Explore Cologne (one of Germany's most beautiful cities)
A NEGATIVE RAPID TEST NO OLDER THAN 24H IS REQUIRED FOR ALL BUS TOURS UNLESS YOU ARE FULLY VACCINATED!!!
Distance from base: 145 km
Cologne was founded and established in Germanic Ubii territory in the 1st century CE as the Roman Colonia Agrippina. Cologne is one of the oldest cities in Germany and the largest city on the river Rhine.
It is the only city who has a dialect which you can drink! Kölsch! If you order “a beer” in Cologne, you get a Kölsch. There are about 25 different kinds of Kölsch. The most popular ones are Reissdorf, Gaffel and Frueh.
Fun fact: Only breweries who are able to see the Cologne Cathedral are allowed to brew a Kölsch beer.
You can even smell like the city since it has it’s very own perfume, the Eau de Cologne. It was developed at the beginning of the 18th century and dominated the perfumery market until the end of the 19th century.
4711 is a traditional German Eau de Cologne. Because it has been produced in Cologne since at least 1799, it is allowed to use the geographical indication Original Eau de Cologne “Echt Kölnisch Wasser” and has used the same formula for more than 200 years.
The original 4711 store at Glockengasse 4 in Cologne is a popular tourist attraction.
One of the most famous landmarks of Cologne is by far the great Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Mary, a masterpiece of High Gothic architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Cologne Cathedral dominates the city skyline like no other building and is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. “Home is where the Dom is”.
Cologne is also famous for its festivities such as Carnival (mardi gras) and Christopher Street Day.
The fifth season of the year officially starts on 11/11 at 11:11 am. From this point onward, the Carnival clubs put on their events. The highlight of the Carnival celebrations is the Street Carnival early in the year. From Weiberfastnacht to Ash Wednesday, the city goes crazy. Every year during Carnival, the entire city is rendered out of commission. The Cologne Rosenmontags Parade is well known far beyond the national borders and is the highlight of the Carnival week. Here, the whole city hits the streets - together with hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world.
The people of Cologne are known for their relaxed, liberal, and tolerant attitude to life; all are welcomed and accepted for who they are. As a result of this attitude, Cologne has a thriving LGBT+ community. There are countless gay bars and clubs to visit in the city center and once a year people come from all over the world to join in the city's colorful Gay Pride parade also known as (CSD Christopher Street Day). It usually takes place during summer in July or August.
The Cologne Chocolate Museum
Like a ship made of glass and metal, the chocolate museum is located in the Rheinau harbor, directly in front of the old town, near the Cologne Cathedral.
The tour of the nine exhibition areas is a fantastic and unforgettable journey through the 4000 square meters of the culture and history of chocolate, starting at the old American cultures such as the Maya and the Aztecs, through the Baroque age and the industrialization up to the individual refinement of the noble chocolate of today.
Start your visit of Cologne with some sweet chocolate at the Chocolate Museum and continue on to some of the many Christmas Markets. In November and December, seven Christmas Markets can be found in the city center. Each has its own special atmosphere and its own program. Angels and Saint Nicholases, elves and Father Christmases as well as twinkling stars and the aroma of roasted almonds and “Glühwein” invite you to browse in the festively decorated center of Cologne.
In the city’s heart the “Christmas Market at Cologne Cathedral” awaits its visitors in front of the historic backdrop of the Cathedral with a tremendous Christmas tree. Not far away, located on the squares “Alter Markt” and “Heumarkt”, the “Heinzels Winter Fairytale” attracts with a spectacular ice rink and directly located on the Rhine, next to the chocolate museum, the “Harbor Christmas Market” exudes a maritime flair. In the center of the larger shopping areas, the “Market of the Angels” presents itself on the square “Neumarkt” under a magnificently shining star-spattered sky and quite near on “Rudolfplatz”, young and old enjoy the spirit of the “Village of St. Nicholas”. Nearby, between “Rudolfplatz” and “Schaafenstrase”, everyone is welcome to experience the heavenly ambiance of Cologne’s new gay and lesbian Christmas Market “Heavenue” and on the edge of the popular “Belgian Quarter” people meet on the cozy “Christmas Market at Stadtgarten” within Cologne’s oldest park.
The Cologne Chocolate Museum
Like a ship made of glass and metal, the chocolate museum is located in the Rheinau harbor, directly in front of the old town, near the Cologne Cathedral.
The tour of the nine exhibition areas is a fantastic and unforgettable journey through the 4000 square meters of the culture and history of chocolate, starting at the old American cultures such as the Maya and the Aztecs, through the Baroque age and the industrialization up to the individual refinement of the noble chocolate of today.
After arriving in Cologne you will visit the Chocolate Museum and enjoy a guided tour. Afterwards you will have a chance to purchase some of the sweet products at the gift shop. Then you will depart the museum and stroll along the Rhine to the great cathedral (Kölner Dom). Take some pictures and have some lunch before we will meet up again at the Komödienstrasse, where we will get back on the bus and continue on to the Zoo. There you will have some free time to explore the Zoo on your own. You may even watch the feeding of some of the animals before you will return to the bus and get back home.
The Cologne Chocolate Museum
Like a ship made of glass and metal, the chocolate museum is located in the Rheinau harbor, directly in front of the old town, near the Cologne Cathedral.
The tour of the nine exhibition areas is a fantastic and unforgettable journey through the 4000 square meters of the culture and history of chocolate, starting at the old American cultures such as the Maya and the Aztecs, through the Baroque age and the industrialization up to the individual refinement of the noble chocolate of today.
After arriving in Cologne you will visit the Chocolate Museum and enjoy a guided tour. Afterwards you will have a chance to purchase some of the sweet products at the gift shop. Then you will depart the museum and stroll along the Rhine to the great cathedral (Kölner Dom).
From here, you can explore the Old Town or enjoy shopping on the main shopping streets "Hohe Strasse" and "Schildergasse".
Discover Dragon Castle with a marvelous view over the Rhine
Start the day with ride on a cog railway that takes you steeply uphill to the Drachenfels (Dragon Mountain) which overlooks the Rhine. Make a stop half way up at the beautiful Drachenburg (Dragon Castle). Two large golden stags greet visitors on the Venus Terrace before they reach the palace via a large flight of steps. From the terraces, the view sweeps over the densely wooded Siebengebirge nature park, and even Cologne Cathedral can still be seen in the distance.
Enjoy free time or follow the audioguide and explore the castle grounds with your cellphone.
https://www.schloss-drachenburg.de/index.php/de/info/
allgemeines/aktuelles/288-lauschtour
You can also get back on the railway and ride to the very top of the mountain.
The view of the river and the Siebengebirge is even better from the summit of the Drachenfels, where the remains of a 12th-century castle can still be found. On the Drachenfels plateau is also a panorama restaurant where you may sit down.
At noon we will meet at the bus again which will take us to Cologne. Here you will be dropped off at the River Side and can explore Cologne by yourself. You can enjoy a shopping spree at Hohe Strasse and Schildergasse or visit the famous Cathedrale of Cologne (Koelner Dom).
