By: Debanjana Maitra
Köln
The city of Köln is a splendid mix of perfume, alcohol and God.
Köln sits on the bank of the river Rhine. It is home to the greatest Gothic cathedral in Germany. Interestingly, archeologists have found the city to be the home of the country’s best collections of Roman architecture because of the artifacts buried under the cathedral.
Even though close to ninety-five percent of Cologne was destroyed during WWII , the cathedral had held up fairly well. Surprisingly, after being hit by fourteen bombs, the skeletal Gothic structure flexed but remained. It didn’t collapse.
Koln Old Town
We walked through the Old Town to 4711 Glockengasse, which claims to be the birthplace of the original perfume called Eau de Cologne, known as “Kölnisch Wasser” in German.
If you are in the mood for a party, Köln is the place to visit! Köln’s Old Town is lined with historic Beer Gardens. The city offers a “party cruise” on the river Rhine which runs all night. However, we were too tired after the day’s sojours and decided to skip it.
Getting around Germany 101
Regional and intercity trains in Germany
The main rail network in Germany is made up of the following regional trains and intercity trains:
- Regional Express trains connect regional destinations with larger cities. It makes frequent stops and connects with high-speed ICE trains.
- Regional bahn trains link all local towns. These trains are slower than Regional Express trains.
- InterRegional trains connect Germany’s states.
- S-Bahn (suburban trains) is a network of trains that operate within most big cities, including Berlin and Munich.
- InterCity trains operate domestically and internationally between key cities. They are slower than the high-speed ICE trains as they make more stops.
Buses
Flix bus serves all cities in Germany and the rest of Europe at a very affordable rate.
Foot
Irrespective of the long distance public transport you take, be ready to walk a lot in Europe, especially Germany!
(Debanjana is a software engineer with a keen eye for design. She is an avid traveler who wishes to be a peripatetic. While traveling, she loves creating video blogs using her GoPro.)
