Cologne – Koln – A city with character

Cologne has always been one of the most important cities in Germany and today it ranks number 2 after Berlin. Honestly having been to both, I believe Cologne can hold its own when compared to Berlin and makes an ideal base when exploring Western Germany and surroundings.

Cologne is modern yet ancient. Everytime a construction activity is undertaken and they start to dig the ground, they come across remnants from the Roman era.

Must do in Cologne –

• The all imposing Dom. It is the law that no other building can be higher than the Dom. You must also climb up the bell tower from where you get an awesome view of the city.

• Museums

• Churches

• Lindt Chocolate Factory

• Eau de Cologne museum

• The bridge across the river where lovers place locks on the fence to seal their love.

• The Botanical gardens which is a quiet spot in the busy city.

• The Beach club where for 6 Euros one can relax and have a drink while watching the world go by.

• Shop along the Schildergasse which has many top end brands, malls and arcades.
• The thermal baths which is a legacy from the Roman times.

• The Christmas markets which is all about food and drink and making merry. The Gluwein is a must try.

Day trips from Cologne –

• Bonn which is a sister city to Cologne and was the former capital of West Germany. Has a museum mile and lots of historical buildings including the home of Beethoven.

• Koblenz to see the horticultural show and explore the pretty town.

• Trier, an ancient Roman city, with a lot of history, culture and religious significance.

• Cochem, a quaint town, where one can do river cruises on the Moselle and vineyard tours.

• Dusseldorf which is a financial centre and has top end shopping and lots of different world class restaurants.

• Essen where one can tour the famous coal mine of the Ruhr – Zollverein. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and has the famous Red Dot Design Museum dedicated to contemporary designs.

• Konigswinter, which used to be the popular holiday destination for the locals during the period post the war when they could not afford to travel abroad.

• Bruhl to see its beautiful palace and explore its quaint town.

Getting around –

• The tram network is very convenient and is relatively cheap compared to taxis.

The Rhine

Lovers' locks

The imposing Cathedral

The Beach Club

The stained glass window in the cathedral

The imposing interiors of the cathedral

The view from the top of the cathedral tower

The famous DOM or Cathedral

Exquisite facade

The Botanical gardens had a wide variety of flowers

A view from the cable car

The outdoor part of the spa where you can spend hours pampering yourself.

Essen – the economic powerhouse in Germany

My friend Chi Mee recommended that I visit Essen and in particular the Zollverein coal mine which is not only a UNESCO world heritage site but also touted as the “world’s prettiest coal mine”. This got me intrigued and so I had to satisfy my curiosity.

I hopped onto a train and then a tram and reached the mine which was nothing like I had imagined it would be. I expected it to be open and dusty and underground but it was all above ground and covered and neat. It was spread over a huge area and is divided into 3 sections – the main mine, the coking section and Shaft 1/2/8.

It also has a museum with permanent and temporary exhibits ranging from the history of coal mining to the industrialization and development of modern day Germany. Another museum has a panorama movie theatre which had an interesting seating layout (360 degree swivel chairs) and a film which was very absorbing. It is essential to buy a ticket to this museum as it gives you access to the terrace from where you can see and appreciate the entire mining complex from above.

The Red Dot Design Museum is also located on the premises. It houses the largest exhibit of contemporary design in the setting of an old coal mine. Very interesting to see how each object is displayed.

Bonn – the former capital of West Germany

Bonn used to be the seat of power when it was the capital of West Germany. Today it has reduced in significance but still has its own charm. It is now more of a university town with a lot of young population.

I walked around the city, taking in the famous Rathaus or Town Hall whose balcony is the most photographed with visiting foreign dignitaries on state visits.

The Rathaus

Bonn is also the birthplace of Beethoven.

The Electoral Prince's castle or Schloss is now the home of the University of Bonn.

On the outskirts of Bonn is Petersberg which was the seat of the Allied High Commission for Germany. It was also the venue for many important conferences like the EU conference of foreign ministers and has been the guesthouse of Federal Government. It has great views of the river and Bonn city.

To get there, I would recommend you take the car ferry across the river as that was the mode of the transport used by Adenaur (the first Chancellor of Germany) to and from work.

Trier – The ancient capital of the Roman Empire in the West

The ancient town of Trier dates back to around 16 BC, making it the oldest city in Germany. It used to be the capital of the Western part of the Roman Empire. The influences of the Romans can still be seen. Today it has not only cultural and historical significance but also religious and is one of the holy sites for Catholics (though I was unaware of the same till I visited).

Some of the important sites in Trier:

• The Porta Nigra is the best preserved Roman city gate north of the Alps.
• The Roman Baths, some of which are the largest north of the Alps.
• The Constantine Basilica which was the 67m long throne hall of Roman Emperor Constantine. However today it is used as a Protestant church.
• The Trier Cathedral or Dom St. Peter, a Roman Catholic church which dates back to Roman times. It is home to the Holy Tunic, a garment with a recorded history back to the 12th century, in Catholic tradition said to be the robe Jesus was wearing when he died. It is only exhibited every few decades, at irregular intervals.
• The Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), which is one of the most important early Gothic cathedrals in Germany and falls into the architectural tradition of the French Gothic cathedrals.
• The Roman amphitheatre.
  
  
  

The imposing Porta Nigra

Vineyards

View of the city

Vineyards, the amphitheatre and the Roman baths

Cute buildings

The market square

The Constantine Basilica

The palace

The Imperial Baths

Christian religious symbols

The Trier cathedral

The altar and the site of the Holy Tunic

The beautiful ceiling

The courtyard

The Church of our Lady