Köln (Cologne)

1 April, 2025

Köln

In an effort to minimize the number of steps required for the day we met up with the fine folks from Rikolonia for a ricksha tour and overview of central Cologne. After suffering significant damage from Allied bombing in World War II much of the central city is new construction, with buildings of particular significance undergoing reconstruction for preservation.

Downtown (Innenstadt) is a charming area with a distinct "Old World" feel and cobblestone streets, filled with pubs, shops, and hotels. Our guide covered almost the entire area, including the shop for the original producer of Kölnisch Wasser  (Water from Cologne) Giovanni Marina Farina, who mixed his first formulation in 1709. 

Apfelkuchen

The streets of downtown run primarily in a grid pattern, but maps can be confusing due to the pedestrian thruways that give the impression of dead-ends. The area is easily walkable and if you should get turned around and lose your way, nearly everyone speaks excellent English and are more than happy to help you get back on track.

Our tour of the Cologne Cathedral was scheduled for mid-afternoon and we found ourselves with a fair bit of time on our hands, so we located a café for coffee and snacks. As luck would have it, there was a spot with a display case filled with an overwhelming selection of baked items. The assortment was so varied and dynamic that you ordered from the case and not your table. We had a slice of Apfelkuchen mit streusel (Apple cake with streusel) that was just heavenly. Apfelkuchen is much closer to American apple pie than our apple cake, and this was one of the best uses of apples in baked goods that I've ever tasted. My cappuccino was quite good as well, but apparently my German was not up to snuff as the waitress insisted on speaking English.

A "Behind the Scenes" tour of the Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) was a late offering on our cruise and happened to fit our schedule perfectly. I cannot begin to express our good fortune in booking this outing. Our guide was one of the best guides we've ever had, anywhere, on any topic. He holds a PhD and knew the cathedral down to the last detail, but he was also witty and relatable, so he was both interesting and entertaining.

Our tour was well-paced and provided several opportunities to sit for a few minutes. the "behind the scenes" aspect afforded us entry to the altar and a more direct view of the Shrine of the Three Kings. As far as churches go, of all shapes, sizes, and descriptions, the Cologne Cathedral is one of the most impressive we've visited, and that list includes the Sagrada Familia, St Peter's Basilica, Westminster Abbey, and St Paul's Cathedral. 

Shrine of The Three Kings

The cathedral was completed in 1880, after 632 years of construction. When it was completed it was the tallest building in the world and it is still the third tallest church in the world, and the tallest two-spired church. The height of the towers are within 3cm of each other and the massive towers give it the largest façade of any church in the world. 

After our tour we went to the tourist information center across the square and purchased postcards and stamps. They have comfortable seats, with desks, and will even loan you a pen if you don't have one. When you finish writing your postcard (which seems to get more difficult each time, due to our reliance on electronic communication these days) the post box is just outside the door.

Our evening consisted of a traditional German dinner at a beer hall, with plenty of Kölsch, followed by visits to two other beer halls for more Kölsch.

There are specific traditions and regulations pertaining to both the production and consumption of Kölsch. In order to be called Kölsch it must be produced within 50km of Cologne (Köln) and must be brewed in adherence to the German Purity Law, or Reinheitsgebot . This protects the Kölsch brand, just as Champagne must be produced in the Champagne region of France.  

Kölsch is served in a tall, thin, 200ml (about 7oz) cylindrical glass, called a Stange. Servers, called Köbes roam the beer hall carrying a round tray called a Kranz (wreath) that holds eleven or twelve glasses. When you're drinking Kölsch you only have to order the first one. After that the server will replace an empty glass with a full glass (in a practiced motion, snagging the empty with two fingertips while delivering the full glass onto the coaster.) Then they'll add a tic mark to the border of the coaster. If you want to take a break, just place your coaster on top of your empty glass. When you're ready to pay your tab the Köbes will tally up the tic marks on your coaster and calculate your bill.