Cologne always appeared to us, for some reason, as an intermediate town, no particularly noteworthy. Perhaps the city is not on hearing, and most often we hear the names of Munich, Berlin, Hamburg ... I can not say that after his visit, the opinion about this place has changed dramatically, but the conviction appeared that on an hour, to look into Cologne all same worth. Yes, two hours will be enough.
Cologne is one of the most compact, in the tourist plan, German cities. In order to get acquainted with the history of the city, it is enough to get a couple of hundred meters from the building of the railway station. We immediately fall into the historical part of the city, where in front of us in all its glory opens a kind of architectural ensemble of the city, which includes: Cologne Cathedral, Catholic Church of St. Martin and the City Hall City Hall.
Cologne is one of the few European cities that can boast a huge temple - long-term, made in the best traditions of the Gothic style.
The cathedral is surprisingly beautiful not only externally, but also internally. I was always amazed, striking and will hit the fact, as in such a large-scale construction, you can harmoniously enter a huge number of clear small details. By the way, there is a legend about the architect of the temple, which says that he signed a deal with the Devil. The architect was ready to sell his soul, just to fulfill the construction of the cathedral. The deal concluded, but only the devil was deceived by the wife of the architect, and the builder remained to live. Having learned about the deception, the devil spoke to the structure: "May the end of the world comes with the last stone on this cathedral!" Funny, but the construction of the cathedral never stops, apparently the authorities of Cologne believe in the legend and do not want to allow destruction of the sights.
Next we were waiting for the Church of St. Martin, located in close proximity to the Cologne Cathedral. Probably the most non-permanent conservation of Cologne. I mean a variety of styles that changed throughout its existence. Initially, the church was created in the Romanesque style. After several destructive fires, the appearance of the building was very victim, and as a result of numerous reconstructions in the 18th century, he was inherent in the baroque features. A hundred years old, as the church appeared in front of citizens in a new appearance, decorated in classicism style.
City Hall Building We did not take pictures, because there was little memory on the flash drive, and externally, the construction is not particularly noteworthy. Since our journey passed into the company of two children, we decided to visit the Chocolate Museum, located almost on the other Rhine. The museum leads a small bridge, painted in green, not to notice it is impossible. Inside, you can see with your own eyes to see the process of cooking chocolate, ranging from the crushing stage of cocoa beans, to the popular chocolate in the molds. Children in the museum are always happy, and they are pleased with sweets.
This chocolate fountain could not be bypass, looking at the melted chocolate, inhaling his aroma, just start to expire with a saliva. After that, you run to the store, which by the way are located on the territory of the museum, and buy all sorts of goodies.
Rest in Cologne leaves unforgettable impressions, and no matter how they say there, it's still worth a visit!