Germany in a Week: Cologne

Part 2 of  Germany in a week was a short stop in Cologne. I spent 2 days in the city, but only explored it for a day since I had other matters to attend to. I set off to Cologne from Berlin early in the morning. Even though it was a shorter trip by plane, I decided to take the train because it allowed me to see all the scenery between the 2 cities. After 5 hours, I arrive in the beautiful city of Cologne.

TIP: Book your train tickets early. Like most forms of transportation, it is cheaper if you book ahead of time. The Deutsche Bahn offers different tiers of tickets but there are limited amounts.

Once I got to the station, I met up with a friend who would be showing me around the city for the next two days. Since it was the late afternoon, we decided to start off outside the city. We went to the town of Brühl to see Schloss Augustusburg. The palace was stunning.

We made a second stop to another nearby castle before heading home for the evening. It was a short day but rest was much needed after the long day of travel.

On the second day we planned to explore the city, but due to the rain we had to cut it short. We made a short loop of the city and started with a glass of Kölsch. Beer is only considered Kölsch if it is brewed in the city of Cologne. It is a pale ale, which is served in 200mL cylindrical glasses.

TIP: If you’ve had enough to drink, make sure you place the coaster on top of your glass or else they will continue to give you a new glass.

Next, we went to see the Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom). I wish the weather was better, but it was a little foggy. Afterwards we took a walk towards the water looping back up through smaller streets.

It was a short stay in Cologne and the weather wasn’t the best but it was still an enjoyable stay. I will definitely revisit Cologne when I have the chance. Next Stop: Munich

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Stone & Fern is a travel and lifestyle blog started by friends who have a passion for exploring cities, capturing moments, and trying new food. This is part of our Checking In city guide series. To see more of Europe, click here.