Leave your hearts at love locks bridge in Cologne. But, let me be clear first – the bridge is not called Love Locks. I’m referring to Hohenzollern Bridge that crosses through the Rhine River. The railings of the bridge are known to be fully adorned with love locks from the locals, but mostly from the tourists.
Hohenzollern Bridge is intended for train and pedestrian traffic only.
The bridge is the most heavily-used rail track bridge in Germany with 1,200 trains everyday.
The love locks you’ll find here are in different shapes, colors, designs, and sizes.
Some of them are handcrafted with specific designs and engravings of their names, dates, and cheesy love quotes.
Fortunately for the lovers, the German Rail allows them to fasten their love padlocks as long as they don’t pose risks to rail traffic.
Unfortunately, the practice of throwing the keys to the Rhine River is not something I don’t approve.
The German Rail should provide locked dispensers where lovers can drop their keys.
Standing on the bridge itself, I can say that it’s a romantic place (if you’re attached) and a great place to be – if you’re single. 😀 The views of Cologne Cathedral from across the river is stunning!
Every few years, the German Rail removes these padlocks because they add weight to the bridge.
It is estimated that there are around 40,000 – 50,000 padlocks attached here. These love padlocks could weigh from 2-4 tonnes combined.
Hostel / Hotel in Cologne
I stayed at Hostel die Wohngemeinschaft. You can book it via: Booking.com, TripAdvisor, 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 can 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 basically right in every corner. There are a host of restaurants and grocery stores, too. For medium-priced accommodations, click here.