Day 1 - London to Cologne
We depart St Pancras International by Eurostar for Brussels. Arriving in the Belgian capital, we change trains and continue our journey to Cologne. Arriving in the city, we walk to the Grand City Hotel Cologne Centre, our base for three nights, which is ideally located close to railway station, the Rhine, the city's magnificent Gothic cathedral and some of the city's many Christmas Markets. (D)
Day 2 - Cologne’s Christmas Markets
You have a free day to enjoy the wonderfully festive atmosphere of Christmas time in Cologne. The city is Europe's unofficial 'Christmas Market capital', with six Christmas Markets each with its own unique character. Festive stalls offer a special selection of gifts, decorations,arts and crafts as well as traditional stalls selling sausages, wine and beer. Visit the wonderful floating market held on board one of the Rhine cruise ships, the MS Wappenvon Köln, the medieval market at the Chocolate Museum with musicians, acrobats and craftsmen, or the market in Roncalliplatz beneath the cathedral, which has the biggest Christmas tree in the Rhineland. Make sure you also take the time to discover the wonderful city of Cologne, home to a number of elegant squares and beautiful Romanesque churches. (B)
Day 3 - Bonn Christmas Market and Beethoven House
Today we travel by train to Bonn, an attractive university town that shot to the fore front of German history when it was chosen as the capital of West Germany - a position it held from 1949 until reunification in 1990. Bonn's main squares are filled with 170 Christmas Market stalls, with warming glühwein and chestnuts, Rhineland specialities, beeswax candles, cribs, arts and crafts. During the day we also visit the Beethoven House Museum, where we enjoy a guided tour. As the place where Beethoven was born in 1770, the house has been restored to resemble how it would have looked in his parents' lifetime. The museum has been extended to next door, and it houses much of the composer's material and a range of artefacts relating to his life. Back in Cologne we enjoy a traditional German dinner in an authentic Cologne brewery tavern. (B,D)
Day 4 - To Brussels and London
We leave Cologne this morning and make our journey home, travelling by train for Brussels. Arriving in the Belgian capital we join the connecting Eurostar service to St Pancras International. (B)
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
These meals, where shown are included in the price of your holiday
