weekend from cologne germany
 

Hello,

I was hoping some seasoned travelers in Germany/EU could help me plan a quick weekend trip from Cologne, Germany. my husband and I have been here for 6 weeks and have already explored alot of cities outside Germany. We are looking for a weekend trip(either train or short flight)- no major connections due to time constraints. we will leave on friday afternoon and need to return by sunday night. obviously i know this is quick trip, but would love others recommendations -experiences. We've already covered Paris, Amsterdam, Bruges, Venice, London, Bonn, Dusseldorf, cologne-obviously :)
we generally enjoy the outdoors (hiking), also like to visit museums. we just got back from London so we are most likely looking for a more relaxed trip:any suggestions appreciated.

Bruxelles.
Aachen.
Car and go to Lorélei.
Or take a plane and go to Berlin.

Rhine Gorge and Mosel - take K-D boat Rudesheim/Bingen to Koblenz thru prettiest part of Rhine: check www.budgeteuropetravel.com -their online European Planning & Rail Guide for this and other near to Cologne places to head by train and www.ricksteves.com.

https://www.google.com/search?q=k-d+...w=1745&bih=864

www.k-d.com. Stay in a Rhineside village like cute Boppard - lots of nice hikes along Rhine -spend day on boat getting on and off>

Take a train one day to nearby Cochem on the Mosel (or stay in this picture-postcard wine town (tasting from caves in town) and day trip to Rhine and another day along the Mosel like Cochem to Beisltein by boat.

Cochem: https://www.google.com/search?q=coch...w=1745&bih=864

A wonderful weekend very close to Cologne!

Car and go to Lorélei.

Lorelei is the name of the famous cliff at the narrowest part of Rhine Gorge where mythological sirens used to lure boatmen to crash into the rocks to their deaths - a highlight of the K-D.com cruise.

https://www.google.com/search?q=lore...w=1745&bih=864

You could also easily drive or train to the Black Forest region - a great venue for hiking if not museums. Sans car trains go into the Black Forest area to cool places like the Titisee:

https://www.google.com/search?q=titi...w=1745&bih=864

Black Forest in general:

https://www.black-forest-travel.com/

Train Cologne-Freiburg then regional trains into the forest area.

Freiburg is also a really neat city.

Hi murrissa5, I am going to be a little controversial and suggest that you extend from the Rhine into Frankfurt and Mainz. While Frankfurt is uncharming in its business district it has pockets of nice architecture (the Römer, old Sachsenhausen with its applewine pubs, Hoechst) and a whole riverbank of world-class museums (the Museumsufer). Mainz has a picturesque old town, a superb 1000 year old cathedral and a number of good museums (a Roman ship museum, because the Romans colonised the area, and the Gutenberg Museum, because that is where Gutenberg worked on his innovations in printing). I say controversial because Frankfurt does not have many fans because it is a modern city with skyscrapers, but it is not a bad fit for your interests. Definitely do Mainz though, if you do the Rhine, because Mainz is at the end of where the cruise boats stop.

Lavandula

Unless you prefer a trip to the countryside (see above suggestions), Vienna has a good mix of urban sights and real hiking options within the city limits, accessible with public transport.
https://www.wien.gv.at/english/leisu...ing/paths.html