When I hear Cologne, Germany I think of, not only perfume, but that gorgeous, gothic style cathedral that everyone knows and loves. So, you can understand why (I talked about that last week)! But I was pleasantly surprised to find out Cologne is so much more than just the captivating cathedral. Its small village vibe was enchanting which is why I am so excited to be writing about it today!
When we were in Cologne, one of the first things we did to get a feel of the city was hire a local tour guide named Christian to walk us around town. I’m so glad we did this because we would have walked right past some amazing places and not have even noticed them.
First let’s start with the history behind the little city. Cologne was originally a Roman colony settled in around 50 A.D. but today’s modern city is built right on top of it for the most part. You can still see ancient Roman ruins if you look close enough, though (or have a guide point them out). For example, part of the original Roman gate to the city is very close to the Cathedral. And not far away, you can see the remains of the original Roman sewer that was brought above ground
Cologne is a city of exquisite churches – the most famous are of Romanesque and Gothic architecture which you could spend hours visiting just these – but I’m only going to highlight a few. We started at St. Ursula which was actually built on a Roman cemetery. There’s a legend about St Ursula and 11 maidens being buried there (believed to be fictional nowadays) but there’s an impressive reliquary inside created from the bones from the cemetery. At one point (long ago), private citizens could buy “art” also created from these bones. I can only imagine the hauntings!
Another worthy church to visit is the Cathedral Gross St. Martin. This church was built on the remains of a Roman chapel (a little less macabre than St Ursula). The most prominent feature is its beautifully impressive tower that is also part of Cologne’s impressive sky line. The tower really is a stunning sight.
Interestingly, the church with the most beautiful inside was actually of a Baroque style, St. Maria Himmelfahrt. The outside architecture was very plain and understated but the inside was breathtaking. This church is a quick 10-minute walk from the main Cathedral which is convenient if you are pressed for time. Either way, I would definitely recommend putting it on your list of “must sees” in Cologne.
We spotted the outside of a few more churches along the way (all beautiful in their own way) but our next stop was scent-sational! Did you know that cologne (as in “perfume”) actually started here, in Cologne in 1709? No wonder why we think of cologne when we hear Cologne! The same Farina House Eau De Cologne still exists and is made by the 8th generation of the same family --making it the oldest fragrance company in the world. It was fun browsing here and sampling the various scents. The shop proudly displays a list of famous clients from the past 300 years, my favorite being Princess Diana, and there is also a Fragrance Museum on the premises if you want to learn more about the history of cologne. The original scent is indeed wonderful, and I picked up a bottle for a few family members and me (it made a great travel gift, if you need any ideas). Interestingly, the famous original fragrance is unisex!
From there we found yet another Roman remain – the Dionysus Mosaic. This is a very large mosaic made of over one million pieces and was once part of a flooring in a Roman town villa almost 2000 years ago. It was only discovered when they were digging a bomb shelter during WWII. Not knowing what to do with this magnificent piece of art, they actually built the Roman Germanic Museum around it – usually artifacts come TO the museum but it was the opposite in this case! Remember I told you that most museums in Europe are closed on either Monday or Tuesday? Sadly, it was a Monday and the museum was closed. But I was able to capture a picture from the outside window, thank goodness.
And just like that it was over and we parted ways with Christian, our guide. Still, we needed just a little more sightseeing so decided to hop a cruise down the Rhine River for a different perspective of the city. This was definitely the best way to get wonderful views of the various types of architecture of the city -- ancient, modern, and in-between. We even spotted the Chocolate Museum but alas, knew we would not have time to visit…THIS trip.
If you can’t tell, I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Cologne. It was fun exploring the City and finding the various forms of architecture in its churches and buildings. There is so much to see but it still has that small-town feel – I just realized it was one place I didn’t get lost!
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