I arrived fresh off the plane my first time in Europe in the city of Cologne, Germany. A friend of mine happened to be working there at the time, and my single motivation for stopping in was meeting up with her. Little did I know, I would stumble upon an enchanting city that is home to my favorite cathedral to date.

Being my first European experience, I know there is some romanticism attached to my story here, but looking back through pictures, I can’t help but daydream about standing under the Dom in the city square, feeling my body shrink down to the size of a pea. If you go there now, you might get to see it before it's as overrun with tourists as the Sistine Chapel.

Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral)

I walked outside the central station in Cologne and stepped out on what felt like a giant marble countertop supporting a massive gothic cathedral with the most interesting patina I’ve ever seen. I am including a picture against my will because no image will ever capture the magnitude of this structure.

The Dom stands proudly amid a city that was heavily destroyed during WWII, the aftermath still visible in the sheer disproportionate cityscape. Remove the Dom from Cologne, and the rest of the city appears to humbly sit close to the ground.

I highly recommend climbing the 533 steps up to the top to experience this extreme contrast. It will ground you high up in the sky. On the way up, you’ll also see the largest free-swinging bell in the world. Not too shabby.

Museum Ludwig

During WWII, most modern art was destroyed. Collector Sammlung Haubrich happened to steal and conceal a sizable amount of Expressionist and Classical Modernist art and donated it to Cologne after the war. His collection has ended up here and it’s special. You’ll find a profound appreciation for being able to witness something that easily could’ve been ashes buried under your feet.

EL-DE House

The EL-DE House was the Gestapo headquarters during WWII. Little known to the rest of the world, its basement housed prison cells and torture rooms. These rooms and writings on the walls from its prisoners have been kept as intact as possible and turned into a museum. If you do nothing else in Cologne, go here. I urge and beg you; go here. (Side note: the basement is translated to English, but the upstairs floors are not readable unless you know German)

Rodenkirchen

I stayed in an AirBnB in this little town just south of Cologne. It was tiny and charming and ended up spending many mornings and evenings wandering around its streets and admiring its little dwellings. If you need a break for the city and want to discover a homey area, talk a walk around Rodenkirchen.

Imhoff-Schokoladenmuseum (Chocolate Museum)

This is not a recommendation, per say. It’s 100% a tourist trap, but you get free chocolate and get to see this insane golden rendition of cocoa beans.

Locals

Last but not least, what made my experience so memorable in Cologne was the locals. They were vibrant and collective and passionate. If you want to find ALL the people, locals and tourists alike, head to Früh am Dom. I ended up meeting an awesome biker gang I stay in contact with every once in a while. They took me dancing and that’s a night I’ll never forget.

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