Cologne (Germany) > Reviews > Cologne at Christmas

Author's product rating:   

Advantages:	Great to visit at Christmas, Lots to do
Disadvantages:	Gets very cold in autumn/winter so take warm clothing

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Having relatives who live in Germany, I visit at least once a year and my favourite time of the year is Christmas.

There is something about arriving in a city like Cologne or Koln, as it is referred to in German, and visiting their Christmas Markets. They have about eight markets in operation between the end of November up until Christmas day. They are an absolute delight and a must for anyone visiting Cologne, all brimming full of continental delights from hand crafted Christmas decorations and toys to enticing chocolate truffles.

There are a number of stalls selling Gluwein, which is the local equivalent of Hot Mulled Wine, the perfect antidote to the cold that seems to creep into every part of your body.

As others have noted the Cathedral is the main attraction and very beautiful, but if you have a visual impairment be aware that the lighting inside is very dim.

Eating out in Cologne can be very expensive, bearing in mind that it is a major city; you should expect to pay accordingly. Myself and my wife had lunch close to the Cathedral and paid out about £30 for soup and a main course. Don’t let this put you off however; there are plenty of fast food restaurants in the area if you are visiting with a family.

Another cheaper alternative is the numerous “Crepe” stalls that are located around the city, these are quite reasonably priced.

Having visited Cologne at different times of the year before, I think that you get the most from it at Christmas.

I notice that most airlines are offering cut price tickets to Cologne and more and more coach companies are doing tours of the Christmas Markets. Considered putting it on your “places to visit list” this Christmas.