Germans with Heart+ Kolsch= Cologne

                                                 ( A pub in Cologne that serves Kolsch- I loved the glass holder in the middle!)

Cologne (or Koln) Germany is located on the Rhine river in north western Germany near the borders of both Belgium and the Netherlands. Because of its location, Cologne is known for its international atmosphere, its "heart" and its Kolsch beer (Kolsch can only be brewed and enjoyed here.) Nathan has been on a two week tour of European breweries, brewing equipment manufacturers, brewing engineering facilities, pubs, and beer towns with the other guys in his program. I flew to meet him on his weekend break in Cologne to catch up and enjoy the city. As soon as I arrived, Nathan warned me that I would really love this city and he was right! After spending a month in Munich, I was pleasantly shocked at how friendly and laid back the Germans of this area were! We headed out to explore the city as soon as we settled in. We walked along the Rhine river from our hotel to the lush green park where there were hundreds of young people on skating on long boards, jumping on trampolines, swinging in hammocks, and enjoying the nice spring weather. We also explored the giant and elaborate Cologne dome and walked around Old Town.

      (Above: inside and outside of the Cologne Dome; Spring has sprung in the parks of Cologne- I loved the blooming trees! Below: Old Town buildings)

After taking an afternoon nap, we headed to the Belgian District, where there were many bars, discos and restaurants. We ate real beef hamburgers and Belgian frites for the first time since being in Europe. We headed to the main square we had heard about in the area after grabbing some Kolsch in a drink market. After some confusion, we found the square in front of a church and drank our beer with the hundreds of other young people who crowded the "platz" and spilled over onto the streets. (I love how in young European cities, where drinking on the street is legal and the drinking age is 16, young people seem to gather publicly and party in the open.) The vibe was so relaxed and fun- there was a really great feeling in the area- probably my favorite European social experience to date. After finishing our street beers, we decided to go downtown and drink Kolsch in the traditional fashion- at a big beer hall. We ended up at a Gaffel located near the Dome. Kolsch is traditionally served in small cylindrical glasses on top of coaster with the establishment's logo. As compared to a stein that gets warm before you finish it, the Kolsch in your small glass always stays cold and fresh. The servers promptly bring you a new 0,2 L glass of Kolsch every time you finish the one before, until you signal you are finished by putting your coaster on top of your glass. Not only is the beer amazing, but the traditional service is also fun to be apart of. Our server even sat down with us and told us about his life in Cologne. He said servers there do not make much money, but that life there was good. He claimed that the international community there was very welcoming to foreigners (he himself was from Albania) and that the city was more liberal and relaxed as compared to Munich- that "they had more heart".

On Sunday, we contemplated heading to Dusseldorf, a city very close to Cologne that brews famous Alt Beer. Cologne and Dusseldorf are both beer towns that have a healthy sense of competition- Dusseldorf is more conservative and Cologne more liberal. But from what we heard, the one thing in common is that the beer flows like water here and people love to party! You can only get Alt beer in Dusseldorf- not Cologne- much less anywhere else in Germany. Nathan was headed there Tuesday on the tour though, so we decided to save our money and just relax. We explored more of Cologne, watched street performers, ate excellent Indian food, and relaxed in Old Town with friends. I really loved our experience here!  (If you are into Museums there is also a famous Chocolate museum and the Ludwig Art Museum there as well- we passed them up due to limited time and money.)





Honestly, I am really happy I made the trip because it was really refreshing to see a different region of Germany. Germany is a really big European country and it makes sense that Germans have different regional identities. I would highly recommend Cologne on your next German holiday!

                             (Above: Nathan enjoying his Kolsch; Kolsch drinking in Old Town on the nice patio! Notice the coasters and 0,2 L glasses)