Kölner Lichter

The weekend that Emily was visiting was also the weekend of one of Cologne’s biggest summer events, Kölner Lichter (Cologne Lights). Kölner Lichter is a huge fireworks display put on along the Rhine. Spectators pack the banks of the river and ride up and down on cruise boats to get the best views. Some of Will’s coworkers invited us to go with them, which turned out to be a good thing, as I don’t think we would have been successful at trying to navigate the event ourselves.

From what I’ve seen in three short months, the Kölsch are up for any reason to celebrate. I tried to ask what the occasion was for such a big event, and the main answer I got was “because it’s summer.” We were confused about why Will’s coworkers wanted to meet at 8pm when the fireworks weren’t starting until 11pm (the sun sets very late here) but when we got to the park, there were already huge crowds of people, some with tables and other tailgating equipment set up. We found seats on the riverbank, right beside the river, with nothing impeding our view. For three hours we chatted, snacked, and stood up whenever waves came too close. Finally the fireworks and music started around 11 and it was well worth the wait--a great new summer tradition.

Our seats along the Rhine