Two Days in Cologne

The Cathedral or Dom with its twin spires dominates the skyline. It is the first thing you see as you drive into the city. It’s a must to see from the Riverwalk after dark and even more so to cross the Rhine and view it from the other side. It rivals any Cathedral I've ever seen including Westminster and Notre Dame in sheer beauty and presence.

Plan to visit some of Cologne's other churches. Four or five are within walking distance of the Dom. You need to learn the legend of St Ursula and also to visit the grave of Albertus Magnus.

Quick Tips:

Two days really isn't enough time to do justice to Cologne. I would advise maybe 4 days. There is a Cologne Pass that you can buy that will get you into museums and on the public transportation as well as giving you a tour of the city.

Cologne has an excellent art museum and also a history museum within the shadow of the Dom. You can see what I mean by the Cathedral dominating the town. It really is everywhere that you look.

Plan to take a guided tour. You can buy tickets at the Tourist office facing the Dom, there is also an American Express Office near by if you need to cash travelers checks. Our tour guide spoke English and German, he alternated. It was a little confusing at times but he was very nice. We crossed the river and got out of the bus on the other side. We had about 10 minutes to take pictures and walk around.

Best Way To Get Around:

You need to take a cab in from the airport but the charge was less than . Our driver was from Iran and assured us that he had no problem with Americans.

This is a great walking city. There is a large pedestrian shopping area with the best prices we found anywhere in Germany and the Riverwalk felt safe to us even at night. We spent as much time walking around as we could. The Rhine is magical at night.

You ring the bell to gain entrance to the lobby, and there you are welcomed by Carole the owner or the ever present Heidi. Sasha Carole's son is listed as the owner, but he was not feeling well when we were there.

Our rooms were wonderful. They were 2 rooms connected by an arch. We had a very comfortable bed and good lighting. Everything was very clean and the bathrooms are modern. Some rooms were getting a face-lift, and they looked wonderful. Carole told us that ours was getting a new loveseat soon, but the one there was fine.

Breakfast was included and was buffet style mixed with service from Heidi. There were 6 juices and 6 cereals on the sideboard as well as all types of fruits. Then you got a meat-and-cheese plate and breadbasket, as well as yogurt if you wanted. Heidi would also cook you an egg to order, and toast. Needless to say, we never needed to buy lunch.

There is a small bar that is always available, and in the afternoon we would sit there for drinks and peanuts. It was a wonderful experience, and I would stay there again.

We came here on the recommendation of Carole Bucholtz; it was our first experience of German food. We were a little hesitant when we got there because it was slightly smoky and a little noisy, but Herr Klein our waiter soon put us at ease. His English was pretty good, and he led us through the maze of German names into a delicious if a little heavy dining experience.

We all drank Kolsch Beer, and it was a heady experience. The salads were very fresh and full of unusual things like corn and white radish. We tried Weiner Schnitzel with fried potatoes, smoked pork with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, boiled beef with horseradish sauce, and leg of pork with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. (There were 4 of us traveling together). The only one that was a little strange was the boiled beef. The rest were great, and the portions were large.

We had apple strudel and custard sauce for dessert. Service was very fast and efficient, though not so fast that we didn't learn that Herr Klein's girlfriend is also trying to learn German and doesn't speak any more than we do. This is good solid food in a beer-hall atmosphere.

This restaurant is on the second floor in the pedestrian area. It was a lucky find. We went up an elevator to the dining room. The tables were set with crispy linens and napkins. We were welcome with an aperitifs; but frankly, though it was good, I have no idea what it was.

As the name suggests steak is king here and steak from Argentina is offered. Only one of us ordered steak however and it was a very tasty rump steak. I have to tell you that we all tasted each other’s dishes so I speak about all of them from experience.

I had chicken and mushroom in a rum sauce over green and white pasta which was delicious. Our group also had shish kabob and another had salmon. The only complaint was that the salmon had bones but it was tasty. The salads here were wonderful. Fresh and packed with greens. One thing we were learning is that we were never given a dressing choice at any restaurant. We didn't mind however since we never got a dressing we didn't like.

Our waiters name was Kumar and he was fascinated when I told him that I would include him in our write up. There were nice touches here such as the Appolonaris mineral water served in a glass with the Appolonaris logo and the Bitburger Pilsner. We had stopped for tea and cake this day so we passed on dessert. It was a very pleasant dining experience.

This is right outside the bus door when you get off the Cologne tour. It is across the street from the Dom. We were tired and cold and hungry and this placed looked and smelled like heaven.

You seat yourself, and then it takes a little while for service. The big drawback is the menu is only in German, so we kept our eyes peeled as to what was being delivered to the tables around us. Our waitress knew enough English to get the idea when we pointed to the other tables and told her we want what they have. Tea everyone understands.

We had delicious slices of cake and good hot tea; it was all very inexpensive, especially considering its strategic location. My cake was a shortbread type with loads of mixed fruit on top over a light custard. My husband had a chocolate mousse cake. Our other friends had fruit cakes similar to mine.

St Kunibert's is what I saw when I looked out my hotel window, but the exterior doesn't prepare you for the beauty of the interior. We went at lunchtime, and the organist was practicing on their magnificent pipe organ. It dominates a whole section of the church.

January is a great time to visit, as all the churches still have their Christmas decorations up. It's amazing to see that the frescos have survived when you realize from the pictures in another section of the church how much was destroyed by the Allied bombing of Cologne. The interior is painted in white, gray, and terracotta. It is all done in the Romanesque style with wonderful vaulted ceiling.

It was sad to see all the clear glass in the windows and try to imagine what it must have looked like with stained glass. In the back there is a huge bronze candelabra that is made with Jesus on the cross. Part of the cross goes up into the candleholders. It stands over 6-feet tall.