Cologne
After departing Amsterdam, the AMAKristina headed up stream to the City of Cologne, Germany. The Rhine River intersects Cologne, the fourth largest city in Germany. It was one of the heaviest German cities bombed by the Royal Air Force in WWII, with about 72 percent of the city destroyed. Thus, the city architecture is a mixture of restored buildings and modern structures.
One of the highlights of a Cologne visit is a tour of the gothic Cologne Cathedral. Construction of this church started in 1248, stopped in 1473 and modifications restarted in 1880. During WWII, the cathedral was hit by 14 strikes. This damage was repaired by 1956.
The Cologne Cathedral, the High Cathedral of St. Peter, is a Roman Catholic cathedral. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It's spires are the second highest in Nothern Europe.
The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is said to house the Shrine of the Three Kings, relics of the Three Magi. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It's spires are the second highest in Northern Europe.
Ludendorff Bridge
As we continued our cruise up the Rhine, we passed the Ludendorff Bridge - or what remains of the bridge. During the WWII Battle of Remagen, Allied forces captured the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine River. This was the last standing bridge across the Rhine. Numerous attempts by German forces to destroy the bridge failed. This bridge was a key factor in Allied forces rapidly entering the German mainland.
Enduring aircraft bombing, direct artillery hits, near misses and deliberate demolition attempts, the weakened Ludendorff Bridge finally collapsed in March 1945. Over a 15 day period, some 25,000 groups and thousands of vehicles had crossed the bridge. Today the west tower of the bridge serves as a memorial museum.
Koblenz
Our second stop on our Rhine River tour was at the city of Koblenz, located at the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel rivers. Koblenz dates from the Middle Ages. We arrived at Koblenz late in the evening so we didn't have a great deal of time to wander in this city.
While much of Koblenz was destroyed in WWII, there still remain romantic streets and courtyards and picturesque squares offering cafes that invite visitors to sit and relax during the day. Sights during daylight hours include a monument of William the Great along the river, a cable car to the hilltop Ehrenbreitstein Fortress to view museums. Schangelbrunnen fountain (Spitting Little Boy Fountain) at City Hall and the Kaiser Wilhelm memorial at the Deutsches Eck. South, along the Rhine, is the neo-Gothic Stolzenfels Castle and gardens.
After departing Amsterdam, the AMAKristina headed up stream to the City of Cologne, Germany. The Rhine River intersects Cologne, the fourth largest city in Germany. It was one of the heaviest German cities bombed by the Royal Air Force in WWII, with about 72 percent of the city destroyed. Thus, the city architecture is a mixture of restored buildings and modern structures.
One of the highlights of a Cologne visit is a tour of the gothic Cologne Cathedral. Construction of this church started in 1248, stopped in 1473 and modifications restarted in 1880. During WWII, the cathedral was hit by 14 strikes. This damage was repaired by 1956.
The Cologne Cathedral, the High Cathedral of St. Peter, is a Roman Catholic cathedral. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It's spires are the second highest in Nothern Europe.
The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is said to house the Shrine of the Three Kings, relics of the Three Magi. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It's spires are the second highest in Northern Europe.
The Elves of Cologne
According to a German bedtime story, the residents of Cologne didn't have to complete all their daily work as, during the evenings, the tasks would be done for them. Soon the people relied on someone else doing their work. A tailor's wife became curious and tossed out hard peas on the floor and saw the elves slipping and falling. The elves became so furious, they left and the people of Cologne had to do their own work from then on. Needless to say, the tailor's wife was not a popular figure. Below is a statue that commemorates this story.
 |
The Great St. Martin Church is another Roman Catholic Church. The foundation of this church was laid in 960AD; however, additional towers were built 1150-1250 and restoration was again completed in 1985 to repair damage from WWII. You can see the church tower in the background of the below photo.
As we continued our cruise up the Rhine, we passed the Ludendorff Bridge - or what remains of the bridge. During the WWII Battle of Remagen, Allied forces captured the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine River. This was the last standing bridge across the Rhine. Numerous attempts by German forces to destroy the bridge failed. This bridge was a key factor in Allied forces rapidly entering the German mainland.
Enduring aircraft bombing, direct artillery hits, near misses and deliberate demolition attempts, the weakened Ludendorff Bridge finally collapsed in March 1945. Over a 15 day period, some 25,000 groups and thousands of vehicles had crossed the bridge. Today the west tower of the bridge serves as a memorial museum.
Koblenz
Our second stop on our Rhine River tour was at the city of Koblenz, located at the confluence of the Rhine and Mosel rivers. Koblenz dates from the Middle Ages. We arrived at Koblenz late in the evening so we didn't have a great deal of time to wander in this city.
While much of Koblenz was destroyed in WWII, there still remain romantic streets and courtyards and picturesque squares offering cafes that invite visitors to sit and relax during the day. Sights during daylight hours include a monument of William the Great along the river, a cable car to the hilltop Ehrenbreitstein Fortress to view museums. Schangelbrunnen fountain (Spitting Little Boy Fountain) at City Hall and the Kaiser Wilhelm memorial at the Deutsches Eck. South, along the Rhine, is the neo-Gothic Stolzenfels Castle and gardens.
No comments:
Post a Comment