Leaving the party at Museum Ludwig, we decided to go with the easy option and head next door to the Roman-Germanic Museum.

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The vibe here is a lot more laid back, even down to the musical act which made for a great cool-down spot with a brew while popping between ancient Roman artefacts.

As Lloyd would happily attest to, I’m not the kind of person that does museums quickly. I like to take my time and read EVERYTHING (I just don’t see the point in rushing through… thought the reading got blurrier as we popped in and out of the dancefloor and parties) and so before we knew it, it was 1am.

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My FOMO got the better of me again and I decided we should probably try to squeeze in a couple more museums before heading back to the main after-party at Museum Ludwig.

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We hot-footed it over to Wallraf-Richartz Museum home to fine art from medieval time right through to the 20th century (another fact I found out retrospectively). This time, we did things the other way around and got some beers which doing what I can only describe as “swaying” to the music before heading upstairs to check out the art.

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Eventually though, after almost 17 hours of exploring Cologne, museum-hopping and partying, we decided it was time to call it a night and head back to the hotel for a well-earned kip! Museum night exceeded my expectations by far (which were already quite high to be honest) and it’s definitely something I’d happily return to do next year… and this time, I’m bringing friends with me to make a full weekend of it!

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The next morning, after breakfast, we decided to attempt to see some more of the famous 12 Romanesque churches of Cologne. Basilica of the Holy Apostles happened to be the closest and so off we went in search of the Basilica!

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After leaving the Basilica, we made our way over to Hahnentorburg (one of the 12 original city gates of Cologne) and before long, found ourselves back in the Belgian Quarter.

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Seeing as I’d only ever seen it at night, I decided to go for a little gander around the area (which is reputed to be one of the coolest areas to live in Cologne) before deciding to give into my rumbling tummy and pop into a rather pretty café for huge helpings of cake and tea!

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Alas, after cake and tea, it was time to head to the airport but suffice it to say, even though we’d spent just 3 nights in the city, I definitely know Cologne is a city I want to come back to visit and explore even more layers of this charming German city!

Read more: Best German cities to visit

13 Of The Best Cities in Germany You Have To Visit


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