Duesseldorf to Koeln
Our next destination was Koblenz however we stopped over at Koeln for sightseeing. It was just 30 minutes by train. Koeln is Germany's fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and is located on the river Rhine as Duesseldorf is. It is well known for its wonderful tourist attractions. Above all the Dom, which is a World Heritage Site and the largest Gothic-style Cathedral in the world, is famous as a symbol of Koeln.
When we arrived at the station we were looking forward to seeing it. It's almost too easy to find. When you arrive in Koeln by train, the first thing you will see is the huge Dom through the window!

Some tourists may get upset with the huge Dom, like me. The Dom is too big to take a whole photo! It is about 145 metres high, 87 m wide and its two towers are 157m tall. No matter how I steped back from the Dom, it wasn't enough! Of course, if you get up close to the building, you can't do it. I think if I get a whole picture of the Dom like a photo on the guidebook, I need a helicopter!!

My friend is trying to get the whole picture without a helicopter....

There is a big square between the main train station and the Dom. Just to tell you, the Dom is located next to the station. Even if you have no more than half an hour between changing trains, this is enough to have a quick look at the Dom.

In the square in front of the Dom, there are some street entertainers in elaborate costumes.

Brauhaus Frueh
Frueh is one of the famous Koelsch breweries in Koeln and its brewery-pub "Brauhaus Frueh" is very popular with locals and tourists. It is close to the Dom and it has a big eye-catching sign on the front building. It is easy to find.

The common local beer in Koeln is called "Koelsch". Koelsch is a clear beer and it has a golden color unlike the Duesseldorf's speciality "Altbier". It was amazing to me that there is a huge difference about the taste and appearance between both local beers. And Koelsch is usually served in a distinct glass, long straight up glass in sizes of about 200-300cc. I wondered why because Koeln is only about 35km from Duesseldorf, yet their beer is so distinct!!
For a piece of good advice..., I heard that there are similar rules like the set of unwritten rules in Duesseldorf. Take care not to drink too much!

There is a beer garden outside, facing the street, and they serve casual German local food. I heard that they offer a variety of local dishes inside the building and I hope to try it next time.