Why this German city offers the ultimate festive break
There’s nowhere better than the German city of Cologne for fans of Christmas (and beer).
Go now
German cities are never less than twinkling havens of Christmas-market fun at the end of the year, and Cologne is one of the best. It hosts several (see cologne-tourism.com/christmas) – the biggest (Nov 26-Dec 23) filling Roncalliplatz (1) with stalls and trinkets. Flights are plentiful – Eurowings (eurowings.com; Edinburgh, Heathrow, Stansted), British Airways (ba.com; Gatwick), Ryanair (ryanair.com; Bristol, Stansted and Manchester), Jet2 (jet2.com; Manchester), and Flybe (flybe.com; Southend).
Stay here
A pleasing boutique option with modern art in the lobby and a near-river location, Hotel Lyskirchen (2) (hotel-lyskirchen.de/en), offers doubles for €113 (£100), room only. The five-star Excelsior Hotel Ernst (3) welcomes its guests in a haze of glamour. Doubles for £158 – room only.
Walk here
It is impossible to miss the Kölner Dom (4). Founded in 1248, the city’s gothic cathedral was once the world’s tallest building (koelner-dom.de). Admire its size from inside or out, then stroll east, across Roncalliplatz (1) and Heinrich-Böll-Platz (5), to the city’s other defining sight. You can enjoy broad views of the Rhine from the Hohenzollernbrücke (6) – as far as the Kranhäus towers (7), the glass clusters of offices and flats, a mile (1.6km) to the south, whose shape mimics the cranes that once worked the docks.
Shop here
Even outside festive-market season, Cologne is dotted with appealing shops. Farina 1709 (8) (farina1709.de) pushes itself as the pungent birthplace of eau de cologne. Pan (9) (panartdeco.de), with its Art Deco lamps and tables, is one of the highlights of chic Pfeilstrasse. Mayersche (10) (mayersche.de) is a three-floor oasis of books, on Neumarkt.
See this
Two key museums sit side by side. The Römisch-Germanisches Museum (11) (roemisch-germanisches-museum.de; €9) protects the city’s Roman heritage, including the Dionysus mosaic. Museum Ludwig (12) (museum-ludwig.de; €13) has art by Dalí and Warhol.
Try this
Less serious, but tastier, Das Schokolademuseum (13) (schokoladenmuseum.de; €11.50) dissects our affection for chocolate.
Drink here
There are watering holes galore on the west bank of the Rhine. Ex-Vertretung (14), a cosy pub, revels in German beers (from €3; ex-vertretung.de).
Eat here
Rheinzeit (15) (rheinzeit.de) deals in classic fare, such as pork fillet with pepper sauce for €18. Gourmet neighbour Maibeck (16) (maibeck.de), serves the likes of mackerel with potato purée for €25.
Off the map
A half-hour, 20-mile (32km) train ride south of Cologne (bahn.com; €23 return), Bonn – the former capital of West Germany – makes for a fine day trip. Sights include Beethoven’s Geburtshaus (beethoven-haus-bonn.de; €6/£5), where the composer was born in 1770.
