I spent three days in Cologne saying goodbye to 2013 and welcoming in 2014. Just before midnight on New Year's Eve we went outside onto the balcony of my friend's fifth floor apartment and watched the spectacle from there. We'd heard that there were likely to be a lot of fireworks at midnight but we were stunned when the 360° citywide colourful light explosion hit the sky. Whilst there we also made a visit to Kölner Dom, Northern Europe's largest Gothic church (I still say it doesn't look real) where we climbed all 509 stone steps up the spiral staircase (not easy when people are also coming down!) for a panoramic view over the Rhine and the city.
During the trip I drank my fair share of Kölsch, the locally brewed beer that is continuously served until you place a beermat over your glass and spent a great afternoon at the Museum Ludwig viewing the city's wonderful collection of modern art.
