Explore Cologne the city in Germany and Best of Düsseldorf
Explore Cologne the city in Germany and Best of Düsseldorf
It has already been 11 years since we lived in Munich, Germany. So far we have already managed to visit a large part of this wonderful country – we have seen beautiful lakes and waterfalls, but also the cities with the main attractions. Apart from this general article about Germany, we also wrote about every city, lake and small town we visited and German restaurant ideas. If you want to know more about these beautiful places, we invite you to read the other articles about Germany.
Table of Contents
Germany Map
Informations
Its capital and largest city is Berlin, and its financial center is Frankfurt; the largest urban area is the Ruhr. Germany is a great power with a strong economy; it has the largest economy in Europe, the fourth largest economy in the world. As a global leader in several industrial, scientific and technological sectors, it is both the third largest exporter and importer of goods in the world. As a developed country, it offers social security and a universal system of health care, environmental protection and free university education.
Temperature: Summer is the perfect time to visit the country in terms of the weather. The sky is clear and everybody heads outdoors to enjoy the sun.
Language: The official language is German.
Currency: Euro
Food Prices: Meal in a cheap restaurant=14 EUR, Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant=50 EUR
You can find more information about the visa here.
Things to do
Dusseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state and the seventh-largest city in Germany. Mercer’s 2012 Quality of Living survey ranked Düsseldorf the sixth most livable city in the world .Düsseldorf is an international business and financial center, renowned for its fashion and trade fairs, and is headquarters to one Fortune Global 500 and two DAX companies. The city is also known for its influence on electronic/experimental music and its Japanese community. Main attractions: Königsallee, Rheinturm, Benrath Castle, Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum Düsseldorf, Hofgarten and Nordpark.
Museum Kunstpalast
The Museum Kunstpalast Foundation was founded in 1998 by the city of Düsseldorf and E.ON AG. From 2000 to 2011 under the spelling museum kunst palast, known as KUNSTPALAST since the end of 2018, the foundation brought together the art museum including the Hentrich Glass Museum, the art palace and the Robert Schumann Hall. The NRW Forum has also been part of the Kunstpalast since 2020.
Benrath Castle
Benrath Castle is located in the southern Benrath district of the North Rhine-Westphalia state capital Düsseldorf. It was built from 1755 to 1773 under the direction of Nicolas de Pigage on behalf of Elector Karl Theodore of the Palatinate as a widow’s residence for Elector Elisabeth Auguste. The cost was 700,000 thalers. The listed ensemble of pleasure palace, hunting park, ponds and canal system is considered an important architectural work of art in Düsseldorf.
Hofgarten
The Hofgarten is the central park in Düsseldorf. It is located in the city center in the districts of Stadtmitte and Pempelfort and has a total area of 27.73 hectares, of which 13 hectares are meadow areas. The park area extends from Jacobistraße with Jägerhof Castle and the adjacent Malkastenpark to Heinrich-Heine-Allee on the old town and from Königsallee to the Ehrenhof on the banks of the Rhine.
Rhine Tower
The Rhine Tower is a television tower in Düsseldorf. At 240.50 meters, it is the tallest structure in the city and the tenth highest television tower in Germany. The Rhine Tower, built between 1978 and 1982, serves both as a support for antennas for radio links, DVB-T television and VHF radio services and as an observation tower.
Messe Düsseldorf
Today’s trade fair company Messe Düsseldorf GmbH was founded on January 7, 1947 under the name Nordwestdeutsche Ausstellungs-Gesellschaft mbH – NOWEA. This initially happened with regard to the organization of a “commercial performance and export show” suggested by the British occupation. However, a few other exhibitions were added at the end of the 1940s, so that the trade fair company became permanently established.
Kö-Bogen
The Kö-Bogen is a building complex and open space structure for urban renewal in the North Rhine-Westphalian state capital of Düsseldorf. The urban development project was named after the quarter-circle arc that the Hofgartenstrasse once ran along the edge of the Hofgarten and the pond on the Landskrone in the direction of Königsallee, the Kö. The project, initiated in 2005, envisaged extensive construction measures and was divided into various construction sections and phases.
Cologne
Cologne is the largest city of Germany’s most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city in Germany.Cologne is a major cultural centre for the Rhineland; it hosts more than 30 museums and hundreds of galleries. Exhibitions range from local ancient Roman archeological sites to contemporary graphics and sculpture. The Cologne Trade Fair hosts a number of trade shows such as Art Cologne, imm Cologne, Gamescom, and the Photokina.Main attractions:Cologne Cathedral,Phantasialand,Chocolate Museum Cologne,Museum Ludwig,Cologne Zoo,Cologne Triangle und Brühl Castle.
Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne under the patronage of the Apostle Peter. It is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Cologne and the metropolitan church of the ecclesiastical province of Cologne. Cologne Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in the Gothic architectural style. Its construction began in 1248 and was not completed until 1880. Some art historians have described the cathedral as a “perfect cathedral” because of its uniform and balanced design.
Phantasialand
Phantasialand is an amusement park in Brühl near Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. With over two million visitors in 2022, it is the second most visited theme park in Germany and one of the 15 most visited seasonal theme parks in Europe. Phantasialand offers numerous rides and shows in six themed areas and two themed worlds.
Chocolate Museum
The Cologne Chocolate Museum is a special cultural and historical museum for chocolate in the Altstadt-Süd district of Cologne. The exhibition building, located on a peninsula in the Rheinauhafen, houses, among other things, a collection on the history of chocolate and a permanent exhibition on modern chocolate production.
Hohenzollern Bridge
The Hohenzollern Bridge is a bridge over the Rhine in Cologne at river kilometer 688.5. The original structure, built between 1907 and 1911, consisted of two railway bridges and one road bridge. After 1945, the reconstruction only took place for two railway bridges, which were later supplemented by a third. To replace the eliminated road bridge, the outer railway bridges were supplemented with footpaths and cycle paths.
Groß St. Martin
Groß St. Martin is one of the twelve large Romanesque churches in Cologne. It is located in the old town and is closely surrounded by residential and commercial buildings from the 1970s and 1980s. Until secularization in 1802, the church was the abbey church of the Benedictine abbey of the same name. The three-aisled basilica with its cloverleaf-shaped east choir and the square crossing tower with four corner turrets is one of the most striking landmarks in the city panorama on the left bank of the Rhine.
Augustusburg and Falkenlust
The castles Augustusburg and Falkenlust are located in the city of Brühl in the Rhineland. Augustusburg Castle is located in the east of the city and is connected to the Falkenlust hunting lodge by an avenue through the extensive castle park. Both castles are among the most important Baroque and Rococo buildings in Germany. They and the castle park have been UNESCO World Heritage sites since 1984.
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum
Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud in Cologne are one of the largest classical painting galleries in Germany. The oldest museum in the city of Cologne houses the world’s most extensive collection of medieval painting, in particular the “Cologne School of Painting”, as well as a representative selection of art from the 16th to 19th centuries in a building from 2001.
Where to stay
A good night’s sleep is particularly important when you are travelling. Germany offers its guests a host of luxurious, charming and also out-of-the-ordinary accommodation.
Whether in the heart of the city, near the lake or surrounded by nature – Germany’s hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses guarantee a relaxing and invigorating stay.
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Luxury hotels we recommend in Cologne: Hotel Innception, Stadthotel am Römerturm, Hyatt Regency Köln.
hotels we recommend in Düsseldorf: Düsseldorfer Privatzimmer , ibis Duesseldorf Airport, Hotel Favor.
Where to eat
Traditional Food and
Desserts to try in Germany
Wurst- There are an estimated 1,500 varieties of sausage in Germany. These are prepared in many different ways and include a range of ingredients and unique spice blends.
Rouladen – This typical German dish consists of bacon, onions, mustard, and pickles wrapped in thinly sliced beef or veal which is then cooked.
Spätzle is especially popular in the south of the country. These soft egg noodles are made from wheat flour and egg and are often topped with cheese (Käsespätzle) and roasted onions.
Eintopf – means ‘one pot’ and refers to the way of cooking rather than its contents. That said, most recipes contain the same basic ingredients: broth, vegetables, potatoes or pulses, and pork, beef, chicken, or fish.
Sauerbraten (meaning ‘sour’ or ‘pickled’ roast) is one of the country’s national dishes. You can make a pot roast by using many different types of meat, which you marinate in wine, vinegar, spices, herbs, and then season for up to ten days.
Kartoffelpuffer are shallow pan-fried pancakes made from grated or ground potatoes mixed with flour, egg, onion, and seasoning.
Kartofflelknödel is the German term for potato dumplings. Potatoes serve as the base for the dumplings, but you can add any spices and croutons you like.
Maultaschen are small sheets of dough filled with various ingredients. Some people like ground beef, while others add smoked meats, including sausages. You can also add onions and herbs to your dumplings.
Of course, all travel enthusiasts and everyone who loves to try new foods have heard about these foods, but these foods are specific to Germany and you must try them when you are here: pretzel, pork schnitzel, potato salad, fried potatoes, currywurst.
Black Forest cherry torte – Alternating layers of rich chocolate cake, cherries, and whipped cream are topped off with more cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings for a luxurious finish.
Stollen is an authentic German Christmas food. It dates back to the 16th century, and it is most popular in Dresden. It is a flatbread with dried and candied fruits. You can also add chopped or whole nuts and then top the bread off with powdered sugar.
Restaurants
Chez Claude Düsseldorf – Whether quiche, bourguignon or onion soup: modern bistro cuisine with a French touch meets well-matched wines here.
Spaghetti & Stars – Good Italian cuisine, excellent wines and drinks at the bar and a convivial atmosphere until late in the evening.
A triad of bistro, restaurant and bar: The chic Prinzinger by Saittavini in Oberkassel serves upscale Italian cuisine in an impressive ambience. Depending on the season, you can treat yourself to something from Alba truffles to sole.
Excellent Japanese cuisine and the finest sushi have been available at Yabase for more than thirty years. The minimalist furnishings quickly remind you of the clarity of Far Eastern culture.
Staudi’s stands for modern German cuisine in a unique ambience: in a former butcher’s shop with an antique tiled floor and pretty decor, you can try particularly modern reinterpretations of hearty German specialties such as kale, potato pancakes or schnitzel.
The finest à la carte breakfast meets a noble four-course dinner! At Neobiota you can get delicacies such as spring pancakes with rhubarb compote and elderberry syrup or shakshuka in the morning, while in the evening it shines as a menu restaurant.
Dine like you would in an upscale French bistro at Le Moissioner! Here fantastic dishes with interesting hot and cold combinations meet a great selection of wines and good service. If you feel comfortable in more upscale restaurants, you should stop by here.
Delicious homemade burgers are available at “Fette Kuh”. Freshly baked buns, hand-cut fries from the potato farmer next door and regional meat make these burgers an absolute highlight.
Ox&Klee gets its name from the two different menus you can order from here. The Ox menu also uses fish, meat and seafood, all of which are organic and sustainably sourced. The Klee menu is a vegetarian menu based on purely vegetarian ingredients and creates unique vegetarian dishes rather than trying to imitate meat dishes.
Saving Tips
- CHOOSE YOUR AIRPORT WISELY: If you’re flying from North America, you’re likely to find the best flight deals into Frankfurt, home to Germany’s largest international airport. However, Frankfurt is five hours away from Berlin and almost four hours away from Munich. Since train tickets can be pricey and gas is expensive, it may be worth paying a little extra to fly closer to your destination.
- TRY A LOW-COST AIRLINE: Consider low-cost airline options from the US to Germany, including Norwegian Airlines.
- Get city tourism cards – Most of the major cities in Germany offer city tourism cards. These include free admission to major museums and attractions, discounts on restaurants, and usually unlimited public transportation. If you plan on seeing a lot, these cards can save you money.
- Get transportation day passes – If you’re going to be using public transportation a lot in a city, get a day pass. Paying for single rides adds up quickly.
- SEASON” SAVINGS: If you can, try to visit Germany in June or September. You’ll find better deals during these months and the weather is still usually very pleasant.
- Book your train early – Trains in Germany are expensive but you can get a saver ticket that is around 40-50% off the standard fare if you book at least a week in advance.
- You can get online for free and make use of the free Wi-fi. Many cafes and renowned chains like McDonald’s and Starbucks offer free Wi-Fi in Germany, as do the various municipal buildings, libraries, parks, and some museums.
- Look out for free museum days – Most museums in Germany offer free admission on certain days or evenings.
- KEEP AN EYE ON SCHOOL HOLIDAYS: Public school in Germany has five main school holidays: winter holidays, spring break, summer holidays, autumn holidays and Christmas holidays.
- Hop-On Hop-Off bus tours or Big Bus tours
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Shopping
Düsseldorf – The Königsallee – When it comes to the quality and creativity of the retail offering, Düsseldorf is rightly mentioned in the same breath as cities like Milan and Paris. Visitors to the city center look for (and find) a shopping experience with flair and an exclusive atmosphere. The name of Königsallee stands for this experience. The big names in the fashion industry – from Kenzo and Joop to Jil Sander and Ute Raasch to Armani, Onofri and Féraud – can be found here. Elegant designer shops and noble shopping arcades characterize the Kö shopping experience. In addition to exclusive women’s and men’s fashion stores, there are offers from jewelers, antique dealers, furniture stores and bookstores. More than 90 retail stores have settled on Königsallee.
Around 130 exclusive specialist shops and top international brands can be found under the roof of the Kö-Galerie, which also offers a wide range of culinary offerings.
The Schadow Arcades at the interface between Königsallee and the high-sales Schadowstrasse represent another upscale shopping and experience world. Düsseldorf’s old town, known as the “Longest Bar in the World” because of the dense collection of over 260 bars, not only invites you to stroll through the bars, but also offers a special kind of shopping pleasure. Here you can find curiosities in numerous alleys and side streets and trendy items in quaint boutiques and avant-garde shops.
The Karlstadt, whose buildings predominantly date from the 18th and 19th centuries. Century, with its baroque appearance is one of the most idyllic districts of Düsseldorf. No other district has more, mostly wonderfully restored, old buildings that create a historical flair. On Carlsplatz, the heart of Karlstadt and Düsseldorf’s best weekly market, products from all over the world are on offer.
Düsseldorf has the largest Japanese community on the European continent. The interesting Japanese quarter has formed around the Nikko Hotel on Immermannstrasse. There is a wide range of Japanese supermarkets, bookstores, restaurants, hotels and other facilities here, even in the lively side streets. The Japanese department store chain Mitsukoshi is a popular place to go.
The City Süd shopping mile stretches from the southern end of Kö to Friedrichstrasse. A wide range of books and other media, entertainment electronics and all everyday items, as well as numerous pubs and restaurants for every taste, are worth a visit.
Koln Arcaden- While you are on a hunt to find the best out of Cologne, shopping malls will play a major role in that as they offer everything at one place, under one roof. Koln Arcaden is one of the most popular malls in Cologne you should check out while shopping there! The mall offers more than 110 shops including brands like H&M, Only, Vero Moda and more.
Ehrenstrasse is known for best shopping in Cologne. You can’t just go away from Cologne without visiting this place. This small street offers so much that you will be spoilt for choice. From small shops offering souvenirs to top-notch brands like zara and pepe jeans, there is everything for every kind of shopaholic.
Schildergasse-Imagine walking on the high-streets of Germany with a number of shopping bags sipping coffee or sitting by a cafe at the end of the street! Seems amazing, right? Well, schildergasse will give you the same feeling. Brands like Douglas, H&M, Max Mara are located here making it one of the most popular places for shopping in Cologne.
If you are thinking of what to buy in Cologne, then let us tell you there are umpteen number of options! Yet another popular place for shopping in Cologne is Hohe Strasse. It is home to many souvenir shops and high-end brands so you will not have to worry about going to other places. May it be jewelleries, house decors, accessories or anything, it offers all of it.
Rhein-Center Koln-This is a popular shopping center in the west of Cologne. Having more than 180 shops and a huge parking facility, it will give you a soul-satisfying shopping experience. And you can not only shop here, but also eat at the well-known eateries or go watch a movie. So, it’s like a complete package. This is the best place to shop if you are visiting Cologne with family.
Getting Around
There are a wealth of options when it comes to avoiding driving in Germany. With an effectively nationalized railway network, crossing the country by train means buying a ticket from Deutsche Bahn. At the local level, Germany’s states manage buses, trams, metro networks, suburban trains, and ferries. Public transportation systems in Germany are safe, efficient, and fairly easy to use. As a result, some German cities are starting to shake off the stereotype of being a car-loving nation. Across the country, 30 million passengers use public transportation in Germany on an average day.
There are a wealth of options when it comes to avoiding driving in Germany. With an effectively nationalized railway network, crossing the country by train means buying a ticket from Deutsche Bahn. At the local level, Germany’s states manage buses, trams, metro networks, suburban trains, and ferries.
Modes of public transport in Germany:
S-bahn (city rapid rail), and, as the name suggests, is the fastest form of public transportation.
U-Bahn is the German version of the metro.
Tram – They travel on rails alongside regular roads and have multiple stops within city center areas.
Buses are the mainstay of many German towns and cities, linking further-afield places and operating into the night when the other forms of transport stop running (although S-Bahn and U-bahn trains typically run all night over the weekend in larger cities).
Regional trains are either RB (Regionalbahn), with multiple stops, or RE (Regionalexpress), which are faster and have fewer stops.
Week ticket (Wochenkarte) are valid within specified zones for a week.You can also purchase tickets that are valid for longer (e.g. a month pass) but these usually have to be purchased from an official at the ticketing office.
Group day ticket (Gruppentageskarte) While tickets in Germany generally don’t come cheap, the group day ticket actually offers great value for money if you are travelling in a group of three or more. Usually valid for groups of up to five people, they give unlimited travel for a day or 24 hours within specified zones.
If you are required to validate your ticket it will be printed with something along the lines of “Bitte entwerten” (please validate). To validate it, push your ticket into the slot of one of the validator machines (Entwerter), which you can usually find next to the ticket machines or on the station platform.
In general, there are three types of train services in Germany connecting major urban areas: Intercity-Express (ICE): high-speed trains that reach speeds up to 320km/h. ICE trains have first-class seating and a dining car. Intercity (IC): express trains. IC trains have first-class carriages and usually also have catering services of some kind. EuroCity (EC): Intercity trains with scheduled stops outside of Germany. Not all Intercity-type trains that travel outside of Germany are EC trains, however.
International trains
Germany lies right in the middle of Europe, counting nine different countries as neighbors. As a result, there are plenty of direct international trains running from German train stations. Deutsche Bahn’s high-speed service, the ICE, runs a number of international routes from countries like: Austria, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Poland.
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Getting here
There are a total of 36 international airports in Germany, ranging from smaller airfields only operating a few routes and airlines, to mega complexes such as Frankfurt and Munich that transport tens of millions of passengers per year.
In total, there are 16 international airports, 12 of which are considered major airports with over 50,000 passengers. With more than 500,000 aircraft movements and 70 million passengers per year, Frankfurt Airport is the largest in the country.
Airlines are mainly divided into the areas of passenger transport, freight transport, charter flights and ambulance services. By far the largest German airline is the formerly state-owned Lufthansa, which has been fully privatized since 1997.
Frankfurt Airport is the busiest in Germany. Munich Airport, which transported 46,3 million passengers in 2018, is the second busiest, and 24,28 million passengers puts Düsseldorf Airport into position three.
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