GERMANY: Bright Lights in the Big City (Part II) Cologne

Cologne (Köln) spans the Rhine River and is one of Germany's oldest and fourth-largest cities. 

Cologne is very proud of their HUGE Cathedral.

The Cologne Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and host to the Shrine of the Three Kings.

It is one of the oldest and most important pilgrimage sites of Northern Europe.

The foundation stone was laid in 1248. 

It is the largest Gothic church in northern Europe and features immense twin towers that stand 515 feet (157 metres) tall. In its day, it was the highest building in the world!

In the 16th century, 300 hundred years after the foundation stone was laid, it still was not complete.

Then, work on the cathedral was interrupted due to the Reformation and the Thirty Years' War. The “interruption” in construction was a BIG interruption that lasted more than 300 years until the 19th century.

If the Cathedral were to be built today (2024) the Cathedral would cost approximately 10 BILLION euros. Maintenance costs per day add up to around €30,000.

Six million people visit it every year. 

During WWII, the cathedral played a role in the bombardments with its twin spires acting as an easy navigational touchstone for Allied bombers. The cathedral endured 14 bomb hits and was heavily damaged, but the structure remained, looming above the rest of the ruined city.

Cologne is also famous for Eau de Cologne, which has been produced in the city since 1709. The original fragrance, 4711, was invented by Italian perfumer Giovanni Maria Farina for the royal courts of Europe. He named it after the street number where it was created, Dufthaus 4711.

It is located in a historic building and has been in business for over 200 years, making it the world's oldest fragrance factory. The perfume became popular because the water of Cologne was believed to have anti-plague properties, and it was a lighter alternative to the stronger scents from France.

Legend has it that long, long ago, the city of Cologne was helped by tiny elves called Heinzelmännchen. When the people of the town went to bed, the Heinzelmännchen came along and finished up all the work.

The wife of a tailor became curious and tried to find out the secret. 

So she scattered dried peas all over her floor, and at night the elves slipped on them and hurt themselves. They got so angry that they left and never came back and the people of the town then had to do all the work themselves! 

I am sure there is a moral to the story somewhere.

While I think on that, there is also the question of what is Cologne's traditional drink?

Kölsch is a style of beer originating in Cologne. In appearance, it is bright and clear with a straw-yellow hue.

Apparently it is a quintessential beer-beer.

In the spirit of experiencing other cultures, I'll have to think on that too.