Bonn Off The Beaten Path

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Go out of Bonn for a while and visit the Drachenfels at Konigswinter. The Drachenfels is a landmark of the Siebenbirge (seven hills) - it is 321 metres high. A trip to the top with the cog railway is worthwhile and then you can walk down - about 2 kilometres. The views from the top are lovely.
The cog railway to the top of the Drachenfels started service in the summer of 1883.
You can park (free of charge) at the base station on the Drachenfelsstrasse.

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Opposite Bonn, at the foot of the misty, rolling hills of Siebengebirge, lies the summer resort town of Konigswinter. It's a small place, with not a great deal to see, but it does have a great location on the banks of the Rhine overlooking Bonn, and it does have at least one major draw: Schloss Drachenburg.

From Bonn take tram 66. If you want to go to Drachenfels Railway station, go all the way to stop Konigswinter Fahre, then walk backwards to Drachenfels street and walk up there until you find it.

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Half way between Cologne and Bonn are the stunningly beautiful palaces of Bruhl. When we arrived it was late on a winter's day, and the early evening light produced amazingly long shadows stretched across glorious gardens. And in winter the gardens are almost completely empty of people.

Bruhl is a small town easily accessed by train from Cologne or Bonn - about 15 minutes from either. It's a pleasant little town, but the main draws are the two palaces of Augustusburg and Falkenlust. The Augustusburg Palace is right next to the train station, so even if you only have 15 minutes to spare on your way south from Cologne, it's absolutely worth stopping off here.

I came to know that this building that in front of which lies the Beethovendenkmal is the old Palace of Bonn which was converted into the Post office in 1877. Did not know at the time. So I don't have a better photo.

When doing some hiking in the Rhine Marsh, I came across a memorial stone just next to the bike path on the dyke. Stopping and reading the inscription, my attention was directed to an orchard-like area of trees and a lot of tombstones beneath them. It was obvious from the inscriptions that this was an old Jewish cemetery -- one of the largest in the Rhineland and one with a varied and very interesting history. Thanks to a local school project, it is very well researched. The info is largely available in English too, I've included the link further down. The cemetery was subject to several floodings during the centuries. It was heavily damaged in WWII by Allied bombings, because the German ground defense had built a mock airport near the cemetery. More recent attacks occured in the form of smearings by Neonazi thugs. If people could let these souls of the past finally leave to rest in peace, this would be a wonderful location indeed. I am very ashamed that it is still not happening that way.

The inscription reads:
"Sachor lo tischkach
Remember – do not forget
your murdered fellow Jewish citizens
so that this time will never return again.
Erected on 9 November 1968 by the city of Beuel."

There is very little to add to that.

Which famous composer spent some time in Bonn? The obvious answer to this is of course Beethoven, who was born in Bonn. But did you know that Robert Schumann also was living here? He spent the last years of his life in a mental facility in Bonn-Endenich. The house today is owned by the city of Bonn and contains a small museum and a musical library.

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If you have nothing else to do, or out are short of ideas about hot tourist spots or you just do not want to spend the day in a museum when the sun is shining outside you can always go out and simply walk around the streets of Bonn with no particular direction.

There are some interesting buildings to see. For example, I had taken these pictures in the area around Poppelsdorf. If I had more time then I would have tried to visit the churches but I guess I will see them the next time I go there :)

If you stick to the main streets you will find a lot of nice coffeehouses, pubs and restaurants where you can pop in and relax for a while. Or just sit down and watch the people passing by.

Unless you do not know the city very well it is recommendable to have a map with you because probably about half of the population is either not speaking or not willing to speak in English.

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From November - January you can go running on ice between the faboulos "Kunstmuseum Bonn" and the "Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle Bonn".
Every night people meet to have fun on ice and have a melted wine at the bar.
And the entrance is for free! You only have to bring your own shoes or rent some for little money.