The hotel’s restaurant appeared quieter than the previous morning but as breakfast is served between 7.00 and midday on Sundays, perhaps other guests were having a well earned lie in. We enjoyed tucking into a wide selection of healthy and perhaps not quite so healthy (but equally delicious) options to keep us going for most of the day.
Returning to our room, it was then time to pack our bits and pieces together which we then left with the hotel concierge as our flight home wasn’t due to depart until late evening allowing us plenty of time to explore more of the city.
Our morning began with a stroll towards the magnificent cathedral and along the nearby footpath to the riverside embankment. The previous day we had chosen to head upstream so it seemed a good idea to take a walk in the opposite direction. As it was a lovely sunny, spring morning quite a lot of people were also enjoying a morning stroll, cycle ride or jog.
We hadn’t got too far before we were diverted off the riverside path due to flooding. It wasn’t too bad and we were able to take a parallel route on slightly higher ground.
We’d noticed that on the previous day the Rhine was fast flowing and river levels were high. Large barges continued to pass slowly along laden with their heavy cargo and we enjoyed a pleasant 30 minute stroll to the Sculpture Park located just across the road from the river. The park offers free admission and is open daily. It was somewhat smaller than we had expected but contained approximately 30 contemporary sculptures.
The park was created in 1997 with a mixture of permanent and temporary exhibits. Unfortunately, there was very little information about the sculptures or descriptions of their works which would have been helpful to understand the artists ideas. The park lacks a cafe or visitor centre but we had a wander around leaving at its rear entrance near to the zoo.
Not wishing to visit the zoo we continued the short distance along to the Flora and Botanical Garden which also offers free admission. It’s Cologne’s oldest park and is divided into two sections. The southern section of the garden known as Flora was created in 1864 with symmetrically laid out gardens in a variety of styles.
Spring flowers were showing their heads brightening up the landscape as we followed paths through the gardens and around the lake. In the centre of the park lies the historic Flora building which re-opened six years ago after a three year renovation period. This elegant setting now hosts concerts, conferences, weddings and other celebrations.
The Botanical Garden was until 1920 separated by a wall but has now been combined with Flora. It felt very relaxing strolling through its lush vegetation and pausing to admire the gorgeous blooms of early flowering camellias and magnolias.
We also came across several tropical greenhouses and a wonderful palm house styled on London’s Crystal Palace. The gardens were beautiful during our March visit and surely must be even more delightful during the summer months and I’d definitely recommend visiting.
Instead of walking all the way back to the city centre, we made use of the metro from the adjacent Zoo/Flora stop and within ten minutes were alighting at Rudolfplatz which is home to one of the city’s twelve medieval gates. The Hahnen Gate is the most impressive of the monumental gates and was built in the thirteenth century.
Although it was interesting to view this gate, the main reason for taking the metro to Rudolfplatz was so that we could explore Cologne’s Belgian Quarter which lies between Friesenplatz and Rudolfplatz.
Visitors to the Belgian Quarter could be mistaken for thinking they had crossed the border and were actually in Belgium as its street names are derived from Belgian provinces and cities.
Brüsseler Platz lies at the heart of this affluent residential district centred around the neo-Romanesque St. Michael’s church. People were sitting on benches and low stone walls around the square, relaxing in the sunshine. Surrounding the square we found numerous cafes, bars and restaurants offering Belgian favourites such as waffles and moules mariniere. It was tempting to call in for a plate of waffles but as our flight wasn’t until nearly midnight, we had decided to eat later.
Retracing our steps back to the metro, we took a service across the river to its east bank alighting at the Deutzer Bridge from where we strolled through the historic park alongside the riverbank.
In 2015 an attractive, newly created promenade known as the Rhine Boulevard opened offering panoramic views of the city’s skyline from the old town to its majestic cathedral. We passed a large seating area of wide concrete steps which would be perfect for watching the sunset and several bars and restaurants along this popular stretch of the river.
Our afternoon stroll continued across the Hohenzollern Bridge, another good place for some picture perfect views of the city. This bridge also takes the name ‘love lock bridge’ as it is weighed down with thousands of engraved padlocks on its metal railings. I’ve come across many of these on my travels but I can’t recall seeing so many in one place.
Back at our hotel we enjoyed a sit down in one of its lounges and a refreshing cool drink before going out for a meal to Päffgen Beer Hall conveniently located just five minutes walk from the hotel. This beer hall is slightly off the tourist trail and is frequented mostly by locals creating an authentic atmosphere in its dark wood panelled rooms and has a rustic feel.
The brewery only serve one type of Kölsch but as it’s light and hoppy and easily drinkable, I can’t see this being a problem. It’s served in small 20cl glasses at €1.80 a glass. Do try and remember to place your beermat on top of your glass if you don’t want any more, otherwise your glass will be replenished. Interestingly, a beermat acts as your tab with the waiter marking this with pencil ticks to keep track of your bill.
Deciding what to order, I plumped for ‘Dickie Bunne’ from the Cologne local speciality menu whilst across the table it was his favourite pork schnitzel once again. My dish was described as broad beans with bacon and baked potatoes and I had anticipated bacon lardons stirred into the broad beans but instead I was served two large pieces of thick, fatty bacon. After taking some time to remove the fat, I actually enjoyed the dish with its combination of flavours, it just wasn’t what I was expecting. The portions were generous and the food piping hot. It’s not haute cuisine but good for an informal tasty meal. English menus are available but most importantly please remember to have sufficient cash as card payments are not accepted.
It was then back to the hotel for one last time to collect our luggage before taking the train to the airport. As our 48 hour Köln Cards were still valid we did not need to purchase rail tickets for the journey, but should you need to, then these are just €3 each.
The journey to the airport took approximately 20 minutes and as it was late in the evening the terminal was very quiet. Our return flight to Manchester departed punctually at 23.15 landing in Manchester slightly ahead of schedule at 23.45 local time.
Visiting Cologne for the weekend had been very pleasant and we had found plenty of interesting things to see and do to keep us occupied from exploring the gothic cathedral to learning about its perfume industry.
If you have enjoyed reading this post, you may also be interested in the following:
During our stay in Cologne we were guests of Visit Köln and as always all views and opinions are entirely my own.
Love Travelling Blog 
Did you ever eat “Halven Hahn”?
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No, I don’t think so but hopefully next time!
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It goes ever so well with Koelsch.
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I am an MBA student studying in India. I would be travelling to Cologne for a student exchange term at the University of Cologne from October till December. I hope it works out and the pandemic does not ruin our plans of touring Germany and the rest of the EU!!
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I do hope that you are able to take part in your student exchange in Germany later this year. I’m hopeful that life will have returned to a near normality by then and your visit can go ahead. You will very much enjoy studying in Germany and visiting other parts of the EU. I haven’t visited India but would like to do so one day. Whereabouts are you based?
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Thanks for the reply! So my university is located in Bangalore, also called the Silicon valley of India because many IT companies are based here. Bangalore is located in the southern part of India. But I am originally from (and currently spending my summer vacations) in my hometown in Gurgaon, which is a city close to the capital New Delhi.
Definitely you must visit India one day when things are fine! My recommendations would be to visit the states of Rajasthan in the north and Kerala in the south. They are popular among both Indians as well as foreign visitors. If you’re looking for something more offbeat, then the state of Gujarat is good.
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Thank you for your excellent suggestions, I’ll remember them and hope to visit when fall this is over.
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Wow! A beautiful place to visit! Thanks for the tour! Hope the pandemic could ends soon!
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I do hope so Leif and then we can all be free to visit wherever we want. For now though, I’m glad you enjoyed your armchair tour of Cologne.
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I’m so glad to read you were able to continue with interesting sight-seeing, after your experience of the day before with things beginning to close. And it seems as if you picked the most scenic and enjoyable places to find. I loved travelling along with you.
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Thank you so much for your welcome thoughts. We had a lovely final day in Cologne which will live in our memories as being our last trip before the lockdown began, rather like your own road trip.
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My wife who had to flee with her family from Hungary during the war only remembers early childhood in Germany so it has a special place in her heart and it was so good to see her joy travelling through Germany and Austria during our visit in 1995. We loved our trip on the river and exploring river settlements as we negotiated roads beside the river by car.
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Several years ago, before my blogging days we enjoyed two summer motoring holidays along the Rhine and Moselle finding delightful places to stay and enjoying visiting the welcoming small towns and villages with all their pots if geraniums hung from the window boxes. Thinking about it, I’d like to take those road trips once again sometime when all this is over. Take care, Marion.
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Great way to spend the day waiting for a late flight. The Botanical Garden is a place I would love to go. …like others say…virtual travel is a great way to explore with our confinement.
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Thank you for your kind words, it’s so pleasing to read that you are enjoying my posts about Cologne from the comfort and safety of your home. We can all dream of the days ahead when we can resume travelling. Until then, take care.
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I agree, we need virtual travel.
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Thank you, it’s something we can all share and enjoy then perhaps visit when restrictions are lifted.
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My philosophy exactly. I lived in Germany as a kid, and we went to many cities, so it’s nice to read other people’s perspectives.
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Great city, great pics, great post!
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Thanks so much Andy for your kind words, they mean so much. Cologne is a lovely place to visit for a short break.
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When did you write this? You mentioned it’s in the spring. Was it this spring? Before the pandemic began? You never mentioned it.
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We were in Cologne early March this year, it was just before restrictions were put in place for the virus and most things were still operating as normal. I thought I had mentioned this on an earlier post in the series and that we had arranged the visit before the outbreak took place. How the world has changed in such a short time! Stay safe and thank you for commenting.
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Wonderful end to the trip! Really interesting to see flooding, I’ve been three times in March and even seen snow but don’t think I’ve ever seen it get to the point of flooding.
Haven’t been to the botanical gardens since 2013 so nice to see some of the changes 🙂
Glad you enjoyed your time in Köln!
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Thanks Jason – that’s six fascinating German cities now, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf and Köln. Where else would you suggest? Can’t wait to start travelling again!
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Haha starting to make your mark on Germany! I’d recommend Bremen and Munich, I’d also probably say Augsburg but I don’t know if I’m just fonder of it because of association with a friend that lives there. I do like it though.
Been to a few other places in Germany but nowhere I’d particularly say you have to visit.
I think my top 3 to visit now are Dresden, Leipzig and Stuttgart. Funnily enough had I not been in Washington I’d probably have gone to Leipzig in March as Spurs were playing there.
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Yes, Us like to visit Leipzig and Dresden too and I think Nuremberg would also be nice. Let’s hope we can start making plans again quite soon.
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Just lovely Marion.
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Thank you Sue, it’s difficult to believe it was only 13-16 March – it already seems like a lifetime away! Happy memories and hopefully we’ll all be safe t travel again before too long. Marion
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Such a great city during Carnaval. Thanks for the journey. Be Safe
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Thank you for taking the time to comment on my Cologne posts. I’d love to be there for Carnaval one year – something to look forward to!
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Love the information about the tab-on-a-beer-mat system. My local pub used to do this when we lived in Germany. Inexpensive beer and good company led to some great nights and delicate mornings! Lovely record of your trip, as always. Hope you are keeping well in these tricky times. Helen x
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Thank you for taking an interest in these posts Helen, it’s much appreciated. How I wish we could all return to our former lives and enjoy everyday things like going out to the pub and meeting up with friends. Let’s hope it’s not too long until it happens as I’m sure we’ll all appreciate it even more then. We have a lovely big, old house where we’ve lived for 26 years so I’m devoting some time each day to all those jobs that never get done and hopefully to lots of decluttering. By the end of this our garage will hopefully be full of stuff to take down to the charity shops once they open again! Marion x
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What a beautiful place and it seems as though you had a lovely time!
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It was a lovely weekend break and the memories of it will live for ever as it took place just before the virus restrictions came into place. Thank you for your much appreciated thoughts, they are most welcome. Stay safe!
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Keep safe and stay strong! Here is looking forward to more travels in the near future for both you and I!
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Enjoyed the post, a great opportunity for virtual travel. The beer and food look good. I’m fascinated that there’s a Belgian Quarter. Must give that a go some time.
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Thanks Shane, virtual travel s what we all need a good dose of right now. German food is always tasty and the portions nice and big too! I don’t know the origins of Cologne’s Belgian Quarter but presume that some people settled in that district and made it feel like home! Take care.
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I’m happy to avail of some virtual travel. The beer and food look good. Fascinating that there’s a Began Quarter,
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Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my series of Cologne posts. How I wish we could go to a pub now rather than being stuck indoors. The Belgian Quarter is very pleasant and its architecture is even Belgian styled! Take care.
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Wow…never heard of perfume museum. Very well written; almost a virtual tour for me…:D
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Thank you Nanchi for taking an interest in my posts on Cologne. Is a lovely city and the perfume museum was very interesting.
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I’m glad you had a great time exploring Cologne. I love Botanical Gardens, they provide often needed peace and quiet when visiting big cities. Thanks for sharing and fueling my wanderlust. Can’t wait to travel the world again. Stay safe 😊 Aiva
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It was lovely taking a walk through the Botanical Gardens and seeing all the plants sprinting back to life. I can’t wait to resume travelling again either! Take care Marion.
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I have to say the Belgian quarter also has VERY Belgian-looking buildings, in the style found all round where I used to live in Brussels. They look like they’ve been transplanted wholesale.
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That’s very interesting Stella. I’ve visited Belgium numerous times but not for ages so I didn’t realise the buildings were also typically Belgian – obviously a very authentic district! Funnily enough, we were thinking of returning to Brussels so hopefully we’ll get back there once we can travel again. Take care and best wishes, Marion.
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What a wonderful trip, Cologne is a brilliant place to visit. We love Germany. So much history and so many places to visit plus the food and drink is the best. Those bars serving Kolsch are great aren’t they?
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Thanks for taking the time to comment Jonno, it’s much appreciated. You are quite right about German food and drink, you can’t go wrong and the portions are always nice and big too! Hope things are going better for you and you are getting used to life in Devon.
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All going well down here but we could do with a couple of schnitzels and a kolsch or two.
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Couldn’t we all! Let’s hope it’s not going to last too long! I wonder where we’ll head first and what we’ll choose when pubs and restaurants eventually re-open. Can’t wait!
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I enjoyed reading about the food and the perfume in particular.
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Thank you for taking an interest in these posts on Cologne. Touring the perfume museum was really interesting.
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I guess like the rest if us you’re going to become a virtual traveller for the time being.
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Unfortunately yes, but as I travel so much, I’ve got plenty of visits to document that I haven’t had an opportunity to post so far. I should have been heading off to Manchester Airport this morning but instead I’m sitting at my kitchen table! Take care.
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You too. Glad to hear you’ve a stock of potential posts.
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