Germany Trip, Cologne

I am checking out from the hotel and go to the city centre to see something interesting... 

By the way, here is the facade of my hotel at the daylight. It looks very simple as any hotel from the same chain.

I would say, Dusseldorf is not as grand as Hamburg. To my mind, the architecture is quite plain here. But maybe in summer time the city looks much better.

I am next to the city hall now. It does not look big, but it has its own charm. The oldest part of Rathaus is the tower, which was built around 1570 and it stands about 50 meters tall, blending Renaissance and Baroque styles.

In front of the Dusseldorf’s Rathaus is placed the Jan-Wellem equestrian bronze statue, representing the beloved ruler of the late 1600s and early 1700s, who made Dusseldorf his main residence, supported the arts and helped shape the city’s culture and Baroque architecture.

Dusseldorf (and particularly its Altstadt) is often associated with "the longest bar in the world", because it has over 260 pubs and bars in one small area. Actually, I have been here some years ago and even have a post about my short experience - "Europe, The Longest Bar Counter". Still, I would like to check these places again and would write an updated review about nightlife here. But I need the companions for such kind of "drinking trip".

I am going now to my final destination, the city of Cologne, to see its main sight, so-called "Crown of the Rhine".

Honestly, I know only one fact about Cologne. It is about its main cathedral, which is actually the main reason why I am arriving there.

The first wow-effect I experienced when I was exiting the train station. The cathedral is placed just in several meters. The thing is that when planning the new 19th-century railway station the city strongly wanted to put it in the central area near the cathedral, because it ensured commercial activity and maintained the station’s connection with the city’s medieval core.

And the second wow-emotion I felt when I was standing in front of the cathedral and started looking on the facade from down to up.

So, the Cologne Cathedral with its two towers is reaching height of 157 meters, making it one of the tallest churches in the world. Its Gothic facade is covered with thousands of detailed stone carvings of saints, biblical scenes and gargoyles. But the massive exterior features over 12000 statues and intricate buttresses that support the soaring structure. Approximately 1000000 stone blocks were used in the churches' construction. Very impressive!

Inside the Cologne Cathedral, you stand in a huge hall about 45 meters high with bright stained-glass windows. In the center is the golden Shrine of the Three Kings, nearly 2 meters long (it is said to hold the bones of the Biblical Three Wise Men who visited Jesus). And the whole cathedral is about 144 meters long, with many small chapels and old artworks along the sides.

My mission is complete. And I can go home finally. But first, I will have the lunch at some traditional restaurant.

Brauhaus Paffgen. They are serving Kolsch here, the Cologne’s signature beer, which is very unique in both how it is made and how it is served.

Kolsch is a light, crisp, top-fermented beer brewed only in and around Cologne. It looks like a lager, but it is fermented warm like an ale and then stored cold like a lager (hybrid style). It is served in a tall, narrow 0.2l glass called a Stange ("rod"). So, small size keeps the beer fresh and cold.

And for the food I have chosen herring in a cream sauce, which is served cold. Very strange taste, but I liked it very much.

When I finished the first glass, the waiter without any questions put on the table another beer, and then he repeated it again. I think, it is kind of a tradition to bring continuously Kolsch to the table. Luckily, I have asked the bill before finishing my third glass. And after paying I headed back to the train station.

Back to Dusseldorf, and then going to Prague by airplane. It is only one hour flight. And both airports in Prague and Dusseldorf are conveniently accessible from the city centre. The only thing, the airport in Dusseldorf looks boring, so it is better to arrive here just on time.

It was the short trip, but at the same time it was very intensive. Four cities in four days! Complete satisfaction and desire to return to some places in future.

Germany Trip, Dusseldorf

I have some hours to walk around Hamburg before departure. The weather is miraculously changed for better today. No rain and some sun! I think, it is a distinctive feature of any city on the sea, to have a changeable weather.

Some short promenade along the nearby canal, and I am heading to the old town, where the city hall is located.

The Hamburg Rathaus is one of Germany’s most impressive city halls, with Neo-Renaissance architectural style, built between 1886 and 1897, which has a central tower of 112 metres height. Despite WWII bombings, the Rathaus survived almost undamaged, which makes it rare among other German city halls.

I would say, that the area around the Rathaus is one of Hamburg’s most architecturally rich and visually impressive places. The styles range here from Neo-Renaissance (the Rathaus itself) to classicism, modern glass buildings and historic arcades. In other parts of the city you can also meet Brick Expressionism, Functionalism or 19th-century Eclectic styles.

The interesting fact is that Hamburg has more bridges than Venice, and many are clustered around the Rathaus area. I can imagine sitting in the summer cafes with the view to a canal and drinking morning coffee or evening cocktail.

It is a port city, so there must be some fresh and delicious fish here. I think, herring must be very popular here, because I have seen it in so many street food places. So, I have tried one. And it was very good. Absolutely recommended!

I am at the central railway station and waiting for my Flixbus train. It is delayed already for one hour. I feel so stressed, because less time is remaining for observing my next city Dusseldorf.

Safely, we arrived to the Rhine Metropolis (this is actually the nickname of Dusseldorf). It is already dark outside. And I am not sure if I am willing to explore city right now. But definitely, I would like to have a dinner.

The hotel, Premier Inn (again, the same hotel chain), is conveniently located right to the railway station. So, there must be many restaurants around.

Nearby I found some main street with lots of Japanese restaurants. Honestly, for the first time I have met so many Japanese restaurants in one place. And after checking the google reviews I have stayed in one of them. People working there looked like real Japanese. And it was the best bento box in my life!  

Happy and satisfied I decided to walk around the city. And it looked quite empty at that hour. No wonder, because it is a Monday night.

I have passed through the new part of the city with modern buildings and big malls, until the old town with cozy and traditional houses, where nowadays placed the bars and restaurants. And I even reached the river embankment, where the big Ferris wheel is placed. Should be a nice experience to see the city from that height.

Anyways, tomorrow, before moving to another place, I will try to see some of the city at daylight.