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A Romantic Four-Country Christmas and New Year Trip in Western Europe in 2022
By NatMed, February 10, 2026
At the end of 2022, we participated in the first-ever 10-day romantic four-country Christmas and New Year tour of Western Europe by Tai Dan Tours. We departed on December 24, 2022, and traveled through Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Cologne, Frankfurt and Stuttgart in Germany, Lucerne in Switzerland and Dijon and Paris in France. The tour lasted ten days and we returned to Toronto on January 2, 2023.
To make a long story short, on the third day of our trip, we had breakfast at the hotel and then boarded the bus to Cologne, Germany.
Cologne is in GermanyThe fourth largest city, located in North Rhine-Westphalia.It is also one of the most important inland ports in Germany and the economic, cultural and historical center of the Rhine region. As an ancient city with more than two thousand years of history, it straddles the Rhine River and is known for Cologne Cathedral, the birthplace of Gourd water, and its vibrant carnival.The local “Kölsch” beer is also world-renowned. Kölsch is also the Cologne dialect, and a joke goes that Kölsch is the only language in the world that you can drink. Cologne is also one of Germany’s largest university cities, students accounting for 8.5% of the total population.
Because of the several-hour drive, upon arriving in Cologne, our group of several dozen people, led by our tour guide, headed straight to the pre-booked Gaffel am Dom restaurant to grab a bite. Passing the cathedral, everyone couldn’t help but glance at it a few times before hurrying to catch up with the group. A short while later, we arrived at the nearby Gaffel am Dom restaurant to enjoy the authentic German pork knuckle we’d been craving. As for the cathedral, we could savor it after we’d had our fill.
Upon entering the restaurant, we took our seats. The cups, plates, cutlery, and glasses were laid out, and each of us had a beer. When the waiter placed an enormous pork knuckle in front of each of us, the scene was quite comical; it seemed as if the table was completely covered in pork knuckle. Everyone was astonished, their eyes widening in surprise, as if they had never seen anything like it before.
The pork knuckle gleamed with a tiger-platinum sheen, lighter in color than the Canadian knock-off, but it seemed a size larger. Are all German pigs as tall and large as their people? Everyone pulled out their phones and started snapping photos. Then, we cautiously picked up our knives and forks, wondering where to begin. The Canadian knock-off, comparatively, was more tender and seemed to be more popular. Truly, the student surpasses the master! In the end, few could finish the whole pork knuckle; the rest remained on the table because we had to continue our journey that afternoon
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After the meal, everyone, full and satisfied, licked their bellies and slowly walked out of the door, beginning our long-awaited tour of the church
According to reports, Cologne Cathedral (Cologne Cathedral) is a German Catholic archbishop Located in Cologne, it is a landmark building. Its 157-meter-high bell tower makes it the second tallest church in Germany and the third tallest in the world.
During World War II, Cologne was subjected to carpet bombing by the British and Americans, destroying 90% of the city’s buildings and reducing its population from 800,000 to 400,000. At the time, to maximize the protection of this ancient church, the Allies stipulated that bomb impact points should be at least 2,000 meters from the church. Despite this, due to the limitations of wartime conditions…Cologne Cathedral was hit by artillery fire approximately 70 times, suffering considerable damage. The foundation of the north tower, in particular, was only saved from collapse in the decades following the war thanks to temporary brick reinforcements.
In short, Thanks to the collective efforts of all those mentioned above, we are fortunate enough to witness this magnificent human treasure today. The church is imposing, constructed of marble, its exterior blackened by years of acid rain, bearing the marks of time. Inside, the soaring dome is truly awe-inspiring.
After leaving the church, we strolled to the nearby Hohenzollern Bridge (German: Hohenzollernbrücke). It is aThe Hohenzollern Bridge, located in Cologne, Germany, spans the Rhine River. The Hohenzollern Bridge and its adjacent Cologne Central Station are among the most important hubs of the German and European rail network, forming a massive architectural complex and an integral part of the cityscape and the Cologne Cathedral.
Since the summer of 2008, people have been hanging locks on the bridge, and German Rail has tacitly allowed these locks to remain there. As can be seen, The railings on the side of the bridge are covered with all kinds of locks, which has become a scenic feature.
Related reports：The German “pig’s hand” in Waterloo (German Pork Knuckle）
