Cologne, Germany

Talk about your comebacks!

Cologne dates back to the Roman Empire, which extended as far north as the Rhine River at one point. Cologne was created at that point, and soon became the most important city in the region. Governments came and went over time, as usual in this part of the world, but Cologne still thrived.

Then came World War II. Many German cities took a pounding as the Allies marched toward Berlin. But Cologne was one of the biggest losers, as about 95 percent of its structure was wiped out. The population went away for a while too, bottoming out at 30,000. But it began to rebound after the war ended almost immediately, and now is one of the most important and biggest cities in Germany.

While much of the city has a new and modern look, the Old Market area still has some of that Old World feeling. You can get it by stopping in the middle of the square (rectangle might be more accurate) by stopping at the Jan von Werth fountain (shown here). Werth was a major military leader in the 17th century as what we know as Germany was split into several regional powers. He might be best known for a romantic story. Apparently Werth tried to win over a woman called Griet when he was a young man, but he wasn't wealthy enough for her. Werth went off to the military and became famous, and then saw the woman again - who thought he was good enough now. But she wasn't good enough for him this time, and Werth walked away. Payback can be sweet sometimes.

Here's an overview of what you'll see in Cologne:



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