Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
November 2005 : Cologne
Given the scale of the destruction that it
suffered in World War II - over 90% of its buildings were lost - it
is no real surprise that Cologne misses out on first prize for
Germany's prettiest city. And, to be honest, probably second and
third as well. Despite this, it is a place that I invariably think
of as interesting and enjoyable, even after four visits. The purpose
of this short weekend trip was to 'do' the Christmas markets and
finally make a start on my Christmas shopping. (Might as well turn
it into an excuse for a jaunt!
) With that as my major objective, any other sight-seeing was
necessarily confined to the city centre and, in particular, the huge
cathedral and the Old Town district adjacent to the mighty Rhine.
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The Old Town from the Deutzer Brücke, showing river cruisers, the twin steeples of the cathedral and the tower of Groß St Martin church. |
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The railway bridge and cathedral from the Deutz side of the river. Deutz was once a city in its own right. |
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The same view by night |
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I took this shot of the cathedral's west doors while sheltering from a shower. |
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The shrine of the Three Magi inside Cologne Cathedral. |
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A rather large Advent wreath was in the process of being added to the sanctuary. |
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This view attempts to convey something of the height of this vast building. |
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Colourful Old Town houses partly obscure the tower of Groß St Martin. |
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The floodlit cathedral makes a spectacular night-time sight. |
Christmas Markets
I made it to four out of the city's five Christmas markets - not bad for a short visit in poor weather! The pictures give a quick flavour of what it's all about, but of course you have to be there to experience the atmosphere.
Base : InterContinental