Dusseldorf & Cologne, Germany

We have been to Germany twice so far, and each time really enjoyed it. I never knew what to expect from the country, but from our experiences there so far, it is a place we will definitely be returning to. I have a good friend who lives in northern Germany, and Ryanair will soon be flying directly from Stansted to Bremen, which means we'll be able to visit a lot more often.

The first time we went to Germany was on a bank holiday weekend. We flew to Dusseldorf, then travelled to Cologne and Koblenz (which will be a separate entry). As is common with many Ryanair flights, it is important to note that when flying to Dusseldorf you actually land quite far from the city itself. Weeze Airport, where Ryanair flies to, is actually over an hour's train or bus ride away from Dusseldorf. We landed late at night, the last bus had already left from the airport for Dusseldorf city centre, so we managed to get a taxi to the train station and were relieved to find we hadn't missed the last train! On eventually reaching Dusseldorf, hungry and tired, we made our way to our hotel, the Acora Hotel (booked through Expedia). We were pleased with the spaciousness of our room and friendly staff. It's not ideally located, as it's not right in the city centre, but it's definitely good value for money.

After eating a superb breakfast (included in the hotel price), we went to the station and caught a train into the centre of Dusseldorf to do a little sightseeing. From there we made our way toward the old town, or Aldstadt. The narrow, cobbled streets are home to a variety of shops, restaurants and pubs, and it was great just to wander aimlessly around, soaking in the atmosphere. We stopped at a pub to try some local beer, which adequately quenched the thirst, before heading to the promenade, along the banks of the Rhine River. The sun shone brightly onto all the colourful umbrellas at the open air cafe's along the Rhine. There was also a ship which had some house party happening on its decks - we were almost tempted to join in, it looked fun, but time was of the essence. We had to catch a train to Cologne, but our first brief exploration of a German town was a good one!

We arrived at Cologne after a train journey lasting about 40 minutes. On leaving the main train station in Cologne, we were awestruck at the sight before us - the Cologne Cathedral or Kölner Dom, an amazing piece of architecture which took us quite by surprise. The cathedral apparently has the largest facade and is the second-tallest Gothic structure in the world (according to Wikipedia). It's hard to miss. We stood gaping for a few minutes at the immensity of the structure, before coming down to earth and our further exploration of the city streets.

Soon after we headed for our hotel. We stayed in an Ibis hotel, known for its budget accommodation. In Cologne there are a few Ibis hotels, but we stayed at the Ibis located near the Exhibition Centre in Cologne. It is not too central, but there is public transport located nearby. We took an afternoon nap to prepare us for the nightlife of Cologne, specifically part of the C/O Pop music festival that was conveniently taking place whilst we were there, its club night. About 20 nightclubs throughout the city were taking part in the event - one ticket, for around 12 Euros, got you entry into all the clubs. A special minibus did a circuit route throughout the city, providing transport and giving clubbers the opportunity to go to each club. We had a great time - the music (mostly German electronic, e.g. Kraftwerk) was excellent, the people friendly and happy, creating a really positive clubbing experience.

After a late morning start, and thereby missing our hotel breakfast, we decided to gain some sustenance at one of the open-air cafe's in the Altstadt. I might add that vegetarians might have a hard time finding suitable food in Germany, as the majority of dishes are meat based - well, the country is famous for such things as wurst and schnitzel after all. There's always a good helping of potato salad though! Nevertheless, once we had satisfied our hunger, we strolled around the old town, taking in the picturesque beauty of the colourful, traditional houses along the narrow streets. The Aldstadt is also situated along the Rhine, giving you pleasant views of the river. There was also a market on the banks of the Rhine the day we were there, so it was nice to stroll between the different stalls and have a look at what was on offer.

It was not long before we had to be on the move again, our next stop: the city of Koblenz, which you can read about in the next entry!