This year for Christmas we decided to head back to England to see Angie’s sister and family. Since their house was being renovated, we only spent the immediate time around Christmas Day and New Year’s with them. The rest of our holiday we traveled elsewhere in Europe, including a quick stop in Cologne at the start of the break. Cologne was a fantastic place to spend a couple of days. The many Christmas markets were so fun to explore! Each one has its own vibe, and we had a blast hanging out in them and enjoying local delicacies with sips of hot wine when we needed to warm up.
We awoke to church bells in the morning, and headed out to explore. Although Cologne is not known in Germany as a beautiful city, we found lovely buildings and quaint shops all along our walk to the main cathedral. We spent the day exploring various Christmas markets around the cathedral and along the river. The first one we found that was open was Heinzels Winter Fairytale. This large market is decorated with Heinzelmännchen, gnome-like house spirits that Cologne is known for. The market has tons of stalls and a very large ice skating rink. They also have part of the rink where you can play ice stock sport, which looks like a type of curling.
We spent all day walking, and ended the afternoon at the Chocolate Museum market at the riverside. The walk along the river was very pleasant, and at the market it’s free to walk up to the Chocolate Museum’s rooftop for a lovely view.
Cologne in the evening was all lit up with Christmas lights, so it was a wonderland to wander back through the city towards our hotel. The market at the side of the cathedral was especially beautifully lit, and on a little side part of the market had a lovely and very large Christmas pyramid.
The next day we decided to explore more of the city and visit some of the less-well-known markets. We had already seen the most well-known markets the day before, and we were a bit tired of fighting the crowds. We found the smaller neighborhood markets to be a delight. Still lovely food, drink, and shops, but without the hassle of mobs of people.
In the evening, we found a rooftop market that had a lovely view of the cathedral and relaxed vibe. Then, to finish off our night, we headed to a Kolsch beer hall for dinner.
Cologne is the home of Kolsch, and in order to be designated a kolsch, the beer has to be made of only the correct ingredients and produced within 50 km of Cologne cathedral. We had heard that the Cologne beer halls were an experience not to be missed, and it didn’t disappoint.
The brewery we chose was Brauerei zur Malzmühle. When we walked in without a reservation it was already packed. But the guy in charge didn’t seem phased; he just told us where to stand and that we could order a beer while we waited. Kolsch is supposed to be cold when you drink it, and so it is served in small glasses. At the beer halls, the waiters will immediately automatically replace your empty glass unless you put your coaster on top of the glass, so getting a refill is dangerously easy.
We didn’t have to wait long, and by the time we were finishing up our first beer, they had a great table ready for us. Our spot was at the edge of the balcony looking out over the main part of the restaurant. We had an amazingly delicious meal, plenty of crisp Kolsch, and wonderful views of the bustling restaurant. This was the perfect way to top off our time in Cologne! Next, it was onwards to England.
