Category Archives: Fun
The Historic Town Hall of Cologne
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Built by Wilhelm Vernukken, during 1569-1573, the loggia in the town hall of Cologne is a sight to behold. Its façade has a marked Renaissance characteristic and most historians consider its loggia a most typical Renaissance building. Its architecture is appreciated by all as are the sculptures and carvings present.
The town hall was originally built to serve as a connection between the city council and citizenry. Often morning addresses were held here by the council. However today, this link has become very informal. It even has an open façade where fans can boost their idols with their cheering.
A unique sculpture displaying a struggle between the mayor Gryn and the lion adorns the upper floor parapet. It signifies the legend that speaks of a great fight between the locals and the church for the controls of the city.
The town hall tower stands tall with its height of almost 61 metres! It depicts the church’s authority over the state. It was constructed by the guild after their victory over the nobility in 1396. Its construction style like the entire building is late gothic. It has three tetragonal lower floors and two octagonal upper floor boasts. “Platzjabbeck”, is an extremely famous wooden sculpture which takes out its tongue when the clock tower strikes the hour. Though the workmanship on this statue is remarkable, its sight is pretty pathetic. However there are a number of other stone statues present and they are a sight to behold.
The “Piazetta”, a 900 sqm large, 12.60 meter high open space is the centre of the town hall. It features not only a fantastic view of the enormous tower but also another monument by the name of “Wolke” by Hann Trier. The southern area has the administrative wing. The lion courtyard or “Löwenhof” another part of the town hall lies to its north as does the tower. The Hanseatic League hall or “Hansasaal” lies to its west while to its east lie the office rooms and reception hall.
The Hansasaal is one of the oldest rooms in the town hall. It got its name because it used to be used by the Hanseatic League for its meetings. Later the council started using it as a reception hall. The war ravaged much of its beauty however it was later restored to its original gothic design. “Neun guten Helden” or the sculpture of the nine good horses adorns its south wall and is a sight to behold. Other significant artworks present in the room are the eight prophet figures, the impressive council chairs by Melchior von Reidt and the wooden inlay of the doorways.
Remains of the Roman praetorium have also been discovered at this site. Though in an astonishing condition earlier it has now been restored to its previous glory and can be visited.
The Phantasialand in Cologne
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Phantasialand, an out of the world theme park, is located in Bruhl, Germany, and is very close to Cologne. It provides a once in a lifetime experience and is beyond everything you can ever imagine. Men and women of all ages will enjoy themselves immensely. Its various rides will make you catch your breath, while the adrenaline rush will leave you speechless.
You can get there by the ICE International which makes 7 runs a day to Cologne. From Cologne you have to change trains in from track 6 to track 9. The total time for this is 3 hours. Purchase a shuttle bus return ticket and travel to and from the Bruhl station. Once you reach Phantasialand the entry is just € 1.50 per person.
Out of the large number of varied and imaginative rides present here, Tolocan, is one of the best. it is a recent addition and thus is much more thrilling than the others. However, it is not recommended for those weak at heart for it involves special effects with dangerous turns that leave you hanging upside down!
The River Quest is another fascinating ride and features wet rides with steep waterfalls too! It is extremely refreshing on hot summer days.
Another ride worth visiting is Black Mamba. Almost everyone visits this park mainly because of this ride. It is by far the most thrilling roller coaster of the world and features high speed with loops in the track!
For those who won’t be able to bear this intense thrill, there are several shows and presentations which may interest you. One of these is the ‘On Ice Show’ which features a lot of dancing that involve many smooth moves on the ice!
On the whole, Phantasialand is a place where anyone can spend the entire day and say that the time flew by in seconds! Not only this, if you feel that a day is not enough for you, then there are several hotels situated in the vicinity where you can spend the night and rejoin the joys of this theme park the next morning.
The timings of Phantasialand vary from time to time so you might want to check the official website. A day-ticket for adults costs € 47.50, while the price of a day-ticket for children from 4 – 12 years is 17. A ticket for seniors over 60 years of age costs € 17.50.
Parks And Gardens In Cologne
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Cologne is blessed with many green spaces, especially public parks and landscaped gardens. Cologne has 2 park areas encircling the city and nearly the entire town, respectively, which were set aside as public recreation areas after World War I. Most notably are Volksgarten, Rheinpark, Hiroshima-Nagasaki and Stadtgarten parks where thousands of people come together to enjoy the sun, play and barbecue when the weather is fine. All these parks have an associated beer garden. Here are some of the famous parks of Cologne:
City Garden (Stadtgarten) at Venloer Strasse 40, Belgisches Viertel, Cologne, D-50672, Germany, DE
This park dates back to almost 200 years and hosts a number of recreational activities, events and concerts, especially during the summer months. It is open daily from dawn to dusk and the entry is free of charge.
Botanic Gardens at Amsterdamer Strasse 34, Riehl, Cologne, D-50735, Germany, DE
The gardens stretch to an area of about 25 acres and hosts many important and rare plant collections. Dating back to the middle of the 19th century, the gardens also have a number of glasshouses filled with exotic plants, ponds, fountains, colourful flower borders and a nearby cable car ride. It is open daily from 8 am in the morning to dusk and the entry is free of charge.
Japanese Gardens at Düsseldorfer Strasse, Teil des Carl-Duisberg-Parks, Leverkusen, Cologne, D-51061, Germany, DE
Located at the outskirts of Cologne, the Japanese gardens showcase a array of Japanese features like clipped trees, a teahouse, stone Buddhas and lanterns, ponds, and several brightly coloured bridges. Springs witness blossoming of cherry tress while autumn is beautiful when the maple leaves quickly change to dramatic, fiery colours. It is open daily from dawn to dusk and the entry is free of cost.
City Forest at Dürener Strasse, Lindenthal, Cologne, D-50931, Germany, DE
Cologne’s Stadtwald, lies on the outskirts and encloses a vast area of over 150 acres / 61 hectares. The cite takes pride in its variety of plant species, a boating pond, wildlife reserve and summer beer gardens.
Bask in the festivities of Christmas markets in Cologne
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Christmas is all joy, fun and festivities for Cologne as the city basks in the magic of the festivities organized in the seven Christmas markets which start on the last Monday before Advent. The main Christmas markets in Cologne are Alter Markt, Cathedral X-Mas Market, Harbour Christmas market, Neumarkt, Rudolfplatz and X-mas Market on the rhine.
The celebrations attract millions of tourists during this time who come lured by the items sold at the quaintly designed huts (or “Buden”), christmas music, arts and crafts, toys, mesmerizing decorations and the mouth watering Christmas bakeries.
The Christmas markets charm the kids with the performances of pewter pourers, wreath binders and glassblowers. The aroma of various delicacies like mulled wine, hot chestnuts and gingerbread, cinnamon stars, baked apples and roasted almonds fill your nose. Santa’s visit and the sight of nostalgic roundabouts are a major attraction for children who are also lured by the magic acts, jugglery, medieval musicians, Christmas cribs and intricately decorated trees.
More than 160 stalls offer a large scale of traditional goods and handcrafted gifts. Besides shopping at the Christmas markets, the city also offers an extensive programme including exhibitions, shows, musicals, operas or concerts.
The markets are a great opportunity for indulgence into the typical German culinary delights like the famous “Christstollen” yeast cakes, “Lebkuchen” soft gingerbread cookies and Marzipan almond confections, not to forget the mandatory “Glühwein” a hot spiced wine in mugs to warm chilly hands.
It is advisable to book the Cologne hotels in advance as they get packed during this season of the year. Just in time for Advent, the Cologne Tourist Board publishes a leaflet providing information on all the Christmas markets and their opening times. You can also look for packages including overnight accommodation.
Lower Rhenish Music Festival of Cologne
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The Lower Rhenish Music Festival that was used to organized in Cologne was one of the most noted and recognized music festivals of the classical music and it happened around between 1818 and 1958 unabated for about a century and happened for about 112 times.
In the year 1817 Johann Schornstein, the musical director at Elberfeld, organized a music fest and cultural fest in his town and there in organizing the festival he was assisted by the musicians from Düsseldorf under their conductor Friedrich August Burgmüller. During this festival the idea was born adopted y Schornstein and Burgmüller to recur this event again and again simultaneously between their cities. In the year 1821 the musicians from Cologne and 1925 from Aachen participated in the fest.
This fest thereon continued till 1958 and was occurred as about 112 times. It was only the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states and the First and Second World War the fest was interpreted and could not be carried on further. After the last war in the year 1948 Cologne resigned away and out of this fest and organization of the music festival, whereas the cities Wuppertal, a fusion of Elberfeld and Barmen, and Duisburg contributed to this meeting. It was the year 1958 that was the dead year for the fest where it was finally closed down as other regional music festivals too were born in the mean time. At the beginning the Lower Rhenish Music Festival happened for days and from the year 1826 it remained only a single day activity.
From the very start the Lower Rhenish Music Festival held its reputation as a societal and cultural height of at a very high artistic level. Due to the presence of the foreign guests, politicians, business people and members of the high nobility at fest there entire and varying compositions was presented at the festival. Apart from the local music directors many known conductors, composers and soloists were involved in shaping the role of the festival. The music stage was equally used as both by the world premiers of the music as well as new and some first time artist also performed at the music festival. As for music recognition there the focus was upon the Baroque music, the Viennese classical as well as the Romantic Music and the 20th-century classical music. There were presentation at the fest of the great symphonic poems, mass, oratorios, chorale, cantatas and the chamber music at the fest.
Mondial am Dom Mgallery, 5 star hotel in Cologne
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Mondial am Dom Mgallery, 5 star hotel in Cologne
• Overview of the Hotel: The hotel is situated at the center of cologne as it provides the onsite parking and the spa facilities at the center of Cologne. It is located about a step away from the Kölner Dom Cathedral and the Museum Ludwig. The La Brasserie restaurants in the hotel provide and give the Mediterranean cuisine. There is also a Tapas bar for lighter meals. Spa facilities at Cologne’s Mgallery hotel involve a sauna, steam room and fitness room. Cologne’s main train station is about 330 yards away there. The hotel has about 207 rooms and it is the chain of the MGallery.
• Amenities at the Hotel: With respect to amenities in the hotel there are about the following as in the category of restaurant, bar, non-smoking rooms, rooms/facilities for disabled guests, elevator and safe. For services in the hotel they includes as room service, meeting/banquet facilities, business center, laundry and the currency exchange.
• Hotel Rules: There are certain common rules in the hotel as well as differing rules as according to the type of rooms in the hotel. The check in time into the hotel is 15:00 hours and the checkout time is until 12:00 hours. The cancellation and prepayment policies there vary according to the room type. Pets are allowed there on very nominal charges. The hotel accepts cards as American Express, Visa, Euro-Mastecard, Diners Club and JCB.
• Hotel Room Types and Rates:
Classic Twin Room: € 120 (Per Night)
Cologne Carnival, the exuberance and festivities in the city
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The Cologne Carnival, the famous festival of the city is being organized there at every year in Cologne, Germany. Conventionally, the “fifth season” (carnival season) is quite suited for the carnival festivities and therefore the celebrations starts at the 11 minutes past 11 on the 11th of November. The Carnival spirit, however, somehow gets subdued or gets suspended due to the arrival of Christmas. But once again starts with the renewed vigor by the coming of the New Year.
The time of enjoyment thus is of merrymaking in the streets is officially declared open at downtown square Alter Markt on the Thursday just before the start of Lent. Street carnival, that is a long week street festival is also named as the “the crazy days”, is organized between the Fat Thursday (Weiberfastnacht) and ends on Ash Wednesday (Aschermittwoch). The primary characteristics of this carnival are Rose Monday, just before the Ash Wedenesday. During these days the people of Cologne keeps roaming from this place to another one. The typical greeting during the festival is Kölle Alaaf!, a Kölsch phrase that even can be translated being as “Cologne above all!”
At the carnival there three people from the crowd are selected as the Dreigestirn and then are given the titles of Jungfrau, Prinz, and Bauer (virgin, prince and farmer) to them and they in return of privileges pay larges sum of money to the carnival. The carnival prince is recognized as the highest symbol of the festivities in carnival and leads the main parade throughout the week. Where as the Jungfrau (“Virgin”) is always dressed by a man as a female. All the three characters are shown as trio as from since 1883. Before that they used to be individual characters, but there entered into the Cologne carnival as in the 1820s.
As already referred The Prince is also told as to be the Seine Tollitaet and is one of the most valuable persons as during the Cologne carnival. His float is the final one in the large parade that occurs on the Shrove Monday. The naming as “prince” is been adopted from 1872, yet earlier its name there was “Held Carneval” (hero carnival), the personification of carnival. The farmer keeps the title of “Seine Deftigkeit”. As Cologne is a big city, the farmer therefore is a stately guy. He shows the boldness of the old privileged imperial city of Cologne. The official carnival along with its parades and stage shows is organized by the Festkomitee Kölner Karneval (Cologne Carnival Celebration Committee) that was established in 1823. Side by Side carnival festivities are getting organized throughout the city’s bars, clubs and local communities.
Dom Hotel Le Méridien, 5 star hotel in Cologne
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Dom Hotel Le Méridien, 5 star hotel in Cologne
• Overview of the Hotel: The hotel is located close to the world renowned Kolner Dom cathedral. The hotel rooms at the 5 star Dom Hotel Le Meridien have about air conditioning, satellite TV and marble bathtub and shower. The hotel serves the international, seasonal and seafood specialties. Meals, ice cream and refreshments are also given on the Lido Summer Terrace on the cathedral’s square. Cologne’s main train station and the Dom subway station are located about 280 yards away from there. In hotel there are total 120 rooms and it is the chain of Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts.
• Amenities at the Hotel: For facilities in the hotel the common one includes as Restaurant, bar, 24-hour front desk, terrace, non-smoking rooms, rooms/facilities for disabled guests, elevator, express check-in/check-out, safe, soundproofed rooms, air conditioning. While in services in the hotel it includes as room service, meeting/banquet facilities, airport shuttle, business center, babysitting/child services, laundry, breakfast in the room, ironing service, honeymoon suite, currency exchange, bicycle rental, shoe shine, car rental, tour desk, fax/photocopying and ticket service.
• Hotel Rules: With respect to the rules in the hotel and at the common areas of the hotel there prevails the common rules, however the rules gets differed for different type of hotel rooms. The check in time into the hotel is 15:00 hours and the check out time is until 12:00 hours. The cancellation and prepayment policy in the hotel room varies according to the room type. Pets are allowed in the hotel upon certain applicable charges. The hotel accepts cards as American Express, Visa, Euro-Mastercard and Diners Club.
• Hotel Room Types and Rates:
Superior Single Room: € 160 (Per Night)
Superior Double Room: € 185 (Per Night)
Superior Double Room: € 179 (Per Night)
Executive Single Room: € 199 (Per Night)
Executive Doppelzimmer: € 210 (Per Night)
Corner Suite: € 260 (Per Night)
Kölsch, the famous mild tasted beer from Cologne
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Kölsch, also pronounced as Koelsch, is an indigenous beer type in Cologne. This beer speciality is brewed in Cologne. This is a very popular and crystal clear beer with a bright straw yellow hue. However, its taste is bit bitter than the standard German pale lager. Kölsch is temperate fermented at a temperature of around 13 to 21°C (55 to 70°F) and then after is cold-conditioned, or lagered. This method of fermentation for Kolsch is related to or compared with other beer styles from central northern Europe, similar as the Altbiers of northern Germany and the Netherlands.
Kölsch is according to the strict rule is mentioned and retained as under the Kölsch Konvention, that is an agreement between the members of the Cologne Brewery Association. According to the agreement it is a pale, highly attenuated, hoppy, clear, top-fermenting beer that has an gravity between 11 and 16 degrees Plato (1.044—1.065). In practice about all Kölsch brands have a very similar gravity near the middle of this range.
Kölsch is deemed to be served at the cellar temperature of about 10°C/50°F. It is served in a long, thin, cylindrical 0.2 litre glasses. This glass is known as to be a Stange (pole), but is world derisively called a Reagenzglas (test tube), or Fingerhut (thimble). There many bars have moved to the convention of providing the customers with providing larger and less traditional glasses. The word Kölsch was officially used for the first time in 1918 to describe the form of beer which was brewed by the Sünner brewery since 1906. Before World War II, there were about 40 breweries in Cologne, however, after the devastations wrought by the war, those number further reduced about to two. After the 1940s and 1950s Kölsch could not match up with the sales of bottom-fermented beer, but at start it peaked up to the level of 1960s in popularity and achieved supremacy in the Cologne beer market. It increased the beer production from about merely 50 million liters in 1960, to about 370 million Cologne’s beer production in 1980.
Culturally, Kölsch remains in the stiff competition with Altbier that is Beer variety from the center of Düsseldorf. There is not much difference between both types as Altbier is fermented at bit higher temperature than Kölsch and uses dark malt, harder water and far more bittering hops that results in a nuttier, firmer and drier taste. The rivalry between the cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf new has developed into a humorous issue at present times.
Hyatt Regency Köln, 5 star hotel in Cologne
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Hyatt Regency Köln, 5 star hotel in Cologne
• Overview of the Hotel: This particular hotel is situated along and about on the River Rhine as opposite to the Cologne’s Old Town and Cologne Cathedral. It provides the luxurious rooms and suites, gourmet cuisines and elegant spa with swimming pool. The Hyatt Regency has about 2 restaurants, a bar with terrace. Cologne specialties and Kölsch beer are also served on the terrace which offers spectacular views of the center of Cologne. It is located about 3minute walk away from Deutzer Freiheit subway station. The hotel has about 306 rooms and is the chain of Hyatt group of hotels.
• Amenities at the Hotel: For the most common service and facilities in the hotel one can avail and enjoy as the following one as restaurant, bar, 24-hour front desk, newspapers, grounds, terrace, non-smoking rooms, rooms/facilities for disabled guests, elevator, express check-in/check-out, safe, heating, baggage storage, stores in hotel, allergy-free room available, air conditioning and designated smoking area. In services one can enjoy as room service, meeting/banquet facilities, business center, laundry, dry cleaning, vip room facilities, breakfast in the room, ironing service, currency exchange, souvenirs/gift shop, shoe shine, packed lunches, car rental, tour desk, fax/photocopying and ticket service.
• Hotel Rules: As for hotel rules at Hyatt Regency Koln there a uniform policy run at the entire common areas in the hotel. However, these hotel rules get change when a person stays in a room of his choice. The check in time into the hotel is 15:00 – 00:00 hours and check out time is about 7:00 – 12:00 hours. The Cancellation and prepayment policies there in the hotel vary according to the room type. Pets are allowed on request on certain applicable charges. Hotel accepts cards like American Express, Visa, Euro/Mastercard, Diners Club and JCB.
• Hotel Room Types and Rates:
Standard Double Room: € 144.50 (Per Night)
Double Room with Rhine View: € 181 (Per Night)
Regency Suite with Club Access: € 328 (Per Night)