MFL Cologne Christmas Trip 2025
On the evening of Tuesday 2nd December, 29 Year 9 and 10 pupils set off on our long-awaited trip to Cologne, accompanied by Mrs Hendey, Mr Weaver and Miss Cuthbert. The journey was long, but worth the wait as we arrived in the beautiful city of Cologne, ready to speak German, experience the culture of the Christmas markets and activate the Christmas spirit!
Once we had checked into our accommodation at the Jugendherberge Köln Deutz, it was straight out to explore! We headed over the ‘Hohenzollernbrücke’, the famous pedestrian bridge which is adorned with padlocks placed there by families and couples throughout the years. The first challenge was to find the oldest lock on the bridge, and 1941 was discovered by our group to be the oldest padlock on the bridge! After crossing the bridge, we experienced our first market, the Heinzels Wintermärchen, a gnome-themed market filled with a vibrant atmosphere and plenty of exciting food to try! It was a fantastic evening spent in an authentic market with lots to see and experience.
On Thursday 4th December, we spent a full day exploring the wonderful city of Cologne. The morning began with a visit to the Schokoladen Muesum at the harbour. The pupils experienced how chocolate is made, and the journey from the cocoa bean all the way to the Lindt chocolate that we all know and love. Our pupils particularly enjoyed the free samples on offer!
After visiting the museum, we ventured into the centre of Cologne to visit the magnificent cathedral to begin a walking tour of the markets. Our pupils were amazed by the scale of the imposing architecture of the cathedral, and some were even brave enough to climb over 500 steps to visit the top! We spent some time at the beautiful Christmas market at the Cathedral before venturing down the main street to the Angel Market and then finally visiting the market at the Rudolphplatz.
After plenty of steps, we needed to ensure we had plenty of food to keep us going; Bratwursts, Currywurst, Raclette, Reibekuchen, Kaiserschmarrn and Churos were all a hit with our pupils (and of course Five Guys and McDonalds!!). The evening finished with a meal at the hostel and a quick trip to the supermarket to stock up on snacks (particularly Haribo!).
On Friday 5th December, we spent the day as a group at the Phantasialand Theme park, where it really was a winter wonderland. The pupils enjoyed all the fantastic rollercoasters, rides and themed areas and there was a bit of a competition about who could score the post points on the Maus au Chocolat ride!
At the end of the day, we were lucky enough to see all the Christmas Lights come to life in a spectacular show!
Saturday 6th December marked home time. The long journey seemed to fly by with singing, a Blooket quiz and plenty of snacks. The ferry journey was rough but our pupils were amazing at every point! Throughout the trip, our pupils were absolutely outstanding. I was particularly proud of them, as their languages teacher, to hear that they had been speaking in German and communicating with the stall holders. Their behaviour was impeccable; they were enthusiastic at all points (even on the 4:40am ferry) and they were all-round fantastic ambassadors for Broughton High School.
It really was a brilliant few days which has definitely got us in the mood for Christmas. Thank you to all the pupils who attended the trip; your good humour and enthusiasm made it a memorable visit for us all!
Mrs Hendey
