Rhine River Cruise–Köln

The highlight of the visit to Köln is the gothic cathedral. It was part of only about 4% of Köln that was not destroyed during World War II.

One of the things that we learned from our guide is that the Köln cathedral is always under construction. The lightweight stone that was used in its original construction is rather porous and so it deteriorates due to weather and pollution. In addition, the porous stone traps moisture, which rusts the iron bars that were used to hold the stones together.

In the afternoon, we had time to wander the town so we crossed the famous Hohenzollern Bridge (the original lovers padlock bridge) for a look back at the cathedral from across the river.