 |
|
|
 add to Travel Bag (NEW)
As you walk around Bonn you will suddenly be taken away by the remnants of German history, from the Universitat Bonn to Museum Mile. With so much to see and do, it is recommended to start at the city center to familiarize yourself with Bonn, and then move on to the adventures that await you outside of town.
Universität Bonn
Start at the main building of the University in the city center, which is best reached from the main station on foot or from the underground stop Uni/Markt. On the city side (the courtyard), the entrance of the Schlosskirche is located near the university entrance. The university chapel was built in a French style that was inspired by Louis XVI.
From here, walk along the Franziskanerstraße to the Koblenzer Tor which spans the Adenauer Allee. In the past, members of the Knightly Order of St. Michael met here, over the "triumphal arch." Diagonally opposite is the birthplace of Lenné, a local master of landscape gardening. You can see the bastion walls of the Alte Zoll, where you have a splendid view of the Rhine and the Siebengebirge. If you decide not to a walk along the Rheinpromenade, and cross the Adenauerallee again, you'll see the big Hofgarten in front of you. The view of the university buildings from these gardens is particularly lovely. The sculpture of "Regina Pacis," which stands in a niche over the main entry, is also particularly remarkable.
Akademische Kunstmuseum
At the southeastern end of the park, opposite the university, is the Akademische Kunstmuseum (Academic Museum of Art). This classical building was built according to designs by Schinkel and was originally intended for use by the faculty of medicine. If you're interested in plaster casts of antique sculptures, then you should definitely pay a visit to this place. Not far away is the Kreuzbergkirche, a neo-Gothic church dating to 1866. The Kaiserplatz is situated opposite the church. In summer you can sit beneath the shady trees and have a coffee. A visit to the recently opened Kaiserpassage, with many shops and pubs, is also worthwhile.
Münsterplatz
A good starting point for a tour of Bonn's city center is the Main Station. The building was built in an Italian Renaissance style, and today is under preservation. If you cross the road in front of the station, you'll find yourself at Poststraße, part of Bonn's pedestrian zone and shopping area. A few nice buildings from the 1871-1873 period can be seen here. Walk to the end of this street and you'll reach the Münsterplatz (Cathedral Square). This square has been the setting for many an event over the years, such as the annual Christmas Market. The Main Post Office, a former electoral palace, is located on the northwest side of the Cathedral. The famous Beethoven Memorial stands right in front of the large yellow building, and the huge Münsterbasilika rises up on the opposite side.
Past the Post Office, on the corner of Vivatsgasse and the Münsterplatz, is a typical Bonn pub, the Hähnchen. Walking the length of Vivatsgasse, you'll arrive at the Sterntor, one of Bonn's old city gates, dating from the 13th century. The lovely houses in Sternstraße are worth looking at. Signs mounted on the walls tell the story of each building.
Altes Rathaus
At the end of the street, you will reach the Marktplatz (Market Square) with the lovely market well dating from 1770. Not only does daily business take place, but many special events as well. Here you will also find the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall). In Bonngasse, about 60m down on the right hand side, is the famous church Namen-Jesu-Kirche. Further on, at no. 20, is Beethoven's Birthplace. From here it is only about two hundred meters to the Kennedybrücke, the connection to Beuel. The Opera House is only a short walk away. From there you can go to the nearby Pfarr- und Minoritenklosterkirche St. Remigius (Church) on the nearby Brüdergasse. At the end of the street you'll find yourself back at the market square.
Südstadt and Poppelsdorf
To discover the Südstadt and Poppelsdorf, the best starting point is the main train station. We begin our tour through one of Bonn's nicest residential areas from the Prinz-Albert-Straße, on which many wonderful and well-preserved houses from the Gründerzeit period (after the Franco-German war of 1870 until the 1890s) and the art nouveau period. Buildings from the former period can be recognized by the fact that many of their features are borrowed form other eras, such as the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque eras. Many lovely cast iron balconies and stucco decorations also originate from this time. It is worth taking a closer look at the houses on this street (especially no. 14 and 17). The Rondell, where a few houses were built around a small square, is also very nice.
In the neighboring Königsstraße, you'll see pairs of semi-detached houses, built as mirror images of each other. The Alte Sternwarte at no. 66 is particularly worth mentioning. A little way beyond this you can turn right into the Argelanderstraße, also with many nice houses from the Gründerzeit and art nouveau periods. At the end of the street you'll reach Poppelsdorfer Allee, into which you can turn left. From here, walk directly towards the Poppelsdorfer Schloss. A good long viewing of the castle or a look in the Mineralogic and Petrologic Museum and a walk through the Botanical Garden, on the left hand side behind the castle grounds are worthwhile.
Goldfußmuseum
To continue the tour, walk diagonally into the Nussallee. If you go to the University Institute for Palaeontology, then you can visit the Goldfußmuseum there. At the end of Nussallee, turn right into the Endenicher Allee and you'll reach Beethovenplatz, where the Gärtnerhaus of the Electoral tree nursery is located. On the Colmanstraße, the Rheinische Landesmuseum (Rhenish State Museum) can be seen from a distance. From here you'll get back to the main station.
Bonn is known to be bike-rider friendly, as cycling around Bonn can afford wonderful views, and is not as tiring as walking. Whichever your mode of transportation, these tours will afford the best that Bonn has to offer.
Walking Tours
Bonn Tours ( +49 0 22877 5000/ http://www.bonnticket.de/ )
Path of Democracy ( http://www.wegderdemokratie.de/tour/index.html/ )
Boat Tours
Europe Cities ( http://www.partner.viator.com/en/3221/tours/Rhine-River/KD-Rhine-Pass-from-Bonn/d767-3320KDRHINEBONN/ )
Bus Tours
Cabrio Bus ( +49 0 22877 3921/ http://www.bonn.de/tourismus_kultur_sport_freizeit/tourist_information/stadtrundfahrten/index.html?lang=en/ )
Bike Tours
Wasserburgen-Route ( http://www.wasserburgen.de/indexe.htm/ )
Cemetery Tour
Old Cemetery Guided Tour ( +49 0 22864 1407/ http://www.bonn-region.de/english/sightseeing/historical-bonn/city-tours-and-guided-walking-tours.html/ )
|
|
|
|
|
Travel Bag
Interested in writing content for Wcities?
