Christmas markets in Cologne

After a reasonable night's sleep (though the room got rather too hot again) we met up with Peter and Joanne in the café next to the hotel for a light breakfast of coffee and a croissant. We'd picked up maps of the different Christmas market locations from the hotel reception and decided to explore the two furthest from the centre. Our walking route took us first past the cathedral. We stopped to take photos outside but didn't go in.

Some young women were having a photoshoot outside and I asked if I could take some shots, to which they willingly agreed.

We then walked through part of the central shopping area to the St Nicholasdorf Markt, stopping on the way for hot drinks.

At the market we strolled around taking a few photos and checking out the stalls. Here the Glühwein was served in little boot-shaped mugs, and a singing reindeer watched over proceedings alongside a more taciturn snowman. We bought bags of candied almonds to snack on and later stopped for Glühwein.

Leaving this market we started to retrace our steps but on a parallel road. This brought us to another Christmas market in the Neumarkt. We had a look around here and took more photos but didn't buy anything.

While we were there Peter got a call from our friend Pete, who lives in Trier, to say he'd arrived and was in the hotel bar, so we said we'd go back to meet up with him. We took a different route back to the hotel, part of which followed the line of the old Roman wall.

When we got back we joined Pete in the bar for a couple of beers and a good catch up. Later we separated. Peter and Joanne went to meet another friend, Pete wanted to take a nap, and we retired to our room to relax for an hour or so.

In the evening we had a walk through some of the Christmas markets near the cathedral and in the older part of the city. There was much more noise and colour, which I tried to capture in photos.

To find somewhere a bit quieter to eat we went to the riverfront and found a place with German specialities. We ate on the terrace with heaters and plastic sheeting for protection from the chilly air, though I still felt it a bit. I had a really tasty Flammkuchen with bacon, onion and cheese.

After the meal we walked back through the markets, one still lively with music and drinking, the other (which had been much more focused on shopping) starting to close down for the night. We had a beer in a bar near the station that Chris and Pete remembered from a visit here last year, and another in a much cosier bar near the hotel. But we didn’t stay out late as we knew tomorrow would be a long day.