A day in Cologne

This weekend, a couple of friends and I hired a car and went on a road trip. Cologne was amongst one of the places we visited, and probably my favourite of all of them. We weren't there for very long, but what we did see was incredible and I'd definitely recommend checking it out for yourself if you have time.

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Brunch

We started our day off by going for brunch in one of Cologne's many amazing breakfast/cafe places. We went to Hallmackenreuther, which is a lovely cafe in a quieter part of town, opposite a gorgeous church which you can sit outside of if the weather's nice. It was a little expensive, but definitely good value for money. The food was really tasty and clearly made with good-quality, fresh ingredients! A great place to go for breakfast (or lunch or dinner) if you don't mind heading a little bit out of the centre of town.

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Cathedral

Next we headed to the cathedral - an obvious must-see whilst in Cologne! Unfortunately, pictures just don't do it justice. It is unbelievably huge, so good luck trying to get a photo with it all in! Inside is also very impressive, but be aware that a service may be going on whilst you're inside, so you're restricted to looking at the back of the cathedral rather than being able to walk around all of it. You should also think about wearing at least semi-respectful clothing, as I saw a man be asked to take his hat off when he was inside!

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Love locks bridge

Just behind the cathedral, there's a gorgeous park area and a bridge crossing the river. The bridge might not look like anything special, particularly since it's right near the main station and trains cross it regularly, but if you take the time to walk across it, you'll see it's absolutely covered in padlocks. Most of these have names and dates on, and some are actually really old, so it's interesting to wander along the bridge and have a look. You also get some pretty stunning views of Cologne and the cathedral, even if you just walk halfway across! Perhaps a lesser-known tourist spot in Cologne, but still worth the walk.

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Chocolate Museum

The next stop on our tour of Cologne was the Chocolate Museum. Make sure to take your student ID with you, as you get a reduction in entry price, but be aware that it's still quite expensive (9 Euro per person). The museum itself is really interesting though. It takes you through the production process, with lots of interactive exhibits, a tropical greenhouse garden, and a room where you can actually watch the chocolate being made and processed. There are also a couple of points where you can get free tasters, which is always good.

If you're interested, it's possible to book classes in advance where you can make your own chocolates, and there's also a section where you can design your own chocolate bar and have it made right there and then!

Alternatively, you can just check out the cafe part of the museum. You get really nice views of the river, and their menu has so many options. There's waffles, crepes, fancy hot chocolates, souffles, fondants, cakes and more. They even do a chocolate fondue, which one of my friends and I shared, which is absolutely amazing if you can justify the price!

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Shopping

Cologne also has great shopping. We went on a Sunday, so unfortunately very little was actually open, but they have a range of shops including some high-end brands and you could easily spend a day in the shops before even starting on the touristy stuff!

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All in all, despite only spending a few hours in Cologne, we had a great time and I can definitely recommend visiting it!