On the sixth day of our Viking River cruise, our ship, the Baldar, docked in the town of Cologne. We met our tour guide by the boat and bundled up for the rain and cold. After a short walk from the boat, we arrived in the Old City, filled with more than 100 brauhauses (traditional brewpubs), shops and a few remaining stands from Germany’s largest Christmas market.

As we made our way towards the main attraction, the Cologne cathedral, our guide explained that Cologne is built over Roman ruins. When starting a project to put a subway system in, they uncovered the main street of this civilization. We turned the corner to find a road with rugged blocks and stones. Walking down a road that dates back to the third or fourth century B.C. was one of the most thrilling experiences of the trip.

If that wasn’t awe-inspiring enough, we then came to the Kolner Dom, Germany’s largest cathedral. Construction began back in 1248 and was not complete until 1880. As amazing as it was to learn of the centuries of construction, its more recent history has made this cathedral even more noteworthy. In World War II, when the entire city of Cologne was almost completely destroyed, this mammoth stood above the rubble. There are a number of ideas why the Allies allowed this structure to stand. The most popular is that they used it as a landmark during flights to help them navigate in battle. Though the building was hit 16 or 17 times, no substantial damage was done.

We had a lovely time on our tour of Cologne, and I highly recommend a visit if you are in this area of the world.

— Danielle Hudena Pitonyak, executive vice president