Our first day we headed over to Cologne. Yes, that's right, the birthplace of cologne - or more specifically Eau de Cologne. We managed to find the House 4711 after many wandering blocks holding up the photo to random buildings in hopes of a match. The House is now a store, but the upper floor has a nice little display of the history of Eau de Cologne, or as the first monk called it "The Water of Life". It's won at least ten awards at World Fairs among other random facts. And the fountain in the front is not water, rather straight Eau de Cologne. I was trying to figure out a way to fill up my water bottle with it. :)
Price: free
Cologne Cathedral reminded me at lot of the Notre Dame in the Paris. It's got the most amazing tapestries, though, and would photograph beautifully if they weren't doing construction work on the stained glass and facade. It's located right beside the train station, and it's so fascinating to see the dichotomy of old and new all around the city. Germany, unlike many other European countries, tends to focus more on the present and future than in showcasing the past. The cathedral only houses the bodies of a few kings/cardinals/popes - I know they were important figures, but not 100% sure what their status was as my German isn't quite up to speed.
Price: free
My favorite stop of the trip was at the Lindt Chocolate Museum - or in German the Schokoladenmsueum Köln (what a mouthful). To get there, you walk along the Rhine, of course stopping for a 1 euro ice cream cone until you reach a little island solely settled by the museum.
It was so interesting to read about the history and development of chocolate. And once you got a bit tired of all that knowledge you arrive at the mini-factory and a free sample. I loved going through the entire chocolate-making process and seeing the ginormous molds they use for their specialty chocolates.
Price: 8 euros (as a student), 10 otherwise
We hadn't had much of a plan upon our arrival in Cologne, but we spent a wonderful afternoon walking the streets, along the Rhine and finding three quirky destinations. I loved Cologne because it's the first city I've been to that doesn't cater so much to international tourists, it's just a city doing its thing. If you're not into "winging-it", the tourist center is conveniently next to the cathedral as well.
