"Cologne - A Very Civilised City" a Cologne Travel Page by AnnS

I first went to Cologne in December 2004 to sample the famous German Christmas markets. At home I loathe Christmas and the ghastly commercial hype that starts every year in early October so I figured plunging myself into the heart of pre-Christmas festivities might act as a kind of aversion therapy and get me in the mood.

Really I didn't specifically choose Cologne... it chose me. Firstly it was the only German destination that is served by flights from London Gatwick, my local airport. Secondly, EasyJet flights were extremely cheap for the first week in December so I grabbed one and I'm so glad I did.

There are five Christmas markets in Cologne and they are indeed spectacular and enjoyable.

Another advantage of Cologne is that it has excellent transport links and the cities of Bonn and Dusseldorf are both about half-an-hour away by train so you can easily visit the Christmas markets there too.

Early spring is another lovely time to visit Cologne. The hoards of tourists haven't yet arrived, there are lovely displays of colourful bulbs in the streets and the shops have sales of winter clothes where you can grab a bargain. It's also a nice time to take a river trip or a walk in the park.

The weather is by no means guaranteed but on both occasions when I've visited in spring, I've been able to sit outside at cafes and enjoy some warm sunshine on my face.

Whatever the season, Cologne is a nice place to visit. It's clean and smart, the people are courteous and friendly and there always seems to be something interesting going on. Good hotels, plentiful cafes and restaurants, excellent shops and activities for all age groups make it a good short-break destination at any time of the year.