Cologne, Köln and the Weihnachtsmarkt

The Cologne Cathedral looking across the Rhine with the Hohenzollern Bridge in the foreground

We traveled to Cologne (Köln) in search of a little holiday spirit and to check out the great Christmas Markets (Weihnachtsmarkt). We ended up exploring six of them. Each one had it's own theme making it quite different than the others but all were filled by people having a great time while enjoying a bit of shopping along with plenty of Gluhwiene, German Bier, and Glogg and an abundance of wonderful Christmas music. We joined in and did more than a little of all of that! We had a great time. We walked around the old town both day and night taking in the sights. We even took a stroll over the Hohenzollern Rail Bridge to take a few pictures. We met some wonderful people in Cologne. At the end of our first day we grabbed our evening meal at Gaffel am Dom. What a great experience! This is a popular Brauhaus located just across the street from the (Dom) Cathedral. The place is loud and crowded, full of people celebrating. No way for us to get a table for two, we were seated with two German couples who welcomed us to their celebration and told us we were to be their guests. We had to work a bit at communication as we don't speak any German and some of those we were seated with spoke no english but we managed just fine. Our new found friends made us feel very welcome in their home, guided us to great local food dishes and kept the bier flowing, great fun!

There is also plenty of history to consider here. The city of Cologne (Köln) was established in the first century by the Romans as a walled city. Some portions of the old city walls remain today. The city was a major trade destination throughout the middle ages and saw occupation by the French and British. Cologne was an important German military command headquarters and was heavily bombed by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II. The RAF dropped an incredible 34,711 tons of bombs on the city. World War II was extremely hard for the people of Cologne. During the war the city's 11,000 jews were deported or killed by the nazis and the city's population was reduced by 95%. The city was captured by the American First Army in March 1945. Fortunatley a robust post war rebuilding has restored many of the important historic structures including the Cathedral. Today old and new sit side by side giving Cologne a unique personality. Today it is a vibrant city ranking as the fourth largest in Germany.

Weihnachtsmarkt am Dom

Beautiful Music day and night 

The Rhine River taken from the Cologne Chocolate factory

The Cologne Cathedral (Dom) is a very special place. This is the most visited landmark in all of Germany with about 20,000 visitors each day (including us!) and is a World Heritage Site. Construction of the Cathedral began in 1248 and was finally fully completed to the original plan in 1880.  It is the largest gothic church in Northern Europe with towers reaching 515ft (157m) into the air. Due to those two massive towers it has the largest facade of any church in the world. The structure was designed and built to house the reliquary to the Three Kings and was to be a place of worship for the Holy Roman Emperor.

During World War II the cathedral was hit by RAF bombs14 times and was badly damaged but remained standing as a landmark and a navigational aid in the midst of a city that was devastated by intense bombing. Post war repairs were completed in 1956. The weather continues to take its toll on the old structure and therefore repair and restoration work is carried out continuously. So, when visiting appreciate that a scaffolding will invariably be erected somewhere on the beautiful old building.

There is no way not to be impressed with the massive scale of the Kölner Dom! The interior hight of the nave is 142 ft (43.35m), that is a very high ceiling. You can climb to a viewing platform in the south tower exactly 533 steps from the ground, and of course one of us just had to do that.

The Shrine of the Three Kings is said to contain the bones of the Biblical Magi. It is currently siting in a prominent place behind the high alter of the Cologne Cathedral. The relics were originally held in Constantinople (now Istanbul) then taken to Milan in the care of Emperor Constantine in 314 AD. The relics were moved to Cologne in 1164.

Wast Water in the Lake District

Winter is getting its grip on us here in Cumbria. The days are getting quite short and the nights are definitely getting much colder. So, when we woke on a Saturday morning to a bright, cold, but clear, day we just had to make our way up into the fells for a walk at what might be our favorite spot, Wast Water. We have walked the fells here on many occasions and actually have been up to the top of the highest peak in England, Scafell Pike, situated at the far end of the lake. We always enjoy leisurely walks around the lake and in the surrounding hills and just never seem to get enough of it. A nice walk and a pub lunch at Wasdale Head made for a near perfect day...

WOW...

Prague

Prague Old Town Square
The Astronomical Clock on the left and The Church of Our Lady before Tyn straight ahead with it's 80 meter high spires
This has been the city's main church since the 14th century!

Prague is one of those places we have held on our list of must sees for some time. Several of our friends have shared with us their great experiences visiting the old city and its skyline of a thousand spires. When a landmark birthday came along we were off...and we loved it! What a great place!

Prague is the historical capital of Bohemia and today serves as the capital of the Czech Republic. They are particularly proud of the beer here in Bohemia, for good reason. This is a beautiful city situated on the Vltava River with an expansive old town. The city was founded during the Romanesque era and also reflects Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque influences. Its history includes a prominent role in the Habsburg Monarchy, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Protestant Reformation, and the Thirty Years War.

In more modern times when World War I ended with the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Czechoslovakia was formed and Prague became its capital.  Later, running up to World War II,  Nazi Germany annexed Prague along with large portions of Czechoslovakia as a provision of the Munich Agreement, an ill fated negotiation aimed at keeping the peace. The Nazi's then occupied Prague, devastating its Jewish population. Prague was liberated at the end of World War II by the Russian Red Army and became the territory of the Soviet Union.

Today many fantastic structures stand having survived time and two World Wars. We walked all over the old city beginning with the Old Town Square and the Prague Astronomical Clock, and then on to Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, the Jewish Quarter and even some old canals. We enjoyed a boat ride up and down the Vltava and had some great meals in some really fun locations.

A climb up the clock tower
to view the city.

views from the top

The view of the old town square from the top of the clock tower.

Jan Hus Memorial erected in the Old Town Square in 1915 to commemorate 500th anniversary of martyrdom of the Protestant activist.

The Clock Tower that houses the famous Astronomical Clock, and a great observation deck
...and yes Scott climbed up to take a look - really good!

Prague hosts the Orioj, the oldest astronomical clock in the world, dating back to 1410.  It is mounted on the side of what remains of the Old Town Hall. Most of the town hall was destroyed in an errant  US bombing raid at the end of World War II but the tower, while severely damaged, survived. The clock has three main parts; the astronomical dial, a really big clock, and a movement of large figures depicting the apostles. Crowds of people gather at the clock each hour to hear it strike and watch the figures appear through doors which open.

This is the astronomic dial, a portion of the clock which shows the movements of the sun, the moon

Figures of the apostles in motion at the strike of the hour.

Seemed as if something goes on in the square at all times!

Church of Saint Nicholas

A bit of fun...

Just had to take a boat ride on the Vltava River.

We enjoyed a great meal here where one of the canals enters the river. 

The Prague Castle and the Cathedral of Saint Vitus

The canals

The Charles Bridge

The Charles Bridge has been here as a way to cross the Vltava since construction began in 1357, under the direction of King Charles IV, to serve as a trade route uniting Eastern and Western Europe.  The bridge is 10 meters wide (33 feet) and 621 meters (2000 feet) long. The bridge consists of 16 graceful stone arches topped with 30 statues and statuaries. At each end of the bridge there are large and impressive towers.  You can climb up to the top of these towers to get some great views, so Scott did that of course. We worked our way across the bridge to explore things on both sides several times, both day and night. The bridge seems to always be full of people, local craftspeople selling their wares and entertainers of every description -a happening place!

from the tower

The Charles Bridge walk

Supposed to bring good luck

Some singers on the bridge

The Crucifix statuary on the bridge

Another statue on the bridge

Wallenstein Palace currently home of the Czech Senate
was built by Albrecht von Wallenstein in 1623 after the 30 years war.

The home of the House of the Senate 

We rode a street car up the massive hill to explore Prague Castle. The Castle is a very large complex, recognized as the largest ancient castle in the world with a footprint of about 70,000 square meters. The complex includes the official residence of the President of the Czech Republic. The castle has been the seat of power for kings of Bohemia, and Holy Roman Emperors. Within the caste walls is a remarkable cathedral, the Cathedral of St Vitus.

There have been three churches on this site beginning in 930 when Wencuesleslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, founded a church here to house a holy relic of Saint Vitus. The structure standing today is a 12th century expansion of a large church building from 1060. The cathedral is big and impressive.

The Royal Gardens

Some of the Royal Gardens at the castle

The Presidents Residence 

The main gate to Prague Castle

Courtyard at the Prague Castle

Cathedral of Saint Vitus

Mosaic that adorns the Cathedral

We did a bit of walking around old town and over the Charles Bridge after our evening meals. The views of the castle, the bridge, and the Old Town Square, all lit up are very nice.

The castle at night from the Charles Bridge

Charles Bridge and its stone arches. Took this from our dinner table...really nice

Old Town Square and the Church of Our Lady before Tyn

We really enjoyed our visit to Prague. The old town and the treasures from the past are second to none.  The city is full of energy, the people are great, and the food and beer are pretty good as well! Cheers!!