The Swede Life: "Kölle Alaaf!"- Carnival in Cologne & Dusseldorf

Two weekends ago we traveled to Cologne and Dusseldorf, Germany. We traveled via RyanAir (discount airline that nearly nullifies its cheap flights with the annoying hassle of getting to and from the discount airports) with two friends from Stockholm. Luckily, our friends, who are both German, were able to guide us through the bus/train system between the airport and Cologne.

The main train station in Cologne

We arrived Friday night and immediately changed into our costumes (Carnivale is kind of like a mix between Mardi Gras and Halloween in the U.S. and Oktoberfest-- Aaand it's as chaotic as you would imagine). In Cologne, or as the natives say, Koln, there is a traditional beer called Kolsch. It is served in very small, tall, thin glasses with volumes of only 200 ml. (A pint at a bar is usually 500 ml) The beer is very light which makes it easy to drink quickly and the small glasses make it easy to lose count... you see where this is going...

Us, all dressed up! Sorry it's blurry!


Me and Constanze (our friend and host) Her brother bought us flowers..

Which was very sweet and also very useful for Zorro (Phil) & Veit (our other friend)

Us with the entire group.

But don't worry, after about 5 hours of dancing the first night, this old lady and gentleman headed home to the hostel early (midnight). The next day we did some good, wholesome sight-seeing before heading off to a Kolsch-Fest party at 4 pm. (Eeek!)

I'll let the pictures speak for our experiences there...

A field of beer taps. They remind me of little chimenys. =)

There was a performance of traditional dances from the region.

We also had a chance to enjoy the city sights the next day before heading to Dusseldorf in the evening. Cologne was an interesting mix of big-city feel and intimiate side streets. Main roads were wide with metro/trams running along the middle lane. Buildings had modern-esque arcitecture in parts with an incredible stretch of shopping along a pedestrain zone we walked through. Other parts of the city had cobbled sidewalks with small, almost Dutch feeling houses. (My opinion based on a trip to Amsterdam, not the opinion of an architecture scholar, haha.) The walk along the water was especially reminiscent of Amsterdam for me.

Hohenzollern Bridge, aka the Locking Bridge. Just like in Budapest, people put
their names and an important date on a pad lock. Again, we did not partake. =(

Part of the parade!

There were lot's of marching bands practicing for the parade all over the city.
Apparently, Carnivale is the big day for these troops and their families.

Awesome building.

This section reminded me of the houses along the canals in Amsterdam.

The beautiful Catherdral was the gem of the city.

The gothic architecture reminded me of the Prague Cathedral but I think anything that is built in this style will trigger that assocation since the Prague Cathedral is the first building like this that I really fell in love with.

Carnivale celebrations were also taking place in Dusseldorf but we avoided the temptation and instead opted for a low-key evening of good food and a walk around the city at night.

Dusseldorf, about 30 minutes by train ride from Cologne, is famous for an entirely different style of beer. Being good tourists and wanting to immerse ourselves so, of course, we had to try that too!

Altbier or "Old Beer"

The parade floats getting ready!

One of the floats. The people on board throw far too much candy, etc. I was
feeling a cold coming on and was thrown 2 cough drops and a pack of tissues! Perfect!

The city of Dusseldorf was beautiful with narrow, cobbled streets and the bustle of people getting ready for the Carnivale parade. I have read that one should not compare Dusseldorf and Cologne so I will absent myself from that. More photos of Dusseldorf: