Thrust into the limelight as the new capital of West Germany in 1949, Bonn is a beautiful riverside city. Famed for its abundance of heritage landmarks and cultural attractions, it has long been a favourite destination for arts and history-minded travellers from within Germany and further afield. The city’s fantastic choice of accommodation options reflects its unique fusion of old and new; our list of the best places to stay in Bonn includes everything from an art nouveau townhouse to a futuristic riverside design hotel.
Appealingly compact, with a well-preserved Old Town and an impressive ‘Museum Mile’, Bonn is great fun to explore on foot or two wheels. Guided tours come highly recommended, as there’s so much history to discover. Admire grand state buildings, now transformed into spectacular exhibition spaces, and world-class museums including the Kunstmuseum, Bundeskunsthalle and a plethora of great galleries. Don’t miss stepping into the enormous Münster Basilica on Münsterplatz, where the city was originally founded, for a sense of Bonn’s turbulent history. Germany’s recent past is charted at the Haus der Geschichte, whilst 20th century technology is detailed at the Deutsches Museum Bonn.
Music lovers will already know Bonn as the birthplace of Beethoven. The house in which the composer was born in Bonngasse is now a fantastic small museum — definitely a highlight! Other sites of interest include the university complex and the Poppelsdorfer Schloss, surrounded by manicured botanical gardens. Keen ramblers and cyclists will find myriad paths in and around the city, and boat trips on the Rhine are a delight on long summer evenings. The Christmas Market is charming, and the annual Beethoven Festival enormously popular — book your room at one of the best places to stay in Boon well in advance!
