What's doing in Köln?
October 30, 2006 6:06 AM Subscribe
We're planning a family holiday in Köln (Cologne) in early December. Aside from the Christmas markets, the Dom and Kölsch bier, anything unmissable? The kids are 5 and 3.
I'm not personally familiar with the area, but you might want to email amberglow - he just got back from Cologne.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 7:15 AM on October 30, 2006
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 7:15 AM on October 30, 2006
Kids love trains. Take the short train ride to Bonn for a nice day trip.
posted by Gungho at 7:19 AM on October 30, 2006
posted by Gungho at 7:19 AM on October 30, 2006
Best answer: Don't know about how kid-friendly they are, but the Roman Ruins are pretty fantastic.
Check out the Wikitravel page for a general overview.
posted by god hates math at 7:50 AM on October 30, 2006
Check out the Wikitravel page for a general overview.
posted by god hates math at 7:50 AM on October 30, 2006
Best answer: I used to live in Bonn and have visited Cologne many times. I second the Schokoladenmuseum which should be fun for the kids. They even have a chocolate fountain there!
The zoo is, in my opinion, really good; be sure to check out the feeding times before you go.
If you want to, you can reach the zoo via the aerial tramway (called Seilbahn in German) that crosses the Rhine (and a bridge). The English part of the site doesn't tell you, but you can get a discounted ticket for zoo, aquarium and tramway if you buy it at the Seilbahn (page in German).
The cathedral is an obvious must-see, and the Romano-Germanic museum is worth a visit as well, though your kids might be a bit young for that.
If you'd like more info or have specific questions, feel free to send me e-mail - my address is in my profile.
posted by amf at 8:50 AM on October 30, 2006
The zoo is, in my opinion, really good; be sure to check out the feeding times before you go.
If you want to, you can reach the zoo via the aerial tramway (called Seilbahn in German) that crosses the Rhine (and a bridge). The English part of the site doesn't tell you, but you can get a discounted ticket for zoo, aquarium and tramway if you buy it at the Seilbahn (page in German).
The cathedral is an obvious must-see, and the Romano-Germanic museum is worth a visit as well, though your kids might be a bit young for that.
If you'd like more info or have specific questions, feel free to send me e-mail - my address is in my profile.
posted by amf at 8:50 AM on October 30, 2006
I went to Köln when I was a wee lad, and the two parts that stick out are the Roman ruins and the cathedral.
posted by leapfrog at 9:18 AM on October 30, 2006
posted by leapfrog at 9:18 AM on October 30, 2006
I visited Köln as a second-grader, so I was slightly older than your eldest child, but I have incredibly vivid memories of the cathedral. Keep in mind, my parents dragged me to every cathedral in France and Germany, and architecture isn't high on a 7-year old's list of interests, but I remember that specific cathedral as being totally bad ass, like where evil witches live in the Disney movies. Maybe my youthful awe has exaggerated my memory, but I thoroughly enjoyed walking around that place.
Upon reading the other posts, I'm kinda pissed my parents didn't take me to a chocolate museum.
posted by zoomorphic at 9:55 AM on October 30, 2006
Upon reading the other posts, I'm kinda pissed my parents didn't take me to a chocolate museum.
posted by zoomorphic at 9:55 AM on October 30, 2006
Yeah, the Döm blew this 19-year-old's mind, I imagine your kids won't forget it either.
Travel tip: consider gorging your children at the Schokoladenmuseum, then setting them free at the Döm staircase. 509 steps to the top should exhaust that sugar frenzy. For bonus points, tell them if they reach the top they meet Quasimodo.
posted by Sfving at 11:22 AM on October 30, 2006
Travel tip: consider gorging your children at the Schokoladenmuseum, then setting them free at the Döm staircase. 509 steps to the top should exhaust that sugar frenzy. For bonus points, tell them if they reach the top they meet Quasimodo.
posted by Sfving at 11:22 AM on October 30, 2006
Short personal story about the Dom, just for something to think about when you look at it. For many years, I used to go to biennial trade shows held at the Köln Messe, across the river from the Dom. I usually stayed the Dom Hotel, as did many other people from the industry, and we'd trade stories and buy drinks for one another. One afternoon, I'm sitting outside in the Plaza Cafe at the Dom Hotel with a few other people, and Willie Farah walks by, with a contingent of people from Farah Manufacturing. Willie Farah was a flamboyant guy, with a big Texan's appetite for big things. During WWII, he was a B-24 bomber pilot, and in the late '60's, he'd purchased various war surplus planes, including a B-24 and an A-20, which he had restored and flew himself, for airshows and recreation, into the late 1970's.
Anyway, Willie is walking by, through the plaza, pointing up at the spires of the Dom, and he sees us, and comes over to say high, and we ask him what he was pointing up at. And he turned, looked up at the spires again, and looked back at us, and said "I could've knocked 'em down, but I didn't."
He proceeded to tell us the story he'd been telling his contingent, about how during WWII, the Dom was specifically on a "no hit cultural treasure" list for the 8th Air Force, and that bombing it intentionally would have been punishable by court martial. But still, bombs "hung" and dropped off target on every mission, and more than once, Willie Farah's group had been sent to bomb the train yards and river depots in and around Köln.
"Many was the time I thought about it, I'll tell you, because of flak batteries that the Germans had around here, and because the spires were just such an obvious thing. But we didn't." he said. And then he looked up again, and said to no one in particular, pretty softly, although I heard him clearly, "But I could have."
posted by paulsc at 3:11 PM on October 30, 2006 [1 favorite]
Anyway, Willie is walking by, through the plaza, pointing up at the spires of the Dom, and he sees us, and comes over to say high, and we ask him what he was pointing up at. And he turned, looked up at the spires again, and looked back at us, and said "I could've knocked 'em down, but I didn't."
He proceeded to tell us the story he'd been telling his contingent, about how during WWII, the Dom was specifically on a "no hit cultural treasure" list for the 8th Air Force, and that bombing it intentionally would have been punishable by court martial. But still, bombs "hung" and dropped off target on every mission, and more than once, Willie Farah's group had been sent to bomb the train yards and river depots in and around Köln.
"Many was the time I thought about it, I'll tell you, because of flak batteries that the Germans had around here, and because the spires were just such an obvious thing. But we didn't." he said. And then he looked up again, and said to no one in particular, pretty softly, although I heard him clearly, "But I could have."
posted by paulsc at 3:11 PM on October 30, 2006 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Vielen dank for the pointers. I'm sure we can fill a long weekend! I especially appreciate the wiki link and all the great info about the zoo.
Sfving - lovely idea about the post-chocolate workout! My elder doesn't eat chocolate (her grandmother says, "she's not my granddaughter :^) )
posted by sagwalla at 1:43 AM on October 31, 2006
Sfving - lovely idea about the post-chocolate workout! My elder doesn't eat chocolate (her grandmother says, "she's not my granddaughter :^) )
posted by sagwalla at 1:43 AM on October 31, 2006
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posted by Sfving at 7:15 AM on October 30, 2006