In Germany, Sundays are the day of rest, also called ‘Ruhezeit’. City centres feel like ghost towns, and the roads will be empty. As a lady famously said “Sunday is the day of rest, you have the rest of the week to work.”

The precious day of Sunday is usually enjoyed with nature walks, bakery visits and quality time with friends and family. Join Jan in this episode to hear how he spends his Sunday in Köln.

See the transcript below in both German and English, to follow along with the audio.

Sonntag Kaffee
Museum Ludwig

Podcast Transcription

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ich bin am Samstagnachmittag mit meinem guten Freund Ben in Köln angekommen. Wir sind in unser Hotel gegangen und haben uns ausgeruht. Danach sind wir in ein Restaurant gegangen. Am Abend waren wir bei einem Konzert. Die Stimmung war locker und alle haben getanzt. 

Am nächsten Morgen sind wir von dem Klang der Kirchenglocken aufgewacht. Es war schon zu spät, um im Hotel Frühstück zu essen. Also haben wir im Stadtzentrum nach etwas zu essen gesucht. Im Stadtzentrum war es total ruhig. Alle Geschäfte waren geschlossen und es waren nur wenige Menschen zu sehen. Sogar die Supermärkte waren geschlossen. Nur die Bäckereien waren voller Kunden. Sie tranken Kaffee und aßen Brötchen und Gebäck.

Wir hatten völlig vergessen, dass es Sonntag war! In Deutschland ist der Sonntag ein Tag der Entspannung. Wir nennen den Sonntag ‘Ruhetag’. Niemand darf laute Geräusche machen, das heißt, kein Rasenmähen, kein Staubsaugen und keine lauten Arbeiten. Normalerweise trifft man sich mit Freunden oder der Familie. Man isst gemeinsam oder geht in die Natur oder in einen Park.

Wir sind nach dem Frühstück in ein Museum gegangen. In Köln gibt es sehr viele Museen, aber mein Favorit ist das Museum Ludwig. Ich liebe moderne Kunst und dieses Museum hat eine der größten Picasso-Sammlungen in Europa. Auch wenn viele Geschäfte geschlossen haben, kann man an Sonntagen in Deutschland viel unternehmen.

Schöne Grüße
Jan

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relax in the park

Podcast Translation

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I arrived in Cologne on Saturday afternoon with my good friend Ben. We went to our hotel and had a rest. Then we went to a restaurant. In the evening we went to a concert. The atmosphere was relaxed and everyone danced. 

The next morning we woke up to the sound of church bells. It was already too late to eat breakfast at the hotel. So we looked for something to eat in the city centre. It was totally quiet in the city centre. All the shops were closed and there were only a few people to be seen. Even the supermarkets were closed. Only the bakeries were full of customers. They were drinking coffee and eating rolls and pastries.

We had completely forgotten that it was Sunday! In Germany, Sunday is a day of relaxation. We call Sunday a ‘day of rest’. No one is allowed to make loud noises, which means no lawn mowing, no vacuuming and no noisy work. Normally, you meet with friends or family. You eat together or go to nature or a park.

We went to a museum after breakfast. There are many museums in Cologne, but my favourite is the Museum Ludwig. I love modern art and this museum has one of the biggest Picasso collections in Europe. Even though many shops are closed, there is a lot to do on Sundays in Germany.

Best regards
Jan

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