When planning my European road trip, I fully expected Paris to be my favourite. While I loved the time we spent in Paris, Cologne was surprisingly my favourite city I visited on that trip. We only spent a day exploring, but what a lovely day it was! Read on to see how to spend a perfect day in Cologne!
Cologne Cathedral:
Our first stop was the famous Cathedral. With spires over 500ft in height, intricate carving and beautiful stained glass windows inside, it is hard not to be impressed. Take your time exploring, and move on when your neck starts hurting from all the looking up.
Römisch-Germanisches Museum:
For our next stop, we visited the Roman-Germanic Museum, that is practically next door. The museum holds a collection of artefacts from the ancient roman settlement that modern Cologne is built upon. Along with the usual collection of glass and pottery, the museum also has some surprisingly well preserved mosaics.
Dufthaus 4711
Being the perfume lover that I am, my first thought when I heard Cologne was Eau de Cologne! Thus naturally our next stop was the 4711 perfume house : birthplace of the original eau de cologne. Here, you can learn about the history of Eau de Cologne, initially thought to be a miracle healing water that was also used internally, splash yourself from the fountain of Cologne and also buy a bottle to take home with you.The shop also doubles as a small museum, reminding you that by buying Eau de Cologne you join the likes of Napoleon, the Tsar of Russia, and the British Royal family.
Schokoladenmuseum:
Next was a stop we could not miss: the chocolate museum! At the museum, walk through learning about the cocoa plant, cultivation and production, and the Mayan and Aztec culture surrounding chocolate. Then proceed through to the factory, where you get to see chocolate production in live action from behind glass walls.
All of this, just to whet you appetite in time to see the Lindt chocolate fountain! Next to it, the lovely ladies who hand out wafers dipped in chocolate, letting you enjoy both delicious chocolate AND panoramic views of the city.
Hohenzollern Bridge:
Walk off those chocolates with a leisurely stroll on the Hohenzollern bridge, where people put a padlock on the bridge and toss the key into the river to guarantee everlasting love, and get some beautiful views of the Rhine.
Have you been to Cologne? Would you like to visit?
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