Wuppertal and Cologne: Getting ready for our epic German roadtrip

The riverside town of Wuppertal is a great base from which to visit Cologne and Düsseldorf. And it has its own attractions as well.

A few years ago, my mom, my wife and I embarked on a month-long trip through Germany, with a few days in Belgium and the UK thrown in for good measure. On the itinerary: Wuppertal, Brussels, the Rhine, Germany’s ‘Romantic Road’, Munich and the Oktoberfest, Berlin, London and Cambridge. All in a month’s time. This is part one of the story, and is about our time in Wuppertal, Düsseldorf and Cologne.

Also read: Part 2 (Brussels and Nieuwpoort); Part 3 (the Rhein); Part 4 (the romantic road); Part 5 (Ainring, Salzburg and the Jenner) and Part 6 (Munich and the Oktoberfest)

From Hyderabad to Wuppertal

Considering the overall length of our holiday and the corresponding sizeable budget, we wanted to save on costs wherever we could. So we decided to take Air India’s day flight from Hyderabad to Frankfurt via Delhi because it was the cheapest available (approx. Rs. 25,000 per person). We later realized there was some truth in the saying ‘you get what you pay for’: despite putting us on a brand new Boeing 787 dreamliner (with electronically dimming windows, no less!) our in-flight entertainment system was on the blink, and so were the reading lights.

After multiple reminders, the hostess finally told us nothing could be done, and we couldn’t get other seats because the flight was full. So we ended up having to entertain ourselves through the seven-hour flight. Luckily, I had my laptop along, so I spent a few hours reading through a detailed guide to driving in Germany (PDF). Meanwhile, my mom gave my wife a crash-course in German while I tried not to listen!

The Frankfurt airport experience

We finally landed in Frankfurt around 6:00 PM local time. Conveniently, the airport had a full-fledged train station in the basement, so getting anywhere from there seemed quite simple. In theory. We bought tickets for the last train to to Wuppertal, where my uncle lives, and settled down to wait.

When the train rolled up, the conductor told us that only the last compartment of the train would go to Wuppertal. As we hurried down the platform, we heard the conductor’s whistle. And we watched in horror as the automatic doors closed and the train disappeared without us! We spent a few minutes trying to recover from our shock. As we were trying to come to terms with having to spend the night in Frankfurt, my mom suddenly spied a train on the next platform that said ‘Wuppertal’. She immediately ordered us inside. By an incredible stroke of luck, it was the train that was scheduled before ours, but was running 20 minutes late! We finally got to Wuppertal at around 10:30, an hour late but very grateful to have gotten there at all.

We make Wuppertal our base

Wuppertal is near Cologne and Düsseldorf, and is most famous for its university and for having the first suspended monorail train in the world—the ‘schwebebahn’ (literally, the ‘floating train’). The cars of this local train hang from a single rail that follows the Wupper river through town. For those who are interested, Wuppertal was also the headquarters of chemical and healthcare giant Bayer, before it moved to Leverkusen.

We spent a few days there with my uncle and his family. While we were there, the incessant rain that Wuppertal is also famous for kept us company. But we did manage to see a few interesting things during the times the rain let up. Among those were the lovely old heritage houses in our neck of the woods, as well as the woods themselves. We also found ourselves, quite by chance, at the house of an eccentric (and talkative) collector!

An afternoon in Düsseldorf

The day after we landed, we did the half-hour drive to Düsseldorf for a family get-together of sorts. The plan was that we’d have lunch, and then stroll around the old city for a while. Good plan!

Our lunch venue was the revolving restaurant at the top of the Rheinturm (‘Rhine Tower’), the city’s tallest building. While catching up over lunch, we had great view of the city and the river Rhine below, with all it’s shipping traffic. After lunch, we walked along the riverside promenade, past all the charming cafes, into the old city. We spent a lovely, relaxed afternoon there, strolling through the park and the little alleyways, admiring all the old heritage this 800 year-old city had to offer.

We ended with the traditional German afternoon ritual of ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’ (coffee and cake) at the top of the Schlossturm (‘Castle Tower’), an old medieval bastion next to the river. We even spent some time looking through the maritime museum on its lower levels. All in all, an afternoon well spent!

A day-trip to the the Cologne cathedral

Our most memorable time, though, was a day trip to Cologne with my cousins to see the incredible Cologne cathedral. This massive Gothic church is one of the largest in the world, and supposedly has the world’s largest façade. They say it took over 600 years to build, and houses the relics of the three kings (or magi) who attended the birth of Jesus Christ. History and religious significance aside, the building itself is a sight to behold. The cathedral is a Gothic mini-mountain in the middle of the city. I couldn’t even fit the whole thing into a single photograph!

Up and down the spire

We began by climbing the 500-odd narrow steps to the viewing platform in one of the spires. Almost 100 meters above the ground, we were greeted to glorious views of the city. Sadly, we were also greeted by graffiti scrawled on every reachable surface. Nothing beautiful anywhere in the world is safe from vandals looking for cheap thrills! The views and architecture, though, almost made us forget the global list of names etched into the ancient walls.

A little later, we climbed wobbly-kneed down the same staircase to ground level. On the way down, we passed an unfortunate fellow nursing a cut on his chin he got when he slipped on the way up. After all the exercise, we decided we needed fortification, and headed to a nearby bakery for a sandwich. There were, or course, hordes of people in the bakery, but also a large number of bees buzzing around, sampling the freshly baked sweet treats for free. One even followed me, attracted to a spot of jam on my cap (!), the jam having travelled there from my ‘Berliner ballen’—a kind of jam-filled doughnut—via my finger. Both the jam and the bee caused much amusement.

Also read: Millennia back in time: The magnificent temples of Madurai and Tanjore

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The magnificent interiors

Duly fortified, we went back to the cathedral, this time to marvel at the inside. The cavernous interior of the cathedral was awe-inspiring, with magnificent stained-glass windows, ancient statues, and intricate sections of mosaic flooring. The hordes of tourists—of which we were a part, of course—spoiled the effect a little, but we could have easily spent a few hours there, gazing at this 12^th century panel, or that intricately carved Madonna.

We didn’t have hours, though, because we also wanted to take a guided tour through the archaeological excavations in the foundations of the cathedral. During the fascinating tour, we saw parts of the older church on which the cathedral was built, and the even older remains of a Roman villa underneath, all accompanied by historical witticisms from our guide. The only drawback was that the tour was in German (the English one was on a different day of the week) which frustrated my wife no end, in spite of occasional translations provided by yours truly.

A magical evening service

As the day drew to a close, we emerged from the cathedral’s foundations in time to attend vespers, the evening service and song in the cathedral choir. Though usually reserved for worshippers, we were taken through to the choir by my cousin, who is a lay sister with an abbey near Düsseldorf. The service, with the psalms and hymns echoing through the cathedral, and the evening sun making the stained-glass window glow, was the perfect end to the day. The only way it could have been better was if there hadn’t been hundreds of tourists like us around!

IQ’s top tips

• When buying cheap air tickets, don’t be surprised if you get cheap service (and not just with Air India—Singapore’s Tiger Air is another case in point).
  • Frankfurt airport is massive; make sure you have enough time to get from points A to B.
  • Trains in Germany stop for a very short time, and doors sometimes don’t open unless you press their ‘open’ button—either from inside or outside.
  • Don’t expect too much help or empathy from public servants.
  • If you need to get to a particular train compartment, board the train first so it doesn’t leave without you.
  • If you have a valid train ticket, chances are you’ll be able to use it for a cheaper train going the same direction as well.
• When in Wuppertal, make sure you carry an umbrella or raincoat.
• If you’re visiting Düsseldorf, spare an hour or two to see the old city. It’s worth it.
• If you want to visit Cologne cathedral, reserve at least half a day for it. And if you have a budget, you might have to choose between the climb up the spire and the tour through the foundations. They are both expensive. The prayer service is free, but there is a nominal entry fee for other times of the day.
  • If you choose to climb the spire, make sure you wear layers that you can peel off as you climb. The exertion and the narrow staircase will make you feel uncomfortably hot, and the wind at the top is bitingly cold in autumn.

Veggie tip

Vegetarianism is becoming more and more popular in Germany, so most places will have vegetarian options on the menu beyond salads. But don’t be surprised if they’re always the same options, especially in places that serve local cuisine. If you get bored, you might want to experiment with other cuisines, too.

Sustainability tip

Tap water is drinkable in Germany, so you don’t need to buy bottled water on your travels. Just carry along a refillable water bottle and you’re all set.

Places to stay in Wuppertal and Cologne

In case you ever decide to visit, here’s a list of hotels in Cologne on TripAdvisor, as well as hotels in Wuppertal and Düsseldorf.

Also read: Part 2 (Brussels and Nieuwpoort); Part 3 (the Rhein); Part 4 (the romantic road); Part 5 (Ainring, Salzburg and the Jenner) and Part 6 (Munich and the Oktoberfest)

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