"Cologne" a Cologne Travel Page by 15ilikestuff

I went to visit Cologne (Koln) because it had been home to my grandmother growing up. Of course, she was there pre WWII so it's appearance has changed drastically since then. My impression of the city is the following: Cologne, while incorporating some historical treasures, is worth seeing only on a day trip from somewhere else. It offers some unique attractions but the city as a whole is disappointing. It's old town is microscopic, it is very modern, lacking the charm and character of other European cities. It's a cream of wheat city: subtance without flavor. In addition, there's grafitti and trash littering the streets, and while the people of Cologne are friendly, that's not enough to get me to go back to this unattractive metropolis. Now, part of my problem was that I went to Cologne on a Monday, which meant many of the major attractions were closed. Perhaps that dampered my overall experience. Maybe it was seeing ultra-clean and quaint Munich before Cologne that made me view it in this light. I'm sure there's others out there that love Cologne, but from one traveller to another, I'm not one of them. If you do stop for a day to Cologne here's an idea of things to do:

Day 1: Mueseum Ludwig (great modern art collection), Chocolate factory, Cologne Cathedral (UNESCO treasure)