Germany | 3 Days, 4 Cities: Part One Cologne

If you know me, you know I love travelling and exploring new countries. So when I had the chance to go to Germany and explore multiple cities, I had to book my tickets! Nothing beats booking on a budget too - I will have a blog post about this in the near future so keep your eyes peeled for that. I can't lie, I wasn't sure what to expect for this trip but it was a lot better than expected. I also ate soooo much (I swear this is a given for when you go on holiday, right? Hello 5 month food baby LOL). There was a lot of walking, train journeys and beautiful scenery. So if you want to find out where I went and what I did, keep on reading...

Day One: Cologne

So Cologne (or Koln as the Germans pronounce it) was our first destination for the trip. A beautiful city with a lot of history, situated along the Rhine River - it was a very nice destination for some good ol' exploring and good food. As it is a small city and we had a full day there, we only spent one day exploring this place. First stop was the Kolner Dom (or Cologne Cathedral). The architecture on this was incredible, gothic inspired, very similar to La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Its free entry to go inside so there is no harm in going in to see the beautifully stained glass windows that tell a story, the candles that you can light up for a loved one, or even just to absorb the history that is inside the cathedral.

There was a lot of street art near the cathedral by street artists which I can always appreciate. There is so much talent to be discovered don't you reckon? Here's a few that we saw!

And then began our little hunt for all things food central. I never realised how much the Germans loved their bakery, there were so many places to choose from, but we ended up going to Merzenich near the Cathedral, which had breakfast, sweet and savoury pastries and more. We went here for breakfast everyday before heading on our travel endeavors to the different cities. The Germans definitely love their meat, so if you do too, you might want to try baguettes they had. For myself I would recommend trying the veggie fladen for savoury food and the caramel croissants and berliners for something sweet. 

One amazing thing that Cologne does is that they have luggage storage at the train station which means that you can leave your luggage locked away safely for very cheap. This was great for us as we had a very early flight and a late departure back to London which meant it saved us from having to lug around the suitcases. €6 euros for up to 24hrs for all luggage isn't a bad deal at all. I really wish they could bring something like this into London (potential business plans who knows hrhrhr).

We stayed in an Airbnb apartment that was 15 mins walk from Cologne Central, perfect location and for a good price too. I have used Airbnb a few times for both in and outside of London and have never ever had issues with it. It is a great cheaper alternative to hotels if you are looking, especially if you are looking to travel on a budget. If you ever go away then I would highly recommend looking at Airbnb accommodations for a cheaper alternative - click here to have a look at what Airbnb can offer for your next destination.

We went to the Schokoladen Museum (Chocolate Museum) where we got to explore how they made Lindt chocolate, this was actually a pretty amazing experience. We even got to try little tasters and got free chocolate upon entry and departure which was a nice touch. Tickets for this are €11.50 for an adult so not too expensive. After this we took a little ride in a rickshaw all the way back to the station by a lovely Irish gentleman, bless him having to pedal with the weight of 3 people behind him, don't know how he even managed up the steep areas. This gave us a really cute view of the riverside and the cobbled streets of Old Town Cologne which we really enjoyed. 

After a little dress up for the evening, we made our way to the other side of the river by crossing the Deutzer Bridge, giving us the perfect view of the famous Hohenzollern Bridge and the Cathedral at night. It was very beautiful, especially on our stroll home with all the lights glistening up against the darkness of the sky. I think the photos speak for itself. We went to eat at Mongos, a restaurant located just at the bottom of the tower called the Koln Triangle. For only €3 you are able to go to the top of the tower and get a panoramic view of Cologne which is supposed to be very beautiful. Due to time constraints we couldn't visit the top of the tower as it was closed after dinner but from reading other sites, this is definitely a must see in the evening. Be warned, it closes at 8pm so make sure you head there in enough time.

Food places to check out:

- Merzenich near Kolner Dom (perfect for breakfast or sweet and savoury treats)

- Frites Belgique for some awesome chips

- Mongos Restaurant at the bottom of the Koln Triangle (Thai food and also a buffet option available)

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 Credit to my sis for the food pics :D

Cologne is a very beautiful city that has a lot of history. As it is a very small town, you could easily do everything within a day or two, so I wouldn't stay here for any longer than a few days. And this is why we went to other cities for the next 2 days. You also don't have to spend a lot of money to have a good time either as costs are generally more cheaper compared to your London prices.

One thing to note:

- Carry cash with you - I was surprised that a lot of places only accepted cash which I did not realise. I took out such a small amount of cash and I had planned on using my Monzo card for the trip (free transactions abroad woohoo) but a lot of places only accepted cash, so be mindful of this.

Good destination for solo travellers and friends.

Stay tuned for day two of our Germany antics, I will post the link here once published! Where do you think we are heading to?

Have you ever been to Cologne before or anywhere else in Germany? I would love to hear your experience in the comments below!