Star
rating - 8/10
There's nothing better for getting you in the festive
spirit than visiting a proper German Christmas market. Yes Albert Square might
be fun, but it can't compete with the real thing. And Cologne, along with every
other German city, town, and even small village, is getting in the Christmas
swing right now in a very big way.
There are about six separate Christmas markets in
Cologne, admittedly of varying qualities, ranging from the tacky Blackpoolesque
ones to purveyors of fine foods, alcohol and unusual gifts. The best one I
found was right by the cathedral. The smells alone are enough to satisfy. But
it's impossible to resist the potato fritters, roast chestnuts, chocolate covered
fruits, and of course the Glühwein
(literally glowing wine - mulled wine to you and me).
And it is all a very
jolly affair, with 72% of Germans (according to an odd polling result I
happened to see anyway) visiting a Christmas market, alongside the many foreign
tourists. There is no loutish behaviour to dull the seasonal cheer, just happy
smiling faces enjoying the hustle and bustle. It's enough to make you come over
all Bing Crosby.
And talking of the
cathedral, with its beautiful spires, defiantly imposing themselves on the
city, it is well worth a visit pre Glühwein sampling. It is one of the few
surviving buildings from the Allied bombings of the city in World War II. Work
to build it started in the thirteenth century, but halted in an
uncharacteristically un-German way a couple of centuries later, and was finally
finished in 1880. It's sweeping and
impressive without being particularly ornate, and has a tower with over 500
steps to climb if you feel so inclined. As the day was not particularly clear,
I didn't, nothing to do with the number of steps you understand, just the lack
of a prospective view....
The other place of note
I visited in Cologne was admittedly not the cheeriest of tourist venues, but a
vital stop nevertheless - the former Gestapo headquarters, now known as the
National Socialism Documentation Centre.
Its chilling past is laid bare, and its walls remain austere, and
undecorated from when it was used in such anger and hatred. Jews, Roma, and
other systematic Nazi victims are remembered as groups, and most effectively as
individuals, via a series of fascinating displays (only in German though - but
English audio guides are available).
Cologne, or Köln as the locals refer to it, is a modern, interesting city, and the run
up to Christmas is certainly a very special time to visit. Frohes Weihnachten!
I've finally managed to have my first Glühwein of the year... just as the weather has turned bitterly cold!
ReplyDeleteIt was great to see you in Germany.
Cathy