Cologne Christmas Markets

Pretty Cologne Christmas stalls with plenty of festive delights. Photo: Paul Miles

They party in sewers in Cologne. Below the city streets, the ancient Roman sewage system, with its echoing acoustics, is a popular venue for live music, says my friend Monica, as she shows me around Germany’s fourth largest city. Only about 60 people can squeeze in the space and events are always sold out. “When you go down, you get to smell the real ‘eau de Cologne’,” she jokes, explaining, in case I didn’t understand, that the sewers still pong a little, two thousand years on although, unfortunately, not like the scent more usually associated with this city.

Beautifully crafted candle gifts from the Cologne market. Photo: Paul MilesThe citrus unisex perfume, the original ‘Eau de Cologne’, is still made to the same secret formula. Just across from the city hall, where excavations of Roman remains are underway (a site the size of two football pitches is due to open, underground, in 2013) is the building where the 18th century Italian immigrant, Giovanni Farina, concocted the perfume that he named after his adopted home.

Today’s city of Cologne still welcomes people from all nationalities, with over 200 languages, says Monica. Even adopted Cologners, like her, celebrate the Roman influence. “We’re more ‘southern European’ than other Germans…” she says, “…not so square-minded and more friendly.”

Now is a good time to visit. There are Christmas markets throughout the city, including one on a ship on the Rhine. They are festooned with lights and cheer in the form of mugs of hot gluhwein, old-fashioned merry-go-rounds and promenaders in fancy dress. There are some perfect gifts - colourful lamps, cosmetics, jewellery and gingerbread men. Afterwards, warm up in a cosy, lamp-lit restaurant, where beer is served in small glasses and the local delicacy is horse meat cooked in buttermilk.

> See our selection of Christmas Market Breaks in Europe

A glimpse of the future... the comfy Thalys trains are the fast, efficient way to travel to Cologne. Photo: Paul MilesThe most convenient way to arrive for your festive shopping spree is by train. Unlike many railway stations that stand forlornly among urban decay, Cologne’s train station, approached over a steel ‘coathanger’ bridge like Sydney Harbour’s, sits smack next to the cathedral, the largest Gothic church in the world. The juxtaposition of industrial era architecture and that of the 13th century, has justly earned the site UNESCO World Heritage Listing.

Total train travel time from London to Cologne is under five hours on a good day. I started with a morning trip to Brussels on Eurostar’s new ‘Standard Premier’ class (which replaced the old 'Leisure Select' class) that has the same wide, reclining seats as in business class but with simpler meals (breakfast was croissants, fruit and yogurt). The onward journey to Cologne was on a comfortable Thalys train, with wifi (free in first class), speeding through the snowy countryside at nearly 200 miles an hour.

If you’re a fan of train travel, then make sure you go one way on Thalys and the other on a German ICE train. As well as stylish interiors, these have a viewing cabin where you can sit behind the driver at the controls and see through the windscreen.

It feels like a glimpse into the future of train travel and, what’s more, at just 40kg per person in carbon emissions compared to nearly 140kg for flying (source: www.transportdirect.info), travelling by train to Cologne is the more environmentally-sound option.

Train from London to Cologne costs from £105 return standard class.
For details on how to book train travel with RailEurope, see our detailed journey planner:

> Train from London to Cologne.

Here's a quick review of the various ticket types on Eurostar:

Standard Class: The cheapest Eurostar tickets, you get a seat in a standard carriage and have access to the cafe carriage. Return prices for Standard Class start from £69.

Standard Premier: This new class of service provides the option of  flexible fares (ie they are refundable with a deduction of 15% of the full value of the ticket, or of the outstanding ticket value if one of the legs has already been travelled), a light meal and a selection of magazines. Fares cost £189 return.

Business Premier: Eurostar’s exclusive business class offers a 10 minute express check-in, access to the business lounge (where there's the usual complimentary drinks, newspapers, etc), plus drinks and a food menu on board, which Eurostar says, is "often designed by top ranking chefs". Fares start from £450 return.

The twinkling Christmas boat on the still waters of Cologne. Photo: Paul Miles