Straight right after the flight, I am on the way to Cologne. My final destination for the day was actually Brussels, but since I am passing by Koln by train, why not, which is why Cologne become the first city that I am going to visit in Chapter Wanderlust. Yes, some of you guys might be confused with Koln or Cologne, they are actually the same! Koln is actually the word for it in German, which is why if you are actually in Cologne, you will find either spelling used throughout. One very good example is the main train station, where they use Koln frequently. So yea, don’t misunderstand that you are at the wrong station. They actually are pronounce and sounds the same! Fresh of my flight from Singapore, I barely made it for my train due to the delay of the flight in Singapore! But thanks to some awesome Singapore Airlines Crew I made it! After roughly around 2 hours in the train, I was greeted by this magical sight!
Cologne or Koln, is actually the fourth largest city in Germany but on the tourists side, it is definitely not as popular as the other Germany cities. Located on both side of the Rhine River, one of the most prominent one in Germany, it is pretty famous for two things, the famed Cologne Cathedral which is really really impressive and will keep you in awe. Another one is the Cologne University, which is one of Europe most established and oldest! In the past Cologne is the largest city in the Holy Roman Empire, maybe this is why the cathedral is so huge and impressive. Cologne can be said as a fusion or a mix in their architecture, there are old historical buildings as well as todays buildings. This is because the city was partly destroyed in the world war and are being rebuilt. This result in it being mixed and unique. Since I arrive by train, the Cologne Main Train Station or Köln Hauptbahnhof is right smack in town, actually next to the cathedral. For a day tripper or traveller who are staying in town, you can reach anywhere on foot. No need to spend any money on transportation as well. First order of business for me will be definitely checking out the cathedral with my camera and instagram doing the work as well.
Weather was good and chilly. I really like it, after all coming from Singapore, this is all that you are wishing for! I really love weather like this, cold like air conditioning temperature and then the sun shinning brightly on you! It is like having the best of both worlds. You do not have to wrap yourself up till like a dumpling, weather isn’t too bad for walking around, just a jacket or sweater and off you go to explore!
First a little step back first, I arrive in Cologne Train Station at about 11am right when the sun is shining bright! First thing first is to lock up my bags and out to explore the city! It too me some time to figure out the machine. But in the end you deposit it with any machine and it gives you a card which you have to insert to get your bags back later! It cost me 6 euros in total! Kinda pricy but beats carrying it all around and be worried all the times! The train station is also full of shops and eateries! You can easily grab something here!
The first thing that I check was definitely the Kolner Dom, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is definitely the must see in town! As I mentioned previously, you will never miss it since it’s right next to the train station and it is also towering over the sky! This makes it perfect for a meeting and orientation point as well! You really feel magical and majestic when you are in it! I love visiting holy sites around the world! Somehow different church and cathedral gives me different feelings and vibes!
Another thing that I really love to do when I am in a new city is simply walking down their streets and also visiting the local markets! You can really have a feel of their local life and pace when you do it! Don’t really mind the exact route that you take, just go with a main direction! I was once told that “Getting lost is a form of travelling” I totally agree with this! But before all these could happen, some sausage is the way to to start sightseeing in Germany!
Here are some other sites and streets that I visited in town!
Shopping wise, it is pretty incredible in cologne as well! The whole main street in town is full of shops and you can find all the usually brands. With the sun shinning out in the sky, there were full of alfresco dining too! One that that I realise was the popularity of stores selling sneakers, there were plenty! The super popular nmd in Asia looks so unwanted here!
I actually walk everywhere in the town! It is pretty compact, for a day trip and most of the tourists and at a leisurely stroll, it never takes me more than 1 hr to walk to the furthest point. This include the looking in shops and frequently stopping for photograph pace! A thing on my mind would definitely be getting a magnet from this city! As touristy as it may sound, it is my hobby to get a magnet from a new city that Seeing The World In Steps visit!
A sentence that I always say in Europe would be. Hi, I’m sorry, can you help me take a picture? Thanks a lot! Hahah guess this is the life of a solo travellers who wants instragram worthy photos. I had a great experience here, the people are friendly and nice, with good command English! In the afternoon it is time for me to continue on my journey to Brussels! I feel that Cologne is worthy of at least a half day trip! But definitely not a stay! You will pretty find it quite boring then if you stay!
With this, city number 34 goes to COLOGNE! Stay tuned for the next post to come very soon where I will share about my time in Brussels! A city that I love very very much now! Have you guys been to Cologne? Do let me know how you find it!
Seeing The World In Steps 