Bonn is known to the public for two reasons: it is the home town of Ludwig van Beethoven and the city used to be the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990. Therefore, all attractions are associated with these events.
The city is very old, the first mention of it as a camp of the Roman army dates back to the 11th year of our era. The name of Bonn appeared 1,000 years ago. The symbol of the city is the XIII century Monastery Basilica of St. Martin. The second symbol is the old City Hall built in the rococo style. Outdoor staircase of the City Hall has always been the place for historical events. Many celebrities, heads of states and key guests of Germany spoke here to the residents of Bonn: Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, French President Charles de Gaulle, John F. Kennedy, Queen of England, Elizabeth II, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and others.
Old City Hall in Bonn ©Thomas Wolf, wikimedia.org
Bonn has one of the largest and most famous universities in Germany, where Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Heinrich Heine, Konrad Adenauer, Joseph Goebbels, Emperor Wilhelm II and seven Nobel Prize winners used to study.
University of Bonn ©Yuriy Buriak
However, we would say that Ludwig van Beethoven is a true symbol of the city. He was born here in 1770, on 18-26 Bonngasse Street. His image is everywhere in the city, and the house is a museum. In front of the concert hall of Beethoven stands a very unusual monument. It is difficult to describe it and better to look.
Beethoven monument in Bonn ©Yuriy Buriak
Beethoven monument in Bonn ©Yuriy Buriak
Graffiti with Beethoven in Bonn ©Yuriy Buriak
House where Beethoven was born (18-26 Bonngasse). ©Yuriy Buriak
Booklet of Bonn with a tourist map of the city can be downloaded here.
Beethoven monument on Muensterplatz in Bonn ©Yuriy Buriak
Pleasure boat on the Rhine in Bonn ©Yuriy Buriak
Rhine river quay in Bonn ©Yuriy Buriak
Thermometer in Bonn ©Yuriy Buriak
Getting there: By regional train from Cologne (25 minutes).
