Bonn is a city of museums and science.
The former German capital Bonn is home to many important museums. In addition, the university city is a UN location and the birthplace of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
- Travel period: 3 days
- Best time to travel: April (cherry blossom time!) to September
- Main dish: 15 €
The World in 5 Minutes – Schönes Deutschland | Book 1
This is our Book for the video. It is the perfect addition for Bonn and other popular cities in Germany.
- Beautiful sights and unique tips
- Many destinations in Germany that are worth the money
- Popular and beyond the mainstream
Arrival
From Cologne-Bonn Airport you can travel comfortably with the Airport Express SB60 to the city centre of Bonn. The journey takes 30 minutes to Bonn Central Station . The tourist information is in the old town opposite the public library.
Hotel
We recommend Hotel Aigner*. The 3-star hotel is located only five minutes' walk from the tram station "Stadthaus" and the pedestrian zone. You should reserve a parking space in the private garage in advance. Another recommendable hotel is the Motel One Bonn-Beethoven*, also located directly in the city centre.
Places of interest
The Beethovenhaus is a good starting point for your city tour. The house where Ludwig van Beethoven was born presents the world's largest collection of the composer's original manuscripts and instruments.
The Bonn Cathedral from the 11th century is one of the city's landmarks. In front of the Old Town Hall with its beautiful rococo façade, a weekly market takes place from Monday to Saturday. Regional products, freshly squeezed juices and even Spanish churros are offered.
Behind the yellow façade of the Electoral Palace is today the main building of the University Bonn . Around the adjacent Hofgarten, which is a popular meeting place for students, there are many university museen. For example, the Academic Art Museum houses the largest German collection of plaster casts of ancient sculptures and reliefs as well as countless original antique works. The Egyptian Museum deals with the pharaonic culture of ancient Egypt and in the Arithmeum you can learn everything about the history of calculating machines.
Also worth seeing is Poppelsdorf Palace, once the Elector's pleasure palace, today the seat of several natural science institutes. The beautiful botanical gardens with their ponds and greenhouses are easy to explore by bike.
The southern part of Bonn is characterised by a mix of elegant cafés, gourmet restaurants and student pubs. For example, Mojito serves tapas and pizzas with cocktails.
One highlight is the Museum Mile with five exhibition houses that are among the most important museums in Germany, such as the Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig. The natural history museum conveys a unique experience of nature with staged habitats and surprises with exciting temporary exhibitions.
The House of History illustrates German history from 1945 to the present. The extensive exhibition takes half a day. The entrance is free of charge. The Kunstmuseumdeals with German art from 1945 onwards. The Bundeskunsthalle is one of the most visited museums in Germany. The German Museum Bonn awaits visitors who are keen to experiment with a vivid presentation of contemporary science and technology.
Many buildings in the government district stand for German democracy and are still used for political purposes today. Palais Schaumburg , for example, is the Federal Chancellor's official residence in Bonn; Villa Hammerschmidt has been the official residence of the Federal President since 1950, and the Campus der United Nations is located on the former Langer Eugen House of Representatives.
A beautiful park landscape and landmark of Bonn is the Rheinaue with the Auen Lake for boating, a Japanese garden and about 45 kilometers of walking routes. From March to October, there is a big flea market every third Saturday of the month, and in summer there are numerous concerts.
If you have the opportunity, you should come to Bonn in April to see the wonderful cherry blossom on the Heerstraße . The reason why this is so special is shown in the video below.
More information and great pictures of the cherry blossom can be found on this page.
Trip to the Drachenfels in Königswinter
With the tram line 66 or by bike you should go to Königswinter, which is just 15 kilometers away. Here you can get to the Drachenfelson foot or with the Drachenfelsbahn, a rack railway dating from 1883, which is located one kilometer from Königswinter main station. The train has a station halfway up, in case you want to visit Drachenburg Castle with its beautiful ceiling paintings and a park. From the castle ruins on the top of the mountain you have a fantastic view over the picturesque Rhine valley and in good weather even as far as Cologne.
Afterwards you can stroll through the old town of Königswinter with its small half-timbered houses. We recommend a coffee break in the beautiful Kontor und Kaffeehaus in vintage style, where homemade cakes, oriental teas and of course good coffee await you.
Transport in Bonn
You can explore the city centre by walking. For the Südstadt, the government quarter as well as the Rhine meadows and promenades, cycling is a good option. If you want to use Public Transport : For the Bonn city area you should use the price level 1b. The 24-hour ticket is worthwhile from the 3rd journey onwards. Information is available Monteverde.
All free parking spaces including prices are available on this page.
Rental car
With a rental car you are in Königswinter in 15 minutes. Cologne is only half an hour away. Book your car now under the following link:
