Day 13: Cologne - 0 miles - Rhineland adventure with friends

July 14, 2023

Day 13: Cologne - 0 miles

Bike returned and a day to play tourist in Cologne

The photo can't capture the grandeur and size of the sanctuary

My time in Germany is ending. It was a wonderful tour. Two weeks on the Rhine that were of two different flavors. I'll expand on that next week when I return home.

Today was a casual day to enjoy this beautiful city. It started with a morning stroll down to Kolner Dom, the Cologne Cathedral. I knew an early morning visit would be best from my prior visit to cities on the European river cruise routes. The tourist population swells from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm when the passengers disembark and set off to explore the city's sights.

So many stained glass windows and carved stone columns line the sanctuary

I walked into the cathedral shortly after 9:00 am with hardly a tourist in sight. Mass was in progress in a side chapel. The organ music made for a peaceful walk through the cathedral.

The light these windows bring to the altar is quite impressive

Tours at this cathedral are self-guided, which I prefer. The cathedral is massive in size. The height of the sanctuary is amazing. The intricate stained-glass windows and stonework made for a breathtaking view. I quietly wandered and spent time resting on a pew during the hour I was inside. A truly remarkable cathedral!

Walking through the cathedral's foundation

My friend Ellen and I walked across the plaza to the official Cologne visitor center. I highly recommend visitors take this stop. It is a wonderful place to receive visitor information. It has a rather good size souvenir store on the bottom level that was stocked with tasteful higher quality items. So many of these tourist destinations are lined with tourist traps with cheap massed produced goods.

View of the cathedral from the train station's front windows

I headed over to the train station for lunch. This station reminds me of the Zurich train station. It has a suitable selection of restaurants, fast food joints, and a few grocers. It's the perfect place for a cheap lunch. I will return in the morning for my train ride to Paris.

Sauerbraten, red cabbage, potato dumplings, and a Kolsch was dinner

The group finished today with a German dinner at Brauhaus em Kolsch Boor. It was an excellent choice with tasty food, a nice atmosphere, and a wonderful server. A stop for melon gelato finished the day for me as I headed back to the hotel to pack.

Tomorrow is a traveling day by train. The group is headed to Brussels where we will catch a high-speed train to Paris. We will do the whirlwind one-day Paris tour and head back home the following morning.

Why you can't get from point A to point B! I don't know if there's a straight line in this city.

Today's Trivia

The Roman Catholic Cologne Cathedral, Kölner Dom, is the largest Gothic church in northern Europe and features immense twin towers that stand 515 feet tall. The cathedral was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It is on the endangered world heritage site list due to its excessive acid rain damage.

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