The Römisch-Germanisches Museum

The museum with a glimpse of the Dom on the left.

The Römisch-Germanisches Museum or Roman-German Museum (RGM) is an archeological museum conveniently located next to the Dom and Schildergasse across from Cologne Main Station, so there's no excuse not to visit!

Like many other museums in Europe, students under the age of 25 who produce a students card are able to receive a discount on their admission ticket. When I visited the museum (June 2014), student admission was just over 3 euros (~$3.35). 

Resturant Review: Bei Oma Klienmann

Bei Oma Klinemann's unassuming exterior.
Source

Our first round.
It was my first time drinking beer!

My friend and I were privileged to be in Cologne during the World Cup match between Ghana and Germany. I knew I wanted to watch the game at a nice bar or pub like most of the residents of the city. In fact, game day appeared to be a holiday. Shops closed early and people took the streets singing fight songs and enjoying beer hours before the match began.

Before we arrived in Germany, I planned ahead of time and looked for a good pub where we could enjoy the game. When browsing Google Maps, I came across Bei Oma Klinemann. Conveniently for us, I discovered the pub is also known for its schnitzel, the quintessential German comfort food. We definitely wanted to try schnitzel while in Germany, so going to Bei Oma Klinemann was a no-brainer. 

I made reservations for us through email on their website. When we arrived, we discovered our reservation was lost, but the issue was quickly resolved and we were seated at a table marked "reserved".

Imhoff-Schokoladenmuseum Köln

The museum entrance.

The Imhoff-Schokoladenmuseum Köln is one of the most popular museums in Cologne, and in Germany. Its popularity was apparent the day my friend and I visited as there was a large, international crowd there. Admission is expensive at 9 euros, but children can enter for 6 euros, and if you have an international student ID card like I did, you pay 6 euros.

Naturally, the admission price does not include entrance to the museum cafe which serves a variety of specialty chocolate treats and drinks. We thought the cafe might be expensive, so since we were on a tight budget and knew we would make purchases at the gift shop after exploring the museum, my friend and I opted to skip the cafe.

Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom)

The Dom in all its Gothic glory.

Everyone knows most major cities have iconic buildings you must visit: Taipei 101 in Taipei; the Empire State Building in New York City; the Eiffel Tower in Paris, etc. For Cologne, it's the Cologne Cathedral, also known as the Dom. 

The Dom towers over downtown. I say "towers" rather reluctantly since you can feel yourself under its shadow as if its something menacing - and it does look menacing because of it's Gothic appearance. Yet, at the same time, the Dom is a church, so perhaps "protective" would be a better way to describe it's presence. Either way, you can't miss it even if you tried. I don't know why you would avoid it. Even if you aren't an architecture buff or of religious persuasion, a short one hour stop at the Dom is worth it. A person can't even make an excuse for not visiting it since it's across the way from the main station.

Cologne: My General Impressions

Right outside Cologne's busiest station.

On the train to Cologne!

A  display about German
World Cup uniforms.

Cologne is now by far one of my favorite cities. The people, the landscape, the sites...everything was awesome, particularly the people and atmosphere. Americans often stereotype Germans as being extremely stern and proper, the sort of people who aren't able to cut loose and have a good time or carry on a lighthearted conversation with a stranger. However, like most stereotypes, I don't believe that is the reality. The Germans I encountered were friendly, accommodating, and clearly loved to have a good time. I would describe the environment in Cologne as tremendously warm.

In my opinion, Germans have a "work hard, play hard" mentality. Everyone appeared to fall into their roles effortlessly by day, yet when evening time came, especially during the weekend, everyone seemed to be out having a good time.