May 17, 2024
When we awoke this morning the ship was still cruising down the river. It didn’t take long for Bill to get up, dress, and head to the restaurant to meet Betty and Linda for breakfast. I elected not to go so that I could spend more time getting ready. As I’m not really a breakfast person this became my morning routine. I would either just eat one of my breakfast bars or grab a muffin and glass of orange juice from the Aquavit to bring back to the stateroom.
Around 8:45 a.m. the ship docked in Zons, a medieval town on the Lower Rhine’s West Bank, to drop off those of us scheduled for the morning included shore excursion. The four of us met in the lobby, exited the ship, and boarded the motor coach for the 30 minute drive into Cologne.
Once we arrived in Cologne, we were directed to our assigned walking group and introduced to our guide – Ralph (be sure to roll the R).
Cologne Walking Tour
Description: Learn about Cologne’s heritage and view its iconic cathedral, towering over the city in all its Gothic splendor. Step into a rich past, following the city’s preserved historic street patterns and hearing about its Roman and medieval history along the way. As you stroll, your guide will regale you with tales of local folklore figures, Tünnes and Schääl, and the city’s flourishing Jewish community. In Old Cologne, pass the elegant silhouette of St. Martin’s church and stop to view Cologne’s magnificent Gothic cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Construction of this towering structure began in 1248 and continued in stages over the next seven centuries. The largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, this magnificent church boasts two soaring spires and beautiful stained-glass windows, and survived the Allied bombings that ravaged the city and the rest of Germany during World War II.
Our first stop was at the monument to Edith Stein.
Monument to Edith Stein
Edith Stein was born in Breslau in 1891. She was the eleventh child of a Jewish family. While a high school and college student, she left Judaism. She studied philosophy, psychology, history, and German studies in Breslau and Göttingen, before pursuing a doctorate degree under famed philosopher Edmund Husserl. It was at this time that she had her first serious encounters with Christianity; she decided to convert to Catholicism after reading from the autobiography of Teresa of Avila. Stein was baptized in 1922 in Bad Bergzabern. She was a teacher and university lecturer in Speyer and Münster; that is, until 1933 when National Socialist legislation that denied Jews the right to hold such positions revoked her professorship. She then entered the Disclaced Carmelite (notably also called the Barefoot Carmelite) monastery in Cologne and took the name Teresia Benedicta a cruce (Teresa Benedicta of the Cross). In 1938, she took her eternal vows, but soon after had to flee Germany and ended up in Holland, where she entered a monastery in Echt. On August 7, 1942, she was deported to Auschwitz; she was murdered there on August 9, 1942. In 1987, Pope John Paul II beatified her as a martyr, and in 1998 he canonized her as a saint.
Everyday Historian
Moving on from the monument, Ralph pointed to a building with both old and new architecture. Much of Cologne was damaged or destroyed during WWII. As a result, they try to preserve as much of the past as possible. If the building or facade is structurally sound and if feasible, they attempt to incorporate it.
Our next stop of the tour was the iconic Cathedral where we were given time to explore on our own.
Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom)
The Gothic cathedral is one of Germany’s most famous landmarks. It is also one of the most beautiful examples of Gothic and Neo-Gothic architecture in the world. The cathedral dominates the skyline of the city. Currently the cathedral is the seat of the Archibishop of Cologne and it is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996. Upon its completion on the 14th of August 1880, the Cologne Cathedral held the title of the World’s tallest building until 1884.
Cologne Cathedral
The most precious work of art in the cathedral, which inspired this enormous building, was the Shrine of the Three Kings – a golden triple sarcophagus studded with jewels It was said to hold the crowned skulls and bones of the three wise men who followed the star to visit the infant Jesus.
The “relics of the Magi” were originally brought to Constantinople by Empress Helena, Constantine the Great’s mother, then brought to Milan in an oxcart by Eustorgius I, the city’s bishop, to whom they were entrusted by Constantine in 314. Eight centuries later in 1164, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa took the relics of the Magi from the church of Saint Eustorgio in Milan and gave them to the Archbishop of Cologne, Rainald of Dassel, who was also the imperial Archchancellor of Italy. In 1164, Rainald transferred these relics to Cologne where the shrine for the three kings was built. Their bones were wrapped in white silk and returned to the shrine. The relics have since attracted a constant stream of pilgrims to Cologne.
Wikipedia
The cathedral also has beautiful stained glass windows. How did any of them survive the bombing raids on Cologne?
With all kinds of excuses, the cathedral architect blocked the recommendations of leading heritage institutions and experts and only understood the seriousness of the situation in the spring of 1940 during the repeated bombing raids of Cologne. Only in October 1940, was the deinstallation of the medieval windows completed with the help of all the cathedral’s staff and freelance glaziers of Cologne. At first, they were stored in the cellar of the archbishop’s palace, but after this building was destroyed, they were moved to a bunker south of the cathedral. During 1941, step by step, the most valuable nineteenth-century stained glass windows were also partially removed and the immovable works of art were protected with sandbags.
Five months later, during the great bombing night of Cologne, the cathedral was three quarters destroyed. Fortunately, the art bunker was preserved and in 1947 the medieval panels were reinstalled in the reconstructed window openings of Cologne Cathedral.
Stained Glass
After our allotted time in the cathedral, we rejoined Ralph and our group to continue our walk.
Cologne Town Hall Tower
Our next stop was outside the Cologne Town Hall Tower. On the tower were figures portraying various personalities from Cologne’s history except for one – Platzjabbeck. This figure of a bearded man’s head with cap, located below the clock, was painted and had a mechanical device that caused it to open its mouth and stick out his tongue on the hour. One possible explanation for this figure was that it was an expression of power emanating from town hall on the people below. It was interesting that on a nearby building was a possible response.
Ostermann Fountain
As we continued our walk around Cologne’s old town, we stopped in Ostermannplatz to view the Ostermann Fountain.
The figures depicted on the fountain are references to the songs of the Cologne lyricist, composer and singer of carnival songs Willi Ostermann (1876 –1936). One of his best known pieces was the Cologne anthem “Heimweh nach Köln” (Homesick for Cologne – which Ralph sang for us). His music is still an indispensable part of the Cologne Karneval (a weeklong party leading up to Ash Wednesday. The equivalent of Mardi Gras in the US).
Brauerei Pfaffen
A short walk from the fountain brought us to a building with a bright orange exterior – the Brauerei Pfaffen. As you can guess, this was a brew house. It also happened to be one of Ralph’s favorites. Built in 1176 on Roman foundations and partly destroyed in WWII, it was acquired by the Päffgen family in 1966. It was renovated in 1973 and opened as a brewery’s bar in 1974.
Note the curious figure of a monk standing on a barrel with a drunken man on his back. Monks of course were highly skilled beer brewers.
While he was telling us about this building, Ralph revealed that he was working in a brew house when a Viking representative suggested that he would be a great as a guide for a beer tour. He agreed and signed on. Since then, he, and his wife, now lead several different tours. We asked him if he would be leading the Beer Culture tour that evening. We were very disappointed when he said no as he was a great and fun guide.
All too soon, our 2 hour walking tour was over. After telling us where to find (and the schedule for) the shuttle bus back to the ship, Ralph took his leave. Since the ship (which had moved from Zons to Cologne while we were ashore) was going to be docked in Cologne until 10:45 that night we had the option of staying in town for the afternoon. The four of us elected to do just that.
Hungry after our morning walk, we wandered by several restaurants/taverns while pursuing the menus. Finally, upon the recommendation of a few folks sitting outside, we settled upon that establishment. What did we order? Schnitzel with gravy and beer (well, soda for me) of course!
Then it was time for some shopping before we caught the shuttle back to the ship to relax. Bill and I weren’t done for the day yet as we had signed up for the evening Beer Culture tour.
Cologne’s Beer Culture and Dinner
Description: Immerse yourself in Cologne’s lively brauhaus culture and sample the pride of the city. During this fun excursion into the heart of Cologne, you will stroll the Old Town’s cobblestone streets past historic houses. Pause along the way at three Kölsch brewhouses. Kölsch—a light, crisp beer—is brewed only in Cologne. Brauhaus servers, called köbes, will deliver Kölsch straight from the barrel to your table in 7-ounce glasses, small enough for you to finish the beer while it is still refreshingly cold. As you drink in the rich culture of Cologne amid the dark-paneled walls and stained glass windows of its Old Town brewhouses, learn the brewing “secrets” that give Kölsch its distinctive character. Afterward, you will enjoy dinner at a popular, local brauhaus before returning to your ship.
At 7 p.m. we made our way ashore to meet our guide for the night. Imagine our surprise when we discovered that our guide was Ralph!! He said he was asked to fill in for someone else. Yea!!!! A short bus ride back into town and we were off.
Our schedule differed slightly from the description in that we had dinner at our first stop – the Brauerei Zum Malzmuhle (Brewery For the Malt Mill). The brewery was named for the municipal Rats-Mühle, located here from 1572 to the end of 1813, which supplied almost all breweries in the region with crushed malt from wheat and barley. President Bill Clinton visited this brewery on June 17, 1999 while attending the G8 summit in Cologne.
Of course there was beer – Mühlen Kölsch beer served cold in small glasses. Other beverage choices (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) were available for those that, like me, didn’t drink beer.
So, what is kölsch beer you ask.
Since 1997, the term “Kölsch” has had a protected geographical indication (PGI) within the European Union, indicating a beer that is made within 50km (31mi) of the city of Cologne and brewed according to the Kölsch Konvention as defined by the members of the Cologne Brewery Association. Kölsch is one of the most strictly defined beer styles in Germany: according to the Konvention, it is a pale, highly attenuated, hoppy, bright (i.e. filtered and not cloudy) top-fermenting beer, and must be brewed according to the 1516 Bavarian order limiting the ingredients. Kölsch is warm fermented with top-fermenting yeast, then conditioned at cold temperatures like a lager. This brewing process is similar to that used for Düsseldorf’s altbier.
Wikipedia
Our next stop was the Brauerei Pfaffen which we had walked past on the morning tour.
Ralph challenged Bill to a drinking contest. Watch what happened.
Next was Bierhaus en d’r Salzgass built in the area that was used in the Middle Ages to salt the fish that were sold in the fish markets. Braided fish baskets and herring barrels were made nearby. Since salt makes one thirsty it was natural that a brewery existed here in ancient times.
As we made our way to our final stop we passed the statues of Tünnes and Schäl. Note how the noses and boots have been rubbed shiny by many hands wishing for good luck.
Tünnes and Schäl are the two legendary cult figures of the Hänneschen puppet theatre in Cologne. The founder of the first Hänneschen theatre, Johann Christoph Winters, created Tünnes in 1803, and Schäl joined Tünnes in 1850. Rumour has it that Schäl was created because there was a competing puppet theatre on the Schäl Sick, the “wrong side” (right bank) of the Rhine. Tünnes is the short form of Antonius in the Rhineland dialect; he’s a naïve country bumpkin with a bulbous nose and a tranquil soul. Schäl is thinner and always wears a tailcoat. He’s a rascal, often sly and sometimes even underhanded. He considers himself smarter than Tünnes, but he isn’t. The word “schäl” has more than one meaning in the local dialect. It refers both to Schäl’s squint and to his “bad” or “wrong” behaviour. After all, he’s from the Schäl Sick, the “wrong” side of our metropolis on the Rhine.
Cologne Tourism
Our final stop of the evening was Brauhaus Sion. The building was passed to Jean Sion in 1912. His son Hans took over the family business sometime later. In May 1942, the brew house was completely destroyed during the “Night of 1000 Bombs”. Hans rebuilt and soon realized the need to brew a local unmistakable beer. He promoted the cause of top-fermented Kölsch and laid the cornerstone for the success of this regional specialty. Hans died in 1998, but today he carries the honorary title of “Father of Kölsch”.
I’m not sure we saw all of the rooms available in this brewhouse. We were seated in the Braustuve – a room for 70 people but one that can expand into the Hopfengarten (large garden used to grow hops and other herbs). Here, the Cologne Karneval’s triumverate figures (maiden, farmer, and prince) were on display. These figures were introduce in the late 19th century in an effort to regulate the wild festivities.
You can probably tell that we had a fun evening but unfortunately It was time to go back to the ship. We didn’t want to miss the boat as it was to sail for Koblenz soon.
