After school began, we’ve become very dependent on our son’s schedule. So, during the autumn holidays, we had no choice but to travel somewhere. We chose Cologne (Köln) as our destination, as we’ve never been to the western part of Germany, and among the remaining big cities, this one seemed to have the most entertainment for kids.
Initially, we wanted to travel entirely on regional trains with many stops along the way to see more places. However, I had an exam on October 21st, so I preferred to shorten our vacation a bit to prepare better. For the way back, we took a high-speed ICE train.
Erfurt
Our first stop was Erfurt. We had already visited in 2019, so we allocated only one day this time to walk around. It’s a very nice and cozy town, but with a rather small city center. We walked around several times and then returned to our apartment to eat Hexe – a roasted pork leg.
Kassel
Kassel is well-known as the hometown of the Brothers Grimm, so we couldn’t miss a visit. The city center was heavily destroyed during World War II and was rebuilt from scratch, so there isn’t too much to see in the city itself. However, on the outskirts lies the magnificent Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe. We spent an entire day there, and it was incredible: waterfalls, palaces, gardens, and aqueducts – everything looked so beautiful and fitting. We initially thought the kids would get tired after only a few hours, but they were having so much fun that we ended up staying much longer. Despite that, we saw only two-thirds of the park – it’s that large. I’d definitely like to go back someday and explore more.
The next day, we finally visited the Grimms’ museum. It turns out there are two museums: a classical one and a newer, widely-promoted one. We went to the latter, though I was a little disappointed. The museum has three sections: one about the dictionary the Grimms worked on, another about their fairy tales, and the last with personal belongings. The dictionary section was extremely boring for kids and a bit eerie for adults. The Grimms spent their whole lives compiling a dictionary, but they only reached the letter D (15th in the alphabet!) before passing away. Later, others continued the work, and it was finally completed in 1961. However, it turned out that many words had become outdated, so a new edition was started and is still ongoing. Very German indeed! The fairy tale section was better, with a witch’s house and a magical forest that were well-done, but it only takes about 10 minutes to see everything. In the personal belongings section, among their milk teeth and dishes, there was a diary with sketches by one of the brothers – the drawings were so vivid that you could almost relive the events he witnessed.
Köln
Finally, on the third day, we reached Cologne. Thanks to Deutsche Bahn canceling our train, we ended up spending an extra three hours in Kassel and arrived in Cologne very late. But the next day, we enjoyed sunny weather and the excellent Rhine embankment. First, we visited the chocolate museum. I was skeptical at first, but they did a great job. You can see all stages of chocolate-making, starting from cocoa tree fruit gathering and seed extraction to a real production line where you can try a piece of chocolate. You can also order your own chocolate masterpiece, visit the café, and browse the candy store. It wasn’t cheap, but it was worth it. My sugar levels were high, and my backpack was full of sweets!
After lunch we decided to ride on a cable line across the Rein. Although the quie was long, the tickets were very affordable and the view on the city was breathtaking. We were also surprised that by the end of the line we ride over the Therma with bathing naked people, but its a part of german culture after all. Oh the other side of the river is a very pituresque park with thousands ot wild gooses (with the results of their life all across the pawements. Unfortunately we don’t have much time too ride on a park train, but we visited playground and really enjoyed the nature around us.After lunch, we decided to take a cable car ride across the Rhine. Although the queue was long, the tickets were affordable, and the view over the city was breathtaking. We were also surprised to pass over a thermal spa with people bathing naked – a part of German culture, after all. On the other side of the river, there’s a picturesque park with thousands of wild geese (and their “evidence” all over the pavements!). Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to ride the park train, but we visited a playground and really enjoyed the nature around us.
On our final day before departure, we walked around the city center. It was the first rainy day, so we started with a covered spot: the famous Cologne Cathedral. This summer in Pisa, they refused to sell a ticket for the tower to our 6-year-old son, but Germans have a better attitude toward kids – they sell tickets even for 3-year-olds! I was thinking of saints and God while carrying my son halfway up the Cathedral tower. I don’t know why they decided to build it so tall, but my legs certainly felt it. At the top, we stayed to hear the bells before heading down. Another surprise awaited us outside: there’s a terminal near the door to collect donations via credit card! In Bautzen in Saxony, even some central restaurants only accept cash, yet here the church is so progressive! The rest of the morning, we strolled around the city center. It’s a very nice city – not as overcrowded as Munich and not as dirty as Berlin or Frankfurt.
On our way back, we had a 21-minute connection in Frankfurt, but our train was 22 minutes late, so we missed it. We ended up walking around Frankfurt for two hours, reflecting on how different the cities are: Cologne, so pleasant, and Frankfurt, vibrant but not as appealing.
