Cologne, Germany
Cologne, Germany is one of the lesser known cities that can be found in the North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany. It is located right alongside the beautiful Rhine river and between Dusseldorf and Bonn. It is one of the oldest cities in Germany and was founded by the Romans. With that being said you can imagine that this is a city that has the rustic quality where you can find many good natured folks and many places to visit and to relive their history.
Cologne’s Gothic Cathederal is one of its top attractions. It took over 600 years to build and is a UNESCO world heritage site. In 2000, the Cathederal treasures were placed in a historic vaulted chamber so folks could view them easier. If you can climb 509 steps you’ll get a good view of Cologne on the observation platform.
Mulhens marketed a concoction called Aqua Mirabilis on the basis of its stimulating and refreshing effect (splash it on or drink it, it didn’t matter). It later got to be know as the first Eau de Cologne when French Revolutionary troops sent it home for gifts to the family.
Cologne is definately a beer city with their own beer styly called Kölcsh, a pale top fermented beer that must be brewed in the Cologne metoopolitan area. While most of the breweries in the city center are gone, you can still enjoy a beer with other tourists at a pub in the Altstadt.
Also don’t forget to visit the famous Roman antiquities. It is an amazing museum that shows you the history from the first through fourth centuries and the 230 foot long mosaic showing Dionysus, the Roman god of wine. Cologne is a city that is full of life, fun, and history that will make you wish you could stay longer.