"Cologne - Home of Germany's famous 'Dom'... " a Cologne Travel Page by jackfruit

From the Roman times, Cologne (German Köln) has been a major religious and trading center. It's vantage point on the Rhine and on the overland route between Paris and Germany, made it a thriving bordertown. The first Christian Emperor Constantine made "Colonia" the center of a archbishopric. During the middle ages, the city regained it's holy status when the relics of the Magi were brought from Milan and the cathedral was built to house them. In the 18th century, the French made the city famous by exporting it's "Aqua" and dubbing it "Eau de Cologne". Completly destroyed by the WWII bombs, most of the city had to be reconstructed in the later half of the 20th century. Koln today remains the capital of Germany's Rhineland.

I arrived in Koln by the Thalys from Brussels. It was a quick 2 1/2 hr trip. Even though it was early April and the weather was a bit nippy, the city was bustling with foot traffic and nightlife.