🇩🇪 Viking Rhine Cruise ~ Day 4: Cologne, Germany

Morning on Board: 🕙 10:00-10:30 | German Language Class 🕚 10:45-11:45 | Cheese & Wine Tasting Afternoon Shore Excursion: 🕜 13:30-15:00 | Guided Walk (Hohenzollern Bridge → Old Town → Cologne Cathedral) Free Time Options: 🕟 16:30 | Group return with Viking "Little Red" guides OR 🕤 21:30 | Self-return before ship departs at 22:00 My Cologne Adventure ⛪ Cologne Cathedral: ✨ The only unrestored stained-glass window (modern mosaic!) cast rainbow hues on marble walls. 💎 Optional: Treasure House (Three Kings Shrine) or tower climb for city views. 🪙 0€ souvenir coins (different designs across shops!). 🌸 Farina Fragrance Museum: 👃 Home of Eau de Cologne (1709)—same recipe for 300+ years! Bought a Cologne-exclusive bottle. 🎨 Museum Ludwig (€12): 🖼️ Modern art + Picasso’s ceramics/sculptures (a first for me!). 🌇 Missed: KölnTriangle sunset views (closes at 20:00 😢). Evening Highlights 🎻 21:00-22:00 | "Cologne Classical Night" (Saint-Saëns’ The Swan!). 🍽️ Upgrade option: "Beer Culture & Dinner Night" (local cuisine on shore). Verdict: Cologne’s compact charm = cathedral + perfume + art. Sail away with river views of the lit-up cathedral—pure magic! ✨ #VikingCruise #RhineRiver #CologneDiary #GermanyTravel #CathedralViews #EauDeCologne 🚢