My trip to Cologne was thrilling because it was my first time visiting Germany. I flew from Manchester to Cologne and upon arrival, I headed straight to my hotel via a train from the airport to the city center. The train ride was about 20 minutes and I found it quite easy to purchase tickets and navigate to the center. Once I checked into my hotel and rested for a bit, I set out to explore the city and find some dinner.
I started by visiting the magnificent Cologne Cathedral, which was conveniently close to the Hohenzollern Bridge. The train station was also nearby, as was the Museum Ludwig. After walking around the area, I decided to have dinner at McDonald’s. Next, I walked across the Hohenzollern Bridge, taking long exposure photos along the way, and observed the many lockers people had placed on the bridge for their wishes. Once I reached the other side, I took photos of the bridge and the Cathedral together before returning to my hotel to rest up for another day.
On the second day of my trip, I met up with a friend who had come from another city. We met early in the morning at the central train station and then headed to the Schokoladen museum, where we got to see how chocolate was produced and even got to taste some. Despite the rain, we stopped at a café in the Rheinauhafen district, which had some nice newly built offices and houses. We then walked to the old town and saw some lovely sights. Our next stop was the Great St. Martin Church, where we also saw some colorful houses in the Fischmarkt area. For dinner, we decided to try Turkish food as there is a large Turkish community in the city. We went to a Turkish restaurant and on the way, we also visited the Cologne Central Mosque, which was well-designed. Close by, we could also see the Stadtgarden park. After dinner, we walked back to the bridge and the Cologne Cathedral to see how they looked in the evening.
On the third day of our trip, we climbed up the steep and narrow stairs to the top of the Cologne Cathedral tower. The view of the city was amazing and we took some photos before heading to the botanical garden. On the way, we passed through the Eigelstein-Torburg city gate and stopped at a café for coffee. We also visited the St. Agnes Church and took some photos there. Once we reached the Botanical garden, we spent some time there, despite the chilly weather. The Cologne Zoo was also nearby.
We then walked to the other side of the river via the Zoobrucke bridge to Rheinpark, which was quite spacious and provided a nice view of the Cologne Cathedral and the Hohenzollern Bridge. While there, I even managed to snap some photos of parrots perched on a tree. We then walked to the Cologne Triangle building, which offered an amazing view of the city and its landmarks. After that, we walked back to the other side of the river via the Deutzer Brucke Bridge. In the evening, we dined at another Turkish restaurant before my friend left for his city. I then headed to the Cologne central station and returned to my hotel for some rest.
On the final day of my trip, I had a flight to Manchester. However, as I was heading to the train station, I noticed a breathtaking sunrise and couldn’t resist capturing some photos of the incredible sky. After spending about 40 minutes taking in the view, I made my way to the train station and then to the airport.
cool trip and cool content!