Cologne Skyline from KolnSky Tower on a Cloudy Day

A high school classmate of mine brought me KolnSky to see the unforgettable Cologne skyline from its viewing deck. We crossed the famed Hohenzollern bridge behind Cologne Cathedral before reaching the KolnSky building.

On that day, the sun played hide-and-seek, and then it decided not to come out throughout our visit. Instead, heavy clouds came over, and our planned photo op vanished. But that didn’t dampen our mood – we continued to catch up with stories of our lives since we’d never seen each other for almost three decades!

From the observation deck of KolnSky, you could see as far as your eyes could.

Why? Because Cologne doesn’t have tall or typical skyscrapers in many cities.

Cologne has maintained its old character while embracing the new.

Perhaps, the best view from up there is looking down the river and beyond.

The Rhine river, for your information, passes through six countries (Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France, and the Netherlands) before exiting into the North Sea in Rotterdam.

The spires of the Gothic Cologne Cathedral are a dominant structure that you can’t imagine the city without them.

At a far distance, the imposing and modern Colonius Tower stands tall.

The colourful row of houses below will demand your attention and will make you wish you lived in one of them.

Of course, you won’t miss seeing the rail tracks, too.

Hotel / Hostel in Cologne

I stayed at Hostel die Wohngemeinschaft. You can book it via Booking.com, Expedia, and HostelWorld. 

Though it is around 30-40 minutes walk to the Cathedral, I love it here because the beds are comfortable. Each bunk had its own curtains so you could have your own privacy. It’s clean, and the staff members are friendly. I was even allowed to check in early because the bed/room was already available. Or maybe, they just saw my tired eyes, and I really needed a rest. 😀 Since the hostel is around the university area, cheap bars are on every corner. There are a host of restaurants and grocery stores, too.