Gothic style structure in the world and features the largest church façade on the planet.

Begun in 1248, it took more than 600 years to complete. It was finally finished and consecrated in 1880, after no new work had been done for 320 years. It was intended to house the relics of the three Magi. We make a point of seeing their Sarcophagus, supposedly holding the remains of the Three Wise Men. As you can see in the photos there is scaffolding on parts of the church. Evidently, it is almost never free from some kind of repair work because of the constant erosion of the stones.

It was badly damaged during WWII but reconstructed by 1956. I believe it is on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

The Cathedral is closed to visitors during services unless you are part of an official tour sponsored by the Domforum, the Cathedral Visitor Center, located across the Square from the Cathedral. The Domforum provides a lot of information not only about the Cathedral but also Cologne City. It also offers a multimedia presentation in English or Deutsch, which Pam and I attend. Light refreshments are sold, and there are ample numbers of tables and chairs for relaxation and study.

In addition to the main church itself, visitors can access the treasury with its relics and artifacts. Visitors can also scale the 509 steps to an observation platform near the top of the South Tower. There is a small charge for both of these activities. Pam and I accessed the Treasury but passed on climbing to the top of the tower. I regret we didn’t do that, but I thought I had to conserve my energy. I also rue missing the English language tour, but we cut it too close. There are only two per day, and it costs 13 euros with the usual concessions for students and seniors. We did okay on our own, though.

After the Cathedral, we believe everything else is likely to be a disappointment. So we take the easy way out and decide to visit the Imhoff - Stollwerck Chocolate Museum as our next stop. A wheeled tram from Cathedral Square makes the run in about five minutes. Fortunately, we just miss it and decide to walk. I’m glad we do. The paved path along the Rhine provides vistas and photo opportunities by the dozens. The people-watching is fruitful too.

We enjoy the Chocolate museum far more than we thought we would. Once inside the museum we learn more about chocolate than we ever wanted to know. I like the historical information best. I also enjoy watching people make the chocolate and am fascinated with how they create chocolate sculptures in so many sizes and shapes. It’s possible to follow the production process right here on site. You can also see where the cocoa beans, chocolate’s raw materials, come from by visiting the greenhouse.

There is a chocolate fountain, where you can sample some of the luscious brown stuff. There are rooms full of chocolate memorabilia like advertising and packaging. The museum is surprisingly crowded. I guess chocoholism is a universal disease.

We eat in the museum cafeteria and the food is quite good and reasonably priced. The view of the Rhine through the windows is great. I can’t believe we skip dessert.

The entrance charge is 5 or 6 euros, but there are discount coupons in every tourist publication.

We take an early train to Koblenz to board one of the K-D Line boats for a trip up the Middle Rhine. The KD Rhine Line boat pier is about a 10-minute walk from the station. It's a beautiful morning, and we enjoy looking at some of the older houses as we walk towards the river.

The K-D ticket office is staffed by a very jolly lady who is laughing as hard at my attempts to speak German as I am at her attempts to speak English. We kill the time waiting for the boat by having a Coke in a nearby garden restaurant.

The boat has an open deck with just a few umbrellas, and it is very sunny and hot. We find some seats in the shade and sit back as we roll up the Rhine. The stretch of the Rhine from Cologne to Mainz is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. It has a fascinating history and illustrates the ultimate in medieval culture with more than 20 castles and numerous villages and wineries. The commentary is in both German and English and discusses most of the places of interest.

As we cruise, I take many photos of castles and the passing scenery. I don’t believe there is anywhere in the world that has as many castles in one stretch as this. We see the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress as soon as we board, Stolzenfels Castle is next followed by the incredibly well-preserved Marksburg Castle in Braubach. After the Cat and Mouse Castles, we come to the legendary Loreley Rock! We enjoy a chuckle at the boat company's attempt at entertainment. A woman wearing a Loreley banner, in a blonde wig and a dress that most likely would never make it off a thrift shop rack, strolls around the deck, accompanied by an accordionist from central casting, and sings folk songs.

At this point, we decide to eat. The dining room is overcrowded and understaffed, but the food is good, especially the sausages. At one end of the dining area, a group of passengers are having a roaring good time, liberally lubricated with wine and beer. They don't seem to be interested in the scenery or the castles, and they seem to be enjoying themselves – there may be a lesson in there somewhere.

The next noteworthy sight is Schönburg Castle, followed by the midstream Pfalz Castle. About this time, we decide we’ve seen enough and disembark at a little town called Bacharach to switch to the train to Mainz. We wander around the town and have a glass of the local wine in a quaint restaurant.

This cruise, while slightly tacky, is actually a worthwhile activity in terms of time and money. While the adult fare can be expensive, the concession fares are good including a bargain family fare. They have all types of promotional fares, which you can access here.

After WWII, many German cities had to make a choice – rebuild based on what existed before the bombings or clear out the rubble and start over from scratch. Frankfurt chose the latter. Knowing this, I wasn’t all that excited about spending the afternoon walking around what I suspected was a boring city. The problem is, we are famished and don’t have time to visit the usual tourist sites. It turns out that my expectations were wrong. We had a great time on our walk.

We first head up tree-lined Kaiserstrasse, the main street outside the train station entrance. We want a sidewalk café that serves salads as well as the usual German fare. We finally choose an Australian restaurant, the Kakadu. This may seem a strange choice given the reputation of Australian food, not quite as good as British food, but we just aren't up for sausage and potatoes. It turns out to be a good choice. We get what we want and German beer besides.

After lunch, we walk from Willy Brandt Place through a narrow, shady park on our way west to the reconstructed Opera House and the Main Tower. We pass the Euro Tower, a 1970s-type skyscraper, tall and thin and home of the European Central Bank. The weather is beautiful and the park has its share of joggers, strollers, pram pushers, and, as in any big city, the homeless. While people-watching in Germany isn’t nearly as rewarding as it is in Italy or France, watching folks go about their daily lives with an observant eye does give us a sense of what life is like here.

The Opera House is most impressive. Originally built in 1880, it was destroyed during WWII, but was rebuilt in the same place it stood pre-war, over the objections of the then mayor, "Dynamite Rudy." After wandering the Opera House Square, we spend the next 30 minutes trying to find the Main Tower. It's a well-known landmark and tourist destination, so I can't figure out why we are having such a problem. I even stoop to asking for directions, and we still enter the wrong building. Finally, we find it and take the long elevator ride to the top. The tower was completed in 2000, and the observation platform, which is open to anyone willing to pay 5€, is 200m above street level. The view is astounding, and I take many photos. You can see them on my photo site.

Some folks are shooting a commercial on the platform, but I'm not watching them. Instead, I'm looking at a couple who are with the commercial shooters, but are oblivious to all but each other. They are making out with such passion and enthusiasm that I'm afraid they are going to topple over the guard rail and plunge 55 stories to their mutual deaths. I poke Pam, who doesn't always notice such things, being more interested in the view, and she ignores them. I finally give up, hoping they'll consummate what they've started and instead focus on the magnificent 360-degree view. You can enjoy the same view at Frankfurt 360.

After an ear-popping elevator descent, we walk east from the Opera House and down a beautiful tree lined street, Grosse Bockenheimer, nicknamed "Gourmet Street." We stop for a cappuccino and a beer and watch the pedestrians stroll by. After our break, we go over one street to Goethe Strasse, which is lined with fashion stores. To me, it's not near as interesting as Gourmet Street. We walk by Goethe House and Museum, but decide not to stop, but instead go to the hotel. Unfortunately, Pam must make a business phone call.

I wish we had more time, especially to walk the "Museum Embankment" on the opposite side of the river from us, but I’m stuck with my mistaken preconception that Frankfurt would be boring. It’s not.