Bonn

Bonn's beginning dates between 13-9 BC when Romans began building roads, bridges, and fortresses at a location known as "Bonna." One well-documented event was the martyrdom of two Thebaean legionaries. The Thebaean Legion was an all Christian legion, which refused to worship the emperor as a god. As punishment, the Thebaean Legion's commander, Mauritius was executed in St. Moritz as were many other Thebaean legionaries including Cassius and Florentius, Bonn's patron saints, who were martyred at the location of the present-day Münster basilica.
After the Romans left, the town had a very tumultuous history. Bonn has been destroyed and pummelled on so many occasions that it nearly became a pastime. Norman invaders were the first to burn the town to the ground in 881 and again in 892. In 1198, King Philip of Swabia and Duke Heinrich von Brabant laid siege to Bonn. In 1244 Konrad von Hochstaden, archbishop of Cologne ordered Bonn to be fortified. The reasons for fortification may have been for the Archbishop's protection as he had apparently begun fighting with Cologne's leaders and often resided in Bonn after the dispute. In 1288 under Sigfried II von Westerburg the archbishopric was transferred from Cologne to Bonn, which has since been transferred back to Cologne.
In 1582 Archbishop Gebhard Truchsess von Waldburg converted to Calvinism and refused to give up his position as elector. In February of 1583 Waldburg married and was in April of the same year excommunicated by Pope Gregory XIII. After the Truschessian War Gebhard fled to Strasbourg, but not before Bonn felt the rapture of Bavarian troops, who blew up the Godesberg (the archbishop's residence) with 1,500 pounds of gunpowder. While the town survived the Thirty Years' War Bonn was completely destroyed in 1689 as a result of the War of the Grand Alliance.
In December 1770 Bonn's most famous son, Ludwig van Beethoven, was born on Bonngasse. Bonn is probably best known as Beethoven's birthplace and this fact is well advertised by the city despite Beethoven's vehement disgust towards his hometown. Beethoven spent some time in Vienna hoping to study with Mozart, but after his mother's death he was forced to return to Bonn for five years to raise his two younger brothers since his alcoholic father was unable to. In 1792 Beethoven returned to Vienna and never came back to Bonn.
While Bonn is by no means a "village" its selection as seat of the government of the new west German state in 1949 was precisely because the partition of Germany should appear to be temporary and thus more important or symbolic cities such as Cologne, Munich or Hamburg were soon out of consideration. However in the final decision the fact that Konrad Adenauer had a house nearby may well have played some if not the decisive role, where Bonn beat out Frankfurt by a single vote. See also Cold War Europe.
After reunification it was seriously considered to keep the government in town, especially as the previously "provisional" facilities had just been upgraded bit by bit in the late 1980s. However in another close vote the Bundestag decided to move most agencies to Berlin, while some would stay in Bonn much to the chagrin of people who see the double facilities as needless pork in favour of Bonn.
Südstadt, the southern part of the city owns impressively beautiful buildings from the late 19th and early 20th century in ancient alleys. You can get an English walking tour brochure from the Tourist Information.

Tourist information

• Bonn Information

  address: Windeckstraße 1, 53111 Bonn
  The tourist information offers almost all the help a tourist could need. They also have brochures about walking tours in English. You can also buy tickets for the theater and the opera there.

By plane

Bonn is nominally served by

Cologne-Bonn AirportThe airport handles far more air cargo traffic than passengers, but since the airport has become the hub for a Lufthansa's low-fare subsidiary Eurowings, it is well connected to many major European airports. The airport is also well-served by other low-fare airlines like Ryanair and holiday flight specialists like and TUIfly.

That said, the airport sees very little intercontinental passenger traffic, save for a few flights to countries like Turkey, Morocco or Iran operated by the respective countries' airlines and serving mainly local ethnic minorities.
From the airport, take the SB60 airport bus (€8.50) to Bonn's central bus station near the Hauptbahnhof. It leaves every 30 minutes from outside Terminal 1 arrivals, and takes a little over half an hour to reach the Bonn city centre. You can also take a train from the airport to Bonn-Beuel, which is on the other side of the river from Bonn city (Zentrum). A taxi to central Bonn will cost around €50.
If you are flying transatlantically, chances are Frankfurt is a better option time-wise - as you are likely to get a direct flight - though not necessarily in terms of budget. If you are cost conscious comparing airfares to CGN, FRA and several other airports in the general area is certainly a good idea, as due to the quirky nature of airline pricing differences in price of one or two hundred Euro are not at all uncommon.
Timewise, however, CGN is just as far from Bonn as the Frankfurt Airport FRA, one of Europe's busiest intercontinental hubs. The airport has a long-distance train station directly connected to Bonn's Siegburg railway station, which high-speed trains (departing every hour) reach in less than 40 minutes. When flying Lufthansa, you can even book the train connection as a part of your long-distance flight ticket - the station's IATA code is ZPY and the Lufthansa tickets to this destination are often priced the same or slightly lower as those terminating at FRA. For more details see rail air alliances

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By train

The train route from Bonn Hauptbahnhof to Frankfurt via Koblenz is especially beautiful as it runs along the Rhine and you will see many old towns and castles on the way. It takes about 2 hours.
Travelling with the regional train SE10 "RheingauLinie" from Frankfurt try to sit on the right hand side of the train for the better view and the Regional-Express RE 5 "Rhein-Express" or Mittelrheinbahn MRB26 from Koblenz to sit in the left hand side.
If you are in a hurry, however, better take the fast train (ICE) to Siegburg from Amsterdam, Basel, Brussels Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Munich or Stuttgart, among others.

• Bonn Central Station

  phone: +49 228-715324
  address: Am Hauptbahnhof 1
  Despite the name, meaning Bonn central station, it is mainly served by local and regional trains, and also acts as the hub for Bonn's light rail system (Stadtbahn). You can arrive there from Cologne on the S-Bahn, as well as Frankfurt and Koblenz via the longer, scenic route.

• Siegburg ICE-BahnhofThe station on the right hand side of the Rhine is where most high-speed trains (ICE) stop, instead of Bonn Hauptbahnhof. You can get there from Bonn's city centre in around 20 minutes by using tram S66.

• Bonn-Beuelonly Regional trains RB27 and RE8.

By bus

Traveling by long distance bus, you would typically take the bus lines to Cologne and then continue your travel to Bonn by regional train.

Flixbus Bonn Stop

address: Joseph-Beuys-Allee

The city centre itself is not very big and you are able to reach the different attractions there by foot.
Bonn has an excellent bus, night bus, tram and subway system operated by the local Stadtwerke Bonn. There are ticket offices and vending machines at major stations, offering single tickets (€2.70), multiple tickets and both 24-hour and weekly passes. The tickets are valid in local trains, Stadtbahn (subway), tram, buses and night buses.
It is also a good city to explore by bike. Rental bikes are available at the train station from Deutsche Bahn at platform 1 or from the Radstation behind the train station.

• Radstation

• Old Town Hall

  address: Markt
  Built in 1737 in Rococo style.

• Bonner Münster

  phone: +49 228-98 588-0
  address: Gerhard-von-Are Straße 5
  A beautiful basilica, in Bonn's city center. Only Bonn Information or the Bonner Münster Foundation are permitted to arrange guided tours to the basilica. The "Bonn Information" organization can arrange for non-German tours.
• The Beethoven Monument stands on the Münsterplatz.

• Kreuzbergkirche

  address: Stationsweg 21
  The church is a beautiful example of baroque architecture. Today, the church serves as both a church and a German language and culture school, but is probably best known for the "Heiliger Steige." The church was erected in 1627/1628 on the orders of the archbishop to replace an older chapel. In 1746 Elector Clemens August von Bavarian donated the "Heiliger Steige", or holy staircase, which, according to legend has pieces of the cross the crucified Jesus set into the stone. Small brass crosses on the second, eleventh, and last steps mark the spots where the pieces of the cross are supposed to be set. Beautiful view over Bonn.

• Universität Bonn

  address: Regina Pacis Weg 3
  It is in the former residential palace of the Archbishop and Kurfürst of Cologne, built by Enrico Zuccalli from 1697-1705. It stretches from Kaiserplatz to the Rhine (Alter Zoll) and crosses two streets (Stockenstraße and Adenauerallee), the gates are called Stockentor and Koblenzer Tor. The building looks impressive and beautiful from the outside, but could use a renovation inside. Feel free to walk in. Best view on the palace is from the Hofgarten side. The Hofgarten is a park directly in front of the palace and a place for students to meet and relax in the summer between and after lectures. During Bonn's times as capital, it saw all the major anti-government demonstrations.

• Poppelsdorfer Schloss and Botanical Gardens

  address: Crossing of Poppelsdorfer and Meckenheimer Allee
  Was built as a resort in rococo style for the Archbishop of Cologne Clemens August from 1715 to 1753 by Robert de Cotte and today houses the university's mineral collection, several science departments and the botanical gardens. The palace itself is not open to the public. The botanical gardens next to the palace are a peaceful and beautiful place to relax, have a look at the sunbathing turtles at the pool. The gardens cultivate about 10.000 plant species. The green houses were recently renovated. Coming from the city center, walk there from the University Main Building via Kaiserplatz and Poppelsdorfer Allee.

• Alter Friedhof

  address: Berliner Platz
  The old cemetery, created in 1715, is an atmospheric cemetery with many old graves, among them the graves of Robert and Clara Schumann, Ernst Moritz Arndt, Friedrich Schiller's wife Charlotte von Schiller and their son.

• Doppelkirche in Schwarzrheindorf

  address: Dixstr. 41
  The double church St. Maria (upper level) and St. Clemens (lower level) was built in 1151 and is due to its rich ceiling paintings of saints and apocalyptic scenes one of the most outstanding romanic churches in Germany. Take Bus no. 640 or 550 to Schwarzrheindorf. You can walk back to Bonn Beuel or Bonn's city centre by following the dam and crossing the Kennedy bridge, it is a popular promenade. Take a break at Bahnhöfchen or Rheinlust near the bridge.

• Jewish CemeteryThe old and small Jewish Cemetery is in Bonn Schwarzrheindorf between the Doppelkirche and the North Bridge, you can access it from the dam which is a popular promenade.

• RheinauenA big park in the south of Bonn directly behind the Post Tower. You can walk there from the city centre following the rhine promenade, it is about 3 km and very popular on the weekend.

• Deutsche Welle Headquarters and Radio Studios

  phone: +49 228-429-2538
  address: Kurt-Schumacher-Straße 3
  Deutsche Welle (Also known simply as DW) is Germany's international media outlet and is now housed in what was supposed to be the German parliament's home. After the German government decided to move the building was taken over by DW to become its headquarters and home to its radio operations. Tours are conducted in German, however, tours can be arranged in English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese when requested in advance. DW asks that anyone wishing to take a tour reserve at least two months in advance and may require you to be with a group of 6-20 persons, however, they may arrange an exception if contacted. Tours last an average of two hours.

• KottenforstA big nature park between Bonn (quarters Venusberg, Bad Godesberg) up to the cities of Euskirchen and Wachtberg. It is appr. 4.000 ha and popular for walking tours. The nearest ones starts at Waldesruh on Venusberg (which has also a nice cafe). Another route starts at Bahnhof Kottenforst (a pretty frame house) which you can reach by taking a train to Euskirchen, but the train only stops there on weekends).

The former capital

• Palais Schaumburg

  address: Adenauerallee 139/141
  Until 2001 it was used to house the office of West Germany's chancellor and the chancellor's cabinet. Today, the building is used as a secondary headquarters for the chancellor.

• Villa Hammerschmidt

  address: Adenauerallee 135
  Between 1951-1994 the Villa Hammerschmidt served as the residence of the West German President, however, since the relocation of the German government to Berlin the building serves as a secondary residence for the president.

Museums and Galleries

The Bonn Regio WelcomeCards offers free admission to most public museums in Bonn (including all of those listed below), free rides on buses and trams on the local public transport system (VRS), and discounts to other tourist attractions. The validity for both individual or family WelcomeCards are in increments of 24 hours and can be purchased online, at the Tourismus offices or participating hotels. The 24-hour individual ticket cost €9.

• Ägyptisches Museum

  address: Regina-Pacis-Weg 7
  The University of Bonn-administered Egyptian Museum.

• Akademisches Kunstmuseum

  address: Am Hofgarten 21, 53113 Bonn
  the academic museum of antiquies is situated at the other end of the Hofgarten park, directly opposite to the main building. It is a beautiful building, constructed from 1823-1830 and designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Hermann Friedrich Waesemann, and hosts one of the largest collections of plaster casts of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures in the world.

• Arithmeum

  phone: +49 2 28-73 87 90
  address: Lennéstraße 2, 53113 Bonn
  The Arithmeum features a collection of historical mechanical calculating machines, which today comprises more than 1200 pieces and is the largest in the world. It features the history of calculators, from ancient abacuses and ropes with knots, until the modern day PC. The design of the building itself and its colorful art collection are an added bonus.

• Beethoven-Haus

  address: Bonngasse 18-26
  The birthplace of the great composer is now a museum dedicated to his life and work. The museum even has a lock of Beethoven's hair on display. Somewhat ironically Bonn advertises their hometown son despite Beethoven's vehement hatred for his hometown. With a competent docent this museum is well worth the visit and is more interesting than Mozart's Geburtshaus in Salzburg.

• August Macke Haus

  address: Bornheimer Straße 96
  August Macke, a leading member of Der Blaue Reiter, a famous expressionist group, lived in this house with his wife, Elizabeth, for a few years and produced over 400 works in the top floor studio.

• Haus der Geschichte

  phone: +49 228-91 65-0, +49 228 91 65-400 (Tour groups with a guide)
  address: Willy-Brandt-Allee 14
  An interesting explanation of German history after 1945 that is constantly updated. A must if you are interested in history or politics. Exhibitions are presented in German only, but guide booklets with English translations are available for a couple Euros, and guided tours for school groups conducted in English are available free of charge when prebooked.

• Kunstmuseum Bonn

  phone: +49 228-776260
  address: Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 2
  Modern art museum with a large and interesting collection as well as a good cafe

• Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland

  address: Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 4
  hosts permanently changing exhibitions which range from visual art and cultural history up to science and technology. Most of them are world class and definitely worth a visit.

• Deutsches Museum Bonn

  address: Ahrstraße 45

• Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig

  address: Adenauerallee 160
  Zoological museum.

• Frauenmuseum

  address: Im Krausfeld 10, 53113 Bonn
  The first museum in Europe dedicated to women and their work. Changing exhibitions.

• Heimatmuseum Beuel

  address: Wagnergasse 2-4, 53225 Bonn
  Museum on local history. The museum was established in 1986 on the initiative of Beuel's Local Historical Society.

• Rheinisches Landesmuseum

  address: Colmantstr. 14-16, 53115 Bonn
  Museum of art and archeology, run by the Rhineland Landscape Association.

Festivals

• KarnevalEnthusiastically celebrated in Bonn, especially on 11 November, the begin of the 'fifth season', and between Weiberfastnacht and Rosenmontag in February (peak time, the exact dates differ every year). The best parties are in Bonn Beuel at Bahnhöfchen and Rheinlust, be there early (and costumed, of course!). Bonn's central carneval parade (Karnevalszug) is on Monday (Rosenmontag), but there are also parades in the different suburbs where it is not so crowded and you might catch more sweets (Kamelle).

• Rhein in FlammenRhein in Flammen is an annual fireworks display event synchronized with music, over the river Rhein. It takes place at five different locations between May and September. In Bonn, it usually takes place on the first Saturday in May. The most popular spot to watch it is the Rheinauen, where a big fair with music and food stalls is taking place, although it can become very crowded. Another opportunity is to book a ship tour in advance (often with dinner), you will get tickets at the Brassertufer (Rhine promenade, near Kennedy Bridge). The next date for Rhein in Flammen in Bonn is 2018 May 5th.

• BeethovenfestA month long music festival in September with numerous concerts held in Bonn and aroung the Siebengebirge region. Many international musicians are showcased during the festival.

• Pützchens MarktA big fun fair with approximately 500 businesses in Bonn's suburb Pützchen which takes place in September for five days. You can catch buses at the main bus station next to the Hauptbahnhof. 2015, Pützchens Markt is from 11–15 September.

• Christmas MarketStarts at the end of November at Münsterplatz and Friedensplatz and the streets in between. The booths for mulled wine are a popular meeting place in the evening, but they close at 21.

Music and Theatre

• Oper Bonn

  phone: +49 228 7780-08
  address: Am Boeelagerhof 1
  Hosts classical music concerts, opera and dance. Check their website for a recent playing schedule. You can get tickets at the Theaterkasse, Windeckstr. 1, next to Münsterplatz from M-Sa 9AM-6:30PM18.30, Sa 9AM-4PM. Box office opens 1 hour before the performance begins. Ticket prices are moderate, especially for students.

• Beethoven Orchester Bonn

  address: Wachsbleiche 1

• Bonner KammerchorAn amateur chamber choir made up of roughly forty members. The choir occasionally hosts free shows.

Cinema

Most cinemas only show dubbed German versions of international films. Watch out in the tedsoft program list for OV=Original Version or OmU=Original mit Untertiteln, which means with German subtitles. Amongst the few cinemas which show English films on a regular basis are

• Kinopolis

  phone: +49 228-83 00 83
  address: Moltkestraße 7-9, Bad Godesberg
  A functional multiplex in Bad Godesberg that shows one or two Films in the Original Version a day. Special prices Mon-W and for students.

• Bonner Kinemathek

  phone: +49 228-47 84 89
  address: Kreuzstraße 16
  A small art cinema in Bonn Beuel that regular shows European films (also older ones) in the original version (not necessarily English)

• Rex

  address: Frongasse 9
  Arthouse cinema in Bonn Endenich (Frongasse 9) which regularly shows movies in the original version.

• Neue FilmbühneArthouse cinema in Bonn Beuel (Friedrich-Breuer Straße 68) which regularly shows movies in the original version.

• Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität (Universität Bonn)

• Goethe Institut

  address: Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 11

Bonn's city centre hosts the usual chain stores like Kaufhof, Karstadt, C&A, H&M, Esprit, Zero, NewYorker, Promod, Butler's, Tchibo and Runner's Point.

• Haribo Factory Store

  address: Friesdorfer Str. 121, 53175 Bonn
  Haribo, the world-famous candy maker, has its headquarters in Bonn (Haribo is an acronym for HAns RIegel BOnn). The factory store is located near the old factory in Bad Godesberg, 500 m from U-Bahn 16 and 63 Wurzerstraße stop. It has a small exhibition of Haribo memorabilia as well as a huge variety of gummy sweets and gadgets. Entering is a bit of a Charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory moment.

• SupermarketsThere is a supermarket at Kaufhof's basement where you can get normal food and many specialties, but it is quite expensive. You can find the ecological supermarket Basic at Maximilianstraße near to the Hauptbahnhof, they also have a snack bar. There is also a REWE supermarket at Friedensplatz. Best place to buy cosmetics is dm (Sternstraße or Friedensplatz) or Rossmann (Sternstraße). Cheap supermarkets like Aldi, Lidl and Plus are outside the city centre.

• Comic Shop

  address: Oxfordstraße 17
  English comics and books, role playing games, card games.

• Rheinauenflohmarkt

  address: Rheinauen
  from April to September, the Rheinauen host a big flea market every third Saturday a month where you can find everything from second hand clothes to DVDs, bikes, furniture, books, board games and jewellery from India and Africa. Bargaining is allowed. It starts at 8 in the morning, best time to visit is 10. Take Straßenbahn Line 66 to Rheinauen.

Budget

• BakeriesGermany is famous for its bread. There are bakeries all over the city where you can buy different kinds of bread rolls (Brötchen) starting from 30 Cent (the wholesome ones with grains are 50 Cent or more), sandwiches (belegte Brötchen) for €1,50 and pastries and cakes. A very delicious one is Schell on the corner of Stockenstraße/Am Hof or at Bertha von Suttner Platz. It is still family-run and has only 5 shops in Bonn (try the chocolate buns, Schokobrötchen). Kamps and Lubig, however, are also quite good.

• Student cafeteriasYou can get cheap and nutritious sandwiches and coffee at the student cafeterias at the Main University Building in the city centre (Am Hof/Regina Pacis Weg), Juridicum (Adenauerallee/Lennestraße) and on the first floor of the Mensa Nassestraße.

• Mensa

  address: Nassestraße
  The official student canteen offers several dishes, Essen 1 on the second floor is vegetarian. The food is not gourmet but okay for a canteen. The salad bar on the 3rd floor is quite good. Mensa is also open for non-students who pay a higher price (about €5 for Essen 1), but they do not always ask for your student identification if you look young.

• Soup in the City

  address: Franziskanerstraße
  A small bistro, where you get soups and salads, hand-made and really good. Also fruit juices and baguettes

• Mandu

  address: Franziskanerstraße 5
  Small Korean snack bar, they offer Mandus, rolls, kimchi, glass noodles, cheap, friendly and very good.

• Dehly&deSander Broterei

  address: Am Hof 26a
  Delicious and Sandwiches, Wraps, Salads, Soups.

• Bonn(e) Baguette

  address: Kaiserplatz 10
  freshly made and oven baked baguette sandwiches, very delicious. The shop is tiny and hot, so better chose take away. Often very crowded during lunchtime.

• Bagel Brothers

  address: Maximilianstraße 14
  Healthy snacks: Bagels (of course), plain or with toppings, salads, juices, muffins, brownies, good coffee. They have a nice quiet terrace you would not expect in the city centre.

• Orient-Express

  address: Bertha-von-Suttner-Platz 8
  A visit to Germany would not be complete without a taste of the new national dish Döner. Orient Express makes good ones, although you might get them cheaper elsewhere (but not much). Their Falafel Sandwich (vegetarian) is also great.

• La Piccola

  address: Bonngasse 4
  Traditional and rustic Italian restaurant with very small tables and pictures of opera singers on the walls. Pizza, pasta and salads.

Mid-range

• Bönnsch

  phone: +49 228 65 06 10
  address: Sterntorbrücke 4
  Local Bierhaus that brews its own beer. Food includes staples such as schnitzel with fries, steaks and other hearty fare.

• Bierhaus Machold

  address: Heerstraße
  Excellent German food and good beer in a nice pub. Beer garden in summer. Try the Jägerschnitzel!

• Roses

  phone: +49 228-433 06 53
  address: Martinsplatz 2a
  fancy restaurant for people mainly in their 30s and 40s. A good choice if you are not on a tight budget and if you like European food with a touch Italian. Dishes start from €12 (without drinks). Brunch on Sundays.

• Makiman

  phone: +49 228-721-6957
  address: Sterntorbrücke 11
  Very good Japanese restaurant, besides very fresh sushi they also offer soups, curries, and salads.

• Cassius-Garten

  address: Maximilianstraße 28d
  Completely vegetarian, buffet-style, vegan meals are marked with a green dot. Quite expensive but really good, try the soups for €2!

• Rüen Thai

  phone: +49 228 651576
  address: Berliner Freiheit 14
  Thai dishes, some of them very spicy, in a beautifully decorated setting. They also offer a very good cocktail selection (although rather expensive), but be careful - some of them can really knock you out.

• Ristorante Caminetto

  address: Römerstraße 83
  A very nice, family-run Italian restaurant in the heart of Bonn, where you get a selection of the finest wines and meals of the region of Piedmont. Just that you are not disappointed: although Italian, they don't have pizza.

• Mogul

  phone: +49 228 695569
  address: Heerstraße 64
  Indian restaurant in Bonn. Although the restaurant makes the impression of a carefully redecorated garage, the food is really good and the owners are friendly. It is also cheaper than other Indian restaurants.

• Karawane

  phone: +49 228-9449680
  address: Adrianstraße 104
  Oberkassel is a bit outside of the city centre, but Karawane is worth the effort. It is basically an "All you can eat" (but not a buffet) consisting of 10 dishes from the Mediterranean and Middle East region. The dishes change every week (see their website), you can order a vegetarian selection (without surcharge) or additional dishes like lamb. The atmosphere is nice and the service friendly. It is often crowded, so better call for a reservation.

Splurge

Cafes

• Café Blau

  address: Franziskanerstraße
  Mainly visited by students, this café is in the entrance hall of a public swimming pool. It is kind of "cult" to go there, famous caffe latte, good breakfast offers.

• Cafetiero

  address: Fürstenstraße
  Very good coffee specialties, the interior is rather modern, closes already at 8.

• Goldbraun

  address: Fürstenstraße
  The Goldbraun Cafe boasts excellent espresso, comparable to Starbucks.

• Café Miebach

  address: Marktplatz, at Stern Hotel
  One of the most traditional cafes in Bonn. Not cheap, but good service and excellent cakes. Customers are mostly elderly. In the summer, they offer 300 seats outside directly at the Marktplatz.

• Café Fassbender

  address: Corner Sternstraße and Dreieck
  Café Fassbender is known for its cake. It is a pastry shop and a café. Often very crowded. It is a great location for middle-aged or older people to visit.

• Arco

  address: Sterntorbrücke 2
  Very good breakfast offers, large breakfast for 2 incl. coffee for €8,90, friendly service.

• Schokoladen

  address: Münsterstraße 7
  is located close to the central station. This small café offers excellent chocolate-based drinks. Freshly made with melted chocolate and milk you can enjoy it hot, cold or mixed with coffee or other drinks. You can also have an amazing chocolate fondue with fresh fruits and cookies.

• Teestube Gschwendner

  address: Dreieck 2
  Not a cafe, but a tea room in a beautiful frame house that hosts the Tea shop Tee Gschwendner. They brew high quality tea on the second floor and also have a small choice of cakes and scones. The shop on the first floor often offers free tea tasting of one or two teas in a Samowar.

Bars

Bonner Altstadt ('old downtown') in general is a good place to go out. Find a lot of small pubs and student bars in this district

• Alter Zoll

  address: Am Brassertufer
  The definite place to be on a beautiful summer night in Bonn. Alter Zoll is a large beergarden under an old tree with direct view of the Rhine and a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. It can become very crowded and take 20 minutes to get your drinks. Many people and especially students also bring their own drinks and sit down on the meadow next to the beer garden. To find it, just follow the crowd at Koblenzer Tor down to the rhine.

• Hausbar

  address: Am Boeselagerhof 1
  bar and restaurant with house music. Very popular and rather fancy and stylish, some say wannabe, do not dress too casually or you might have problems getting in. Beautiful view of the rhine.

• James Joyce

  phone: +49 228-369 56 71
  address: Mauspfad
  Irish pub in the city centre, atmospheric, good food, large variety of beers and whiskies, live sports.

• Tacos

  address: Bonngasse 7
  Popular Mexican Bar, Corona beer and great Cocktails. Happy Hour from 17-19.30h and 23.30-00.30h. Their food is also very good.

• Che Guevara

  address: Münsterstraße 9
  Delicious cocktails, good atmosphere. Happy Hour Mon-Th 18.30-20.30, Fr&Sat 17-19 and Sunday, Cocktail €5,30.

• Mojito

  address: Königstraße 9
  Small and popular Cocktail bar, prices are moderate, they also have Pizza and Tapas. Very hot in the summer. Happy Hour 18-20: Cocktails €3,90 and Pizza €4,50.

• Cafe Pawlow

  address: Heerstraße 64
  Situated in the multicultural Nordstadt, an atmospheric place to have a beer in summer.

• Nyx

  address: Vorgebirgsstraße 19
  Another good place in the Nordstadt, especially in summer when they have a beergarden outside.

• Fiddler's Irish Pub

  address: Frongasse 9, Bonn-Endenich
  Fiddler's is an Irish Pub that serves traditional Irish fare. Events such as weekly Karaoke and Pub Trivia are popular with the student crowd. As a bonus for travelers, a good percentage of the staff will be native English speakers as well.

• Limes Musik-Cafe-Bonn

  address: Theaterstraße 2
  The Limes is a punkrockers bar, which shows special football (soccer) events of the famous German left football team 1. FC. St. Pauli Hamburg. Events such as concerts or readings are sometimes announced on the website. As a bonus for young travelers and backpackers, the people in the bar are very helpful and open minded.

• Shamrock Irish pub

  phone: +49 228 9650251
  address: Römerstraße 22
  Irish pub close to the city center.

Clubs and Discos

• Blow Up

  address: Rathausgasse 10
  Dive bar. Speciality is funk and 60s. It can get smokey and very hot when crowded.

• Carpe Noctem

  address: Wesselstraße 5
  Underground rock club with young patrons. Has occasional student parties boasting free entry and half-price drinks. If the club is packed, it will get uncomfortably hot. Dress light.

• Drei Raum Wohnung

  address: Boeselagerhof 15
  Loosely translates to "Three Room Apartment". Very interesting joint with two completely different atmospheres depending on where you are. The ground floor is a stylish lounge with mixed drink specialties that caters to the slightly older theater crowd. The basement has an open dance floor, cheap beer specials and a live DJ. The basement also has a "bedroom" and "living room" with seating to get away from the dance floor for a rest. The real crowd shows up here late with the dance floor usually not filling up until after 23:00.

• N8schicht

  address: Bornheimer Str. 20-22
  Open five days a week. Theme parties. Can also get smoky and hot when crowded.

Budget

• Max Hostel

  phone: +49 228-82345780
  address: Maxstraße 7
  Bonn's independent youth hostel in Nordstadt. Different rooms from single and double to dorms with 8 beds.

• Youth Hostel Bonn Venusberg

  phone: +49 228 289970
  address: Haager Weg 42
  The official youth hostel is on the Venusberg which is about 20 minutes by bus from the city centre. There are night buses going there, but only one per hour.

• Bildungsstätte Haus Venusberg e. V.Owned by the Catholic church. They offer singles, doubles, dorms, prices start at €25. 20 minutes outside the city centre.

Mid-range

• Sternhotel Bonn

  phone: +49 228-72670
  address: Markt 8
  The interior decoration is a bit old-fashioned, but the house has a lot of flair and history and it is at the Marktplatz in the middle of the city.

• Hotel Eden

  address: Am Hofgarten 6
  Located pretty close to the city center. Free wi-fi in all rooms.

• Best Western Premier Hotel Domicil

  address: Thomas Mann Straße 24-26
  Very central location.

• Galerie Design Hotel

  phone: +49 228 1848-0
  address: Kölnstraße 360-364
  Located 10 minutes from the city center

• Dorint Venusberg Bonn

  phone: +49 228 2880
  address: An der Casselsruhe 1
  4-star hotel.

• Tagungs- und Bildungshaus CJD BonnTo the north, approximately 10 minutes from the city centre.

Splurge

• Grandhotel PetersbergUsed to be the government's guest house, located on one of the Siebengebirge's mountains with a view on the Rhine and Bonn. Hosted several international conferences. 20 minutes by car from Bonn.

• Kameha Grand

  phone: +49 228-43345000
  address: Am Bonner Bogen 1
  Design and ecological lifestyle hotel. There is ample space for conferences and meetings.

• Hilton Bonn

  phone: +49 228-72690
  address: Berliner Freiheit 2
  next to the Kennedy Bridge, very central.

• Maritim Bonn

  phone: +49 228 8108-0
  address: Kurt-Georg-Kiesinger Allee 1
  10 minutes from city center by taxi

• AMERON Hotel Königshof

  phone: +49 228 26010
  address: Adenauerallee 9
  Close to the city center and located just beside the Rhine river

• DERAG Hotel Kanzler

  phone: +49 228 68 44 0
  address: Adenauerallee 148

• Bonn Marriott World Conference Hotel

  phone: +49 228-280500
  address: Platz der Vereinten Nationen 4
  Opened in 2016, it has a 17th-floor panoramic bar and restaurant.

• Deutsche Post - main post office

  address: Münsterplatz 17

• Cologne — only 20-25 min by train. Get out at Köln Süd for partying at Zülpicher Straße or at Köln Hauptbahnhof for sightseeing and the city centre.
• Königswinter — home to Drachenfels (1010 ft), crowned by the ruins of a castle built early in the 12th century by the archbishop of Cologne, rises behind the town. From the summit, which can be accessed by the Drachenfels Railway, there is a magnificent view, celebrated by Lord Byron in Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. A cave in the hill is said to have sheltered the dragon which was slain by the hero Siegfried. Take Line 66 Telekom Express until Königswinter.
• Rheinsteig
• Zülpich — an old Roman settlement with a newly opened museum centered on Roman baths and bathing culture. It is also a gateway to the Eifel region.
• Burg Satzvey