I Love Cologne

We started our epic Eurotrip in the land of my ancestors, Germany. I've been to Germany once before, but this was my first time in a major city. We flew into Dusseldorf, spent a few hours there in the beer gardens, and took the train to Cologne. 

You know when a city just clicks with you? That's how Cologne was for me. The atmosphere was so relaxed, the people were as nice as can be, and the beer...don't even get me started! In Cologne, they brew a special kind of beer called Kölsch, which has very specific standards for its brewing. I'm no beer snob, but I really liked this beer. They serve them in a small, skinny glasses, and are usually pretty inexpensive, from 1.30-1.80, depending where you're drinking. We had one rainy day, so we spent it beer garden-hopping through the city. So many of the beer halls had such character, and a lot of them reminded me of restaurants back home in Wisconsin. 

Another notable part of Cologne is the cathedral. I've seen many, many cathedrals throughout my time in Europe, so it really takes a special one to wow me, but I was in awe of the Cologne cathedral. It was started in 1248 and finished in 1880. It took over 600 years to build that puppy! It's a gothic masterpiece, with its spires towering over the city. We climbed to the top and were rewarded with a nice view of the city and the surrounding countryside. 

The first night in Cologne, we took a walk by the river. We noticed that everyone was doing a little outdoor drinking, botellón-style. The next night, we headed to the grocery store, grabbed a currywurst and some German brews, and sat next to the Rhine River drinking them as the sun set. 

Originally posted 7.1.12