SLIDESHOW: Cologne, Germany
Pictures and review of this thriving city on the Rhine
If you've never been to Germany before Cologne's a pretty good place to begin.
The city was built and grew on the banks of the Rhine - in the days when business was done by boat, this brought the city and region wealth and prosperity.
The days of the Rhine being a major cargo route have long gone, you're more likely to dodge cruise ships than cargo ships.
However, its position as a crossover point in Europe - and the first major German city you meet coming from the west - means it retains its place as a major trade hub and is one of Germany's top tourist hotspots, a busy and vibrant city.
More than 1,400 trains cross the Rhine at this point and stop at the main train station, which is your ideal welcome to the city as it sits at the foot of the Dom - Cologne's biggest attraction in every way.
The Dom is not just any old cathedral. It's a giant gothic monument that shoots up into the skyline and can be seen for miles around.
Work began in the 1200s but money ran out, and much of what you can see was actually finished in the 1800s. It's a tourist magnet these days and you jostle with tour groups both inside, and on the main plaza outside.
You can take the stairs to the top of the tower for a bird's eye view of the city, but be warned, it's 500 steps up there and there's no lift so it's not for the faint hearted!
The most attracted parts of Cologne - or Koln, in German - are the old town, that stretches from the Dom to Heumarkt and along the riverside.
In the summer months the terraces of the bars and restaurants are packed with visitors, although with hundreds to choose from you'll find a place to stop somewhere.
There you can sample local delicacies - mainly with a largely pork and sausage theme, you'll be staggered to hear - and try a drop of the local brew, the light lager Kolsch.
A little further along the waterfront are two of the city's newest and most popular tourist attractions, built into converted wharfs.
The chocolate museum (Shololadenmuseum) draws more than 600,000 people a year.
As well as telling you all you ever wanted to need to know, and more, about cocoa and chocolate you also get to see a mini chocolate factory in action. Run by Lindt, there's no Willy Wonka in charge but there are a significant number of woman beavering away in white coats and hats. You do of course get to sample the end product, and the gift shop is a chocoholic's paradise.
Next door is the Deutches Sport and Olympia Museum, a shrine to all sport through the ages with a tilt towards German success. There's also plenty of interactive bits in there - try gymnastics, long jump etc - to keep kids amused.
There are a number of municipal museums to check out - from one on the city's Roman history to the pop art and contemporary features of Museum Ludwig.
Hop on, hop off buses from the Dom give you a tour of Cologne in around 90 minutes. A Rhein cruise for an hour is very reasonable at 7.20 euros and there are further walking and biking options.
The Koln Welcome card is worth considering for 24, 48 or 72 hours. Discounts may be modest - one euro off museum admission here, a free drink with a meal there - but it does give you free transport on all buses, underground and trains in the Koln network (including to the airport), which is fair value alone.
That network includes Bonn, the unlikely former West German capital now settling back into the shadow of Cologne. It's more chilled than its big brother with a smattering of attractions including a museum devoted to Beethoven.
Several airlines ply the low-cost route to Cologne/ Bonn airport, where a train whisks you into the main train station in 15 minutes.
However, the arrival of Eurostar at St Pancras makes rail travel a good alternative. Through fares from Bedfordshire to Koln start at around 100 return and complete the journey in five or six hours.
Do note that Koln holds regular trade fairs throughout the year on the other side of the river. Many hotels operate two tariffs - one for trade fairs, the other for normal times - room price and availability differs substantially. So avoid trade fair times if you can!
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Weather for Biggleswade
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
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