Cologne has the sweet smell of success
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On a busy bridge across the river Rhine are thousands
upon thousands of padlocks.
Some adorning the wire grille separating the rail tracks
from pedestrians are rusting and weather-beaten, while others look
more like fashion accessories. The keys lie on the river bed
below.
But what they all have in common is an ideal.
The Lovers' Bridge- or, as a disapproving German Rail
knows it, the Hohenzollern Brucke railway bridge - links the
eastern side of Cologne to a city packed
with commerce, culture and heritage.
It has been adorned with padlocks since 2008, when lovers
first etched their names on a lock, clasped it to the bridge, and
threw its key into the Rhine as a symbol of their everlasting
union.
Their passion, and that of the thousands of lovers to have
since added their own symbol, is something which radiates through a
city in love with itself.
But not in a bad way. It's not arrogance that draws
thousands of people to a cathedral which rises, like a father
figure, over Germany's fourth largest city.
And it's not self-importance which floods the streets with
millions for Cologne's annual carnival processions. It's a pride as
great as the cathedral's 157m towers are tall.
Perhaps this isn't surprising in a city almost wiped off
the map by Allied bombing in the Second World War.
However, it's too crude an analysis to see the Rhineland's
biggest city as being dominated by a dark past of destruction and
Nazi ignominy.
It has a history spanning more than 2,000 years. From the
Farina Haus Fragrance Museum, the birthplace of the original Eau de
Cologne, to the vast underground remains of the Praetorium, a Roman
governor's palace, the city has layer upon layer of
heritage.
But somehow, you feel you really have to be a Cologner to
be a part of the love affair and, for me at least, cupid's arrow
missed its target. To take the motto of the city's tourist board,
if "Cologne is a feeling", I just didn't feel it.
There is, however, one impressive pocket of Cologne, from which charm
oozes as readily as the local Kolsch beer flows.
Excelsior Hotel Ernst,
within touching distance of the mighty cathedral and walking
distance of most of the city's key attractions, is grandeur and
sophistication without pomposity.
The five-star hotel, which has an awards list as long as
your arm, is a blend of classical, cultivated living with modern
comfort.
So it's no surprise it is often surrounded by paparazzi
straining to catch a glimpse of a celebrity guest staying at the
hotel either side of a gig at the nearby Lanxess Arena.
Exceptional comfort and service are a given - what better
after a hard day's sightseeing than to return to your room to find
a bottle of beer chilling in an ice bucket alongside a dainty plate
of pre-dinner treats?
And the experience at either of the hotel's two
restaurants, the gourmet French Hanse Stube or the taste of Asia in
Taku, is of the finest dining.
Rooms at the Excelsior Hotel
Ernst range from 200 euros for a single room to 520 euros for a
suite. Rates include use of minibar, sauna and fitness facilities,
service charge and VAT. Breakfast is not included. To book visit
www.excelsiorhotelernst.com/en
or email reservation@excelsior-hotel-ernst.de
Flights to Cologne from London
Stansted with German Wings start at £13.99. To book visit
www.germanwings.com or call 0906
2941918.
Cologne’s Street Carnival takes
place from February 11-16 this year. Its seven major Christmas
markets are open from November 22 to December 23. For full details
of events and attractions in Cologne visit www.koelntourismus.de/en
Wednesday, February 24 2010
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