Taking your child for a walk in a city park is often a must on a European holiday. Especially if you are travelling to Germany with your child. There are many well-maintained green parks with beautiful grounds, and one of them we recommend is the Rhine Park in Cologne. It's on the right bank of the Rhine and stretches for over a kilometre. The park itself is 400 metres wide. If you come here with children, you can admire the exquisite sculptures in the wide green lawns and well-tended footpaths.
But the highlight of the Rhine Park is its oldest railway, which takes visitors around the whole area. Brightly coloured steam trains with funny little carriages travel the two kilometres of track at a slow speed, but still suitable for the park's young guests and their parents. You can ride from the start to the finish or just get off wherever you like.
A ride on the miniature train through the park is an exciting adventure for children and adults alike: passengers enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the Rhine, the Old Town and its most important architectural and historical monument, Cologne Cathedral. It is important to note that the Rhine Park Railway is over half a century old, but at the beginning of 2006 the locomotive and carriages were renovated and repainted in bright colours.
For water lovers, the park has its own thermal pool, which is an exact replica of the Roman baths. The water comes from deep underground. Once there, you can take your child on a historical journey into the life of the ancient Romans. For water lovers, the wonders of the Rhine Park do not end with the thermal baths.
The southern area has its own fountain — and not just any fountain, but a dancing fountain! There are always lots of children of all ages who love to be close to its refreshing splash on hot days. This is also where you will find the oldest playground in the park, designed for all kinds of fun events.
Incidentally, the legendary Cologne cable car has one of its stops right in the Rhine Park. From here you can cross the wide Rhine. By air, of course. It's a breathtaking sight, worthy of true travellers. Give your child a camera and let him or her capture these breathtaking panoramas of Cologne's natural beauty as a souvenir.
