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COLOGNE, GERMANY
I am fortunate enough to have been to Cologne many times. The two most common German spellings of Cologne are Köln and Kölsch. This beautiful city is located on the Rhine River, one of the longest rivers (820 miles) in Europe, in the western part of the country. Cologne is Germany's fourth largest city (after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich), covering 156 square miles on both sides of the Rhine River. The city is very diverse; 20% of the 1 million population are non-German. Migrants come from 185 nations, the most represented being Turkey. Cologne is an artsy town. There are hundreds of art galleries and over 30 museums. My favorites are the Römisch-Germanisches and the Chocolate Museums. Residents here seem to have a much different attitude than those in the rest of Germany. The locals are extroverted; they love to have a good time, especially while eating and drinking their famous Kölsch brewed beer. Cologne has produced the most German songs and locals love to share them. You're sure to hear them during Carnival. It's the city' biggest party, with over 1.5 million participants, and takes place seven weeks before Easter. Cologne also has a large gay population and one of the world's largest gay parades. Plenty of young people live here; 44,000 students attend Cologne University, one of Europe's oldest schools.

INTERESTING FACT: Did you know that Germany has Europe's second largest population after Russia? Just over 82 million people live in this country, which is smaller than the state of Montana.

COLOGNE MARRIOTT HOTEL
I arrived on time at Cologne's Main Station ... are trains ever late in Germany? I took the Breslauer Platz exit and walked 200 meters (about 5 minutes) to my hotel. The six-floor, 282-room Köln Marriott Hotel was a lot nicer than I had expected. I was actually taken aback by the sleek lobby. The hotel opened in January, 2006 and has almost all the amenities (though no pool) a business or leisure traveler could want: a 24-hour gym, bar, restaurant, business center, meeting space for up to 430 persons and high-speed Internet (but it's not cheap at 19.95 euro a day). Like every Marriott, my comfortable, standard size room had their signature Revive bed. These beds are insane with their high thread count sheets, cloud-like comforter and six different pillows. I didn't realize how tired I was from running around London and Wales until the following morning when I didn't want to get out of bed. The 400 channels of satellite TV didn't help to motivate me. And one of the coolest features here (something I wish all hotels offered), is the 24-hour kitchen cam. While it's not as interesting as watching the Food Network, it's still pretty cool to flip on the TV in your room and see what's going on in the kitchen, at any time! Rates begin at 129 euro and some include the fantastic breakfast buffet (24 euro). The buffet has a French flair and will satisfy any diet. They have everything from made-to-order omelets to homemade oatmeal. Köln Marriott Hotel, Johannisstr. 76-80, phone 0221 - 94 222 5605.

DID YOU KNOW? Cologne has over 250 hotels and 25,000 beds for visitors?



GETTING AROUND
Cologne is a great walking and biking city. It is laid out on a grid, is compact and there are plenty of signs. If you don't feel like exercising, hop on the Stadtbahn (tram), part of an extensive light rail system. The trains (S-Bahn or U-Bahn) in Cologne range in price from 1.30 euro ($1.65) to 2.20 euro ($2.80). You can get a day ticket for 6 euro ($7.60) or a day ticket for five people for 9 euro ($11.40). You can even take the S-Bahn to and from the airport, for only 2.20 euro ($2.80). The trip to the center of the city takes just 15 minutes. Taxis, by contrast, cost about 25 euro ($32) and naturally, take longer in traffic.

BRIEF HISTORY
The Romans founded Cologne in 50 AD, making it one of Germany's oldest cities. Its Roman name was Colonia Claudia Are Agrippinensium. In 310 AD, Constantine built a bridge over the Rhine. During World War II, the city suffered major damage and many casualties. The city lost 95 percent of its population, mostly to rural areas. But when the war ended, Cologne quickly rebounded.

COLOGNE CATHEDRAL
Hohe Strasse is a popular shopping district. In fact, it's the number one shopping street in Germany, with over 17,145 visitors passing through each hour. Now that's a lot of shoppers! I walked through myself and bought a white linen, short-sleeve shirt from H&M for 5 euro. But shopping plays a minor role in this city. The most famous attraction by far is the Cologne Cathedral, also known as The Dom. Its towering spires (515 feet high) can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. The Dom, located in the heart of the city, is Germany's most popular monument: over 6 million people visit each year. By comparison, Notre Dame in Paris attracts 7 million visitors yearly. So why is this Gothic cathedral so popular? One reason is that it's believed to house relics of the Three Wise Men. In addition, it's a UNESCO World Heritage site. The church was built in 1248 and was completed 642 years later in 1880. Though the church was bombed during World War II, it was not completely destroyed but now undergoes constant reconstruction. Surprisingly, this church is not even the oldest in Cologne. Twelve nearby Romanesque churches all are older. Be sure to attend daily mass, take a guided tour or head up the 509 steps to the top for a bird's-eye view. Cologne Cathedral, open Monday-Sunday, 6am to 7:30pm.

DID YOU KNOW? The Cologne Cathedral is one of the world's largest churches and for four years, between 1880 and 1884, it was the tallest structure in the world. It was eventually surpassed with the completion of the Washington Monument, then by the Eiffel Tower.

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