Bonn, Germany travel guide and things to do: Nine must-do highlights

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Bonn, Germany travel guide and things to do: Nine must-do highlights

By David Whitley
Bonn, Germany.

Bonn, Germany.Credit: Shutterstock

THE ONE MUSEUM

Bonn's "Museum Mile" is brimming with options, but if plumping for one, make it the Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. It tells the story of the divided Germany after World War II, and the reunification which helped seal the country's status as Europe's powerhouse. It covers multiple facets of 20th-century Germany, from Volkswagens to migrant workers. See hdg.de

THE ONE HISTORIC BUILDING

The Museum Koenig is a fairly decent natural history museum, with the requisite number of cute and weird stuffed animals. It is also, however, where the state of West Germany, which had Bonn as its capital, came into being. The paperwork and constitution were hammered out inside, back in 1949, beginning the Cold War era in earnest. See zfmk.de

THE ONE FEAST

If you're after something hearty and convivial – and frankly, if not, why have you come to Germany? – the Brauhaus Bönnsch is marvellous. Goose menus in winter, massive schnitzels in summer, plus walls covered with photos of visiting dignitaries such as JFK and Charles de Gaulle make it a fine place for a few beers and a feed. See boennsch.de

THE ONE TREAT

Haribo (it stands for Hans Riegel Bonn) is a local company, and there's a two floor Haribo shop on Am Neator selling all manner of limited edition gummies – some of them in the shape of German landmarks. Real obsessives should head to the factory shop on Friesdorferstrasse, though. This is a Haribo-only supermarket, and watching people shovel tub after tub into a trolley is better than any nature documentary. See haribo.com

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THE ONE LOCAL HERO

Bonn was the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven and it is not shy about promoting this. There's a self-guided walking tour leaflet of sights linked to the composer available from the tourist information office. The star attraction is the Beethoven Haus, where young Ludwig was born. It has been converted into a museum, and the best bits look at how Beethoven's loss of hearing affected him. See beethoven.de

THE ONE CRUISE

Bonn's not on the most romantic stretch of the Rhine, but it's still hard to top a boat trip when the sun's out. Siebengebirge is one of a plethora of companies running cruises lasting from a couple of hours to a day, and they operate once the weather's reliably warm enough between April and October. See siebengebirgslinie-bonn.de

THE ONE GEEK-OUT

The Arithmeum is exceptionally niche, but surprisingly interesting. It's a museum about the history of counting machines, with lots of calculators, abacuses and computers on display. Nerds will love it, but for everyone else, the strength is in the timeline approach, showcasing the mathematical evolution from Babylonian cuneiform tablets to modern processors. See arithmeum.uni-bonn.de

THE ONE CONCERT

Bonn is a fairly highbrow kind of place, and the Beethoven connection makes classical music fairly popular here, especially around the anniversary of his birthday. The home-grown Beethoven Orchester Bonn puts on frequent performances in venues across the city, although mainly at the Opera House. It's a chance to crack out the posh clothes you packed … See beethoven-orchester.de

THE ONE HOTEL

With masculine, mood-lit rooms of dark wood and gold trim, the Living Hotel Kanzler looks seductively good. Its higher-category rooms cost from €87 and come with all manner of goodies, such as sofa beds, free beer in the fridge and kitchenettes. It also nods to Bonn's political history, with portraits of West German politicians such as Helmut Kohl near the lifts. See living-hotels.com

ONE MORE THING

There's no need to schlep to Bonn from the usual German hub, Frankfurt. Emirates (emirates.com) and Etihad (etihad.com) fly to Dusseldorf and from its airport, direct trains to Bonn take just over an hour.

David Whitley was a guest of Living Hotels.

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