Colonge 2013 - A Bakery in the Old Town

While wandering in the Old Town, I came across this bakery called Merzenich that was full of people. A quick check online and I found out that this is one of the best chain of bakeries in Cologne, founded in 1986 by a prestigious family of bakers.

Once you go inside, the smell of freshly baked bread is intoxicating. The variety of bread on sale is just amazing. If you were to try one type of bread a day, you probably can't finish trying them all in one month.

Bread is not their only irresistible treat. There are also lots of different types of pastry. I was particularly tempted by the cherry tart.

Of course you can also get that German bakery staple pretzels here. These are not the puny pretenders you find in Malaysia, but they are really big and come in all sorts of flavours. If you are a small eater, a pretzel or two may be all you need for lunch.

When you are traveling in Europe - the bakery or deli is your best friend. Often you will find delicious sandwiches and buns that are great for a simple meal for much less then what you would pay at a restaurant.